"Gottlob  stopped  short,  and,  kneeling,  he   reverently  asked  the  monk 
to  bless  him." — The  Heidenmauer.  page  53. 


THE    HEIDENMAUER 


OR,    THE    BENEDICTINES 


A   LEGEND   OF  THE  RHINE 


BT 

J.   FENIMORE    COOPER 


"  From  mighty  wrongs  to  petty  perfidy, 
Have  I  not  seen  what  human  things  could  do."—  BYRON 


NEW  YORK 
JOHN   W.   LOVELL   COMPANY 

150  WORTH  STREET,  CORNER  MISSION  PLACE 


PftlNTINO  AND   BOOKBINDING  COMPANY, 
NEW  YORK. 


INTRODUCTION. 


"I  shall  crave  your  forbearance  a  little  ;  may  be,  I  will  call  upon  you 
anon,  for  some  advantage  to  yourself." — Measure  for  Measure. 

CONTRARY  to  a  long-established  usage,  a  summer  had 
been  passed  within  the  walls  of  a  large  town  ;  but,  the 
moment  of  liberation  arrived,  the  bird  does  not  quit  its 
cage  with  greater  pleasure  than  that  with  which  post- 
horses  were  commanded.  We  were  four  in  a  light 
travelling  caleche,  which  strong  Norman  cattle  transported 
merrily  towards  their  native  province.  For  a  time  we 
quitted  Paris,  the  queen  of  modern  cities,  with  its  tumults 
and  its  order  ;  its  palaces  and  its  lanes  ;  its  elegance  and 
its  filth ;  its  restless  inhabitants  and  its  stationary  politi- 
cians ;  its  theories  and  its  practices  ;  its  riches  and  its 
poverty  ;  its  gay  and  its  sorrowful ;  its  rentiers  and  its 
patriots  ;  its  young  liberals  and  its  old  illiberals  ;  its  three 
estates  and  its  equality  ;  its  delicacy  of  speech  and  its 
strength  of  conduct ;  its  government  of  the  people  and  its 
people  of  no  government  ;  its  bayonets  and  its  moral 
force ;  its  science  and  its  ignorance  ;  its  amusements  and 
its  revolutions ;  its  resistance  that  goes  backward,  and  its 
movement  that  stands  still  ;  its  milliners,  its  philosophers, 
its  opera-dancers,  its  poets,  its  fiddlers,  its  bankers,  and  its 
cooks.  Although  so  long  enthralled  within  the  barriers, 
it  was  not  easy  to  quit  Paris  entirely  without  regret — 
Paris,  which  every  stranger  censures,  and  every  stranger 
seeks  ;  which  moralists  abhor  and  imitate  ,•  which  causes 
the  heads  of  the  old  to  shake,  and  the  hearts  of  the  young 
to  beat ; — Paris,  the  centre  of  so  much  that  is  excellent, 
and  of  so  much  that  cannot  be  named  ! 

That  night  we  laid  our  heads  on  rustic  pillows,  far  from 
the  French  capital.  The  succeeding  day  we  snuffed  the 
air  of  the  sea.  Passing  through  Artois  and  French  Flan- 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

ders,  on  the  fifth  morning  we  entered  the  new  kingdom  of 
Belgium,  by  the  historical  and  respectable  town  of  Doua'i, 
and  Tournai,  and  Ath.  At  every  step  we  met  the  flag 
which  flutters  over  the  pavilion  of  the  Tuileries,  and 
recognized  the  confident  air  and  swinging  gait  of  French 
soldiers.  They  had  just  been  employed  in  propping  the 
crumbling  throne  of  the  house  of  Saxe.  To  us  they 
seemed  as  much  at  home  as  when  they  lounged  on  the 
Quai  d'Orsay. 

There  was  still  abundant  evidence  visible  at  Brussels,  of 
the  fierce  nature  of  the  struggle  that  had  expelled  the 
Dutch.  Forty-six  shells  were  sticking  in  the  side  of  a 
single  building  of  no  great  size,  while  ninety-three  grape- 
shot  were  buried  in  one  of  its  pilasters!  In  our  own 
rooms,  too,  there  were  fearful  signs  of  war.  The  mirrors 
were  in  fragments,  the  walls  broken  by  langrage,  the 
wood-work  of  the  beds  was  pierced  by  shot,  and  the 
furniture  was  marked  by  rude  encounters.  The  trees  of 
the  park  were  mutilated  in  a  thousand  places,  and  one  of 
the  little  Cupids,  that  we  had  left  laughing  above  the 
principal  gate  three  years  before,  was  now  maimed  and 
melancholy,  whilst  its  companion  had  altogether  taken 
flight  on  the  wings  of  a  cannon-ball.  Though  dwelling  in 
the  very  centre  of  so  many  hostile  vestiges,  we  happily 
escaped  the  sight  of  human  blood  ;  for  we  understood 
from  the  obliging  Swiss  who  presides  over  the  hotel  that 
his  cellars,  at  all  times  in  repute,  were  in  more  than  usual 
request  during  the  siege.  From  so  much  proof  we  were 
left  to  infer,  that  the  Belgians  had  made  stout  battle  for 
their  emancipation,  one  sign  at  least  that  they  merited  to 
be  free. 

Our  road  lay  by  Louvain,  Thirlemont,  Liege,  Aix-la- 
Chapelle,  and  Juliers,  to  the  Rhine.  The  former  of  these 
towns  had  been  the  scene  of  a  contest  between  the  hostile 
armies,  the  preceding  week.  As  the  Dutch  had  been 
accused  of  unusual  excesses  in  their  advance,  we  looked 
out  for  the  signs.  How  many  of  these  marks  had  been 
already  obliterated,  we  could  not  well  ascertain ;  but  those 
which  were  still  visible  gave  us  reason  to  think  that  the 
invaders  did  not  merit  all  the  opprobrium  they  had  re- 
ceived. Each  hour,  as  life  advances,  am  I  made  to  see 
how  capricious  and  vulgar  is  the  immortality  conferred  by 
a  newspaper ! 

It  would  be  injustice  to  the  ancient  Bishopric  of  Liege 


INTRODUCTION:  5 

to  pass  its  beautiful  scenery  without  a  comment.  Th< 
country  possesses  nearly  every  requisite  for  the  milde 
and  more  rural  sort  of  landscape  ; — Isolated  and  innumer 
able  farm-houses,  herds  in  the  fields,  living  hedges,  < 
waving  surface,  and  a  verdure  to  rival  the  emerald.  By  a 
happy  accident,  the  road  runs  for  miles  on  an  elevated 
ridge,  enabling  the  traveller  to  enjoy  these  beauties  at  his 
ease. 

At  Aix-la-Chapelle  we  bathed,  visited  the  relics,  saw  the 
scene  of  so  many  coronations  of  emperors  of  more  or  less 
renown,  sat  in  the  chair  of  Charlemagne,  and  went  our  way. 

The  Rhine  was  an  old  acquaintance.  A  few  years  earlier, 
I  had  stood  upon  the  sands,  at  Katwyck,  and  watched  its 
periodical  flow  into  the  North  Sea,  by  means  of  sluices 
made  in  the  short  reign  of  the  good  King  Louis,  and,  the 
same  summer,  I  had  bestrode  it,  a  brawling  brook,  on  the 
icy  side  of  St.  Gothard.  We  had  come  now  to  look  at  its 
beauties,  in  its  most  beautiful  part,  and  to  compare  them, 
so  far  as  native  partiality  might  permit,  with  the  well- 
established  claims  of  our  own  Hudson. 

Quitting  Cologne,  its  exquisite  but  incomplete  cathe- 
dral, with  the  crane  that  has  been  poised  on  its  unfinished 
towers  five  hundred  years,  its  recollections  of  Rubens  and 
his  royal  patroness,  we  travelled  up  the  stream  so  leisurely 
as  to  examine  all  that  offered,  and  yet  so  fast  as  to  avoid 
the  hazard  of  satiety.  Here  we  met  Prussian  soldiers,  pre- 
paring, by  mimic  service,  for  the  more  serious  duties  of 
their  calling.  Lancers  were  galloping,  in  bodies,  across 
the  open  fields  ;  videttes  were  posted,  the  cocked  pistol  in 
hand,  at  every  hay-stack  ;  while  couriers  rode,  under  the 
spur,  from  point  to  point,  as  if  the  great  strife,  which  is 
so  menacingly  preparing,  and  which  sooner  or  later  must 
come,  had  actually  commenced.  As  Europe  is  now  a  camp, 
these  hackneyed  sights  scarce  drew  a  look  aside.  We  were 
in  quest  of  the  interest  which  nature,  in  her  happier 
humors,  bestows. 

1  There  were  ruined  castles,  by  scores  ;  gray  fortresses, 
abbeys,  some  deserted  and  others  yet  tenanted  ;  villages 
and  towns  ;  the  seven  mountains  ;  cliifs  and  vineyards.  At 
every  step  we  felt  how  intimate  is  the  association  between 
the  poetry  of  Nature  and  that  of  art ;  between  the  hill-side 
with  its  falling  turret,  and  the  moral  feeling  that  lends 
them  interest.  Here  was  an  island,  of  no  particular  excel- 
lence, but  the  walls  of  a  convent  of  the  middle  ages  crum- 


INTRODUCTION. 

ed  on  its  surface.     There  was  a  naked  rock,  destitute  of 
randeur,  and  wanting  in  those  tints  which  milder  climates 
stow,  but  a  baronial  hold  tottered  on  its  apex.     Here 
aesar  led  his  legions  to  the  stream,  and  there  Napoleon 
irew  his  corps-d'armee  on  the   hostile   bank  ;  this  monu- 
icnt   was   to    Hoche,    and    from    that   terrace    the    great 
dolphus  directed  his  battalions.     Time  is  wanting  to  mel- 
ow  the  view  of  our  own  historical  sites  ;  for  the  sympathy 
hat  can  be  accumulated  only  by  the  general  consent  of 
mankind   has  not  yet  clothed  them  with  the   indefinable 
olors  of  distance  and  convention. 

In  the  mood  likely  to  be  created  by  a  flood  of  such  recol- 
lections, we  pursued  our  way  along  the  southern  margin 
f  this  great  artery  of  central  Europe.  We  wondered  at 
the  vastness  of  the  Rheinfels,  admired  the  rare  jewel  of  the 
ruined  church  at  Baccarach,  and  marvelled  at  the  giddy 
precipice  on  which  a  prince  of  Prussia  even  now  dwells,  in 
the  eagle-like  grandeur  and  security  of  the  olden  time.  On 
reaching  Mayence,  the  evening  of  the  second  day,  we  de- 
liberately and,  as  we  hoped,  impartially  compared  what 
had  just  been  seen  with  that  which  is  so  well  and  so  affec- 
tionately remembered. 

I  had  been  familiar  with  the  Hudson  from  childhood. 
The  great  thoroughfare  of  all  who  journey  from  the  inte- 
rior of  the  state  toward  the  sea,  necessity  had  early  made 
me  acquainted  with  its  windings,  its  promontories,  its 
islands,  its  cities,  and  its  villages.  Even  its  hidden  chan- 
nels had  been  professionally  examined,  and  time  was  when 
there  did  not  stand  an  unknown  seat  on  its  banks,  or  a 
hamlet  that  had  not  been  visited.  Here  then  was  the  force 
of  deep  impressions  to  oppose  to  the  influence  of  objects 
still  visible. 

To  me  it  is  quite  apparent  that  the  Rhine,  while  it  fre- 
quently possesses  more  of  any  particular  species  of  scenery, 
within  a  given  number  of  miles,  than  the  Hudson,  has 
none  of  so  great  excellence.  It  wants  the  variety,  the  noble 
beauty,  and  the  broad  grandeur  of  the  American  stream. 
The  latter,  within  the  distance  universally  admitted  to  con- 
tain the  finest  parts  of  the  Rhine,  is  both  a  large  and  a 
small  river;  it  has  its  bays,  its  narrow  passages  among  the 
meadows,  its  frowning  gorges,  and  its  reaches  resembling 
Italian  lakes  ;  whereas  the  most  that  can  be  said  of  its 
European  competitor,  is  that  all  these  wonderful  peculiari- 
ties are  feebly  imitated.  Ten  degrees  of  a  lower  latitude 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

supply  richer  tints,  brighter  transitions  of  light  and  shadow, 
and  more  glorious  changes  of  the  atmosphere,  to  embellish 
the  beauties  of  our  western  clime.  In  islands,  too,  the  ad- 
vantage is  with  the  Hudson,  for,  while  those  of  the  Rhine 
are  the  most  numerous,  those  of  the  former  stream  are 
bolder,  better  placed,  and,  in  every  naturalffeature,  of  more 
account. 

When  the  comparison  between  these  celebrated  rivers  is 
extended  to  their  artificial  accessories,  the  result  becomes 
more  doubtful.  The  buildings  of  the  older  towns  and  vil- 
lages of  Europe  seemed  grouped  especially  for  effect,  as 
seen  in  the  distant  view,  though  security  was  in  truth  the 
cause,  while  the  spacious,  cleanly,  and  cheerful  villages  of 
America  must  commonly  be  entered,  to  be  appreciated. 
In  the  other  hemisphere,  the  maze  of  roofs,  the  church- 
towers,  the  irregular  faces  of  wall,  and  frequently  the 
castle  rising  to  a  pinnacle  in  the  rear,  give  a  town  the  ap- 
pearance of  some  vast  and  antiquated  pile  devoted  to  a 
single  object.  Perhaps  the  boroughs  of  the  Rhine  have 
less  of  this  picturesque,  or  landscape  effect,  than  the  vil- 
lages of  France  and  Italy,  for  the  Germans  regard  space 
more  than  their  neighbors,  but  still  are  they  less  common- 
place than  the  smiling  and  thriving  little  marts  that  crowd 
the  borders  of  the  Hudson.  To  this  advantage  must  be 
added  that  which  is  derived  from  the  countless  ruins,  and 
a  crowd  of  recollections.  Here,  the  superiority  of  the 
artificial  auxiliaries  of  the  Rhine  ceases,  and  those  of  her 
rival  come  into  the  ascendant.  In  modern  abodes,  in 
villas,  and  even  in  seats,  those  of  princes  alone  excepted, 
the  banks  of  the  Hudson  have  scarcely  an  equal  in  any 
region.  There  are  finer  and  nobler  edifices  on  the  Brenta, 
and  in  other  favored  spots,  certainly,  but  I  know  no  stream 
that  has  so  many  that  please  and  attract  the  eye.  As  ap- 
plied to  moving  objects,  an  important  feature  in  this  com- 
parison, the  Hudson  has  perhaps  no  rival  in  any  river  that 
can  pretend  to  a  picturesque  character.  In  numbers,  in 
variety  of  rig,  in  beauty  of  form,  in  swiftness  and  dex- 
terity of  handling,  and  in  general  grace  and  movement, 
this  extraordinary  passage  ranks  amongst  the  first  of  the 
world.  The  yards  of  tall  ships  swing  among  the  rocks 
and  forests  of  the  highlands,  while  sloop,  schooner,  and 
bright  canopied  steam-boat,  yacht,  periagua,  and  canoe 
are  seen  in  countless  numbers,  decking  its  waters.  There 
is  one  more  eloquent  point  of  difference  that  should  not 


8  INTRODUCTION'. 

be  neglected.  Drawings  and  engravings  of  the  Rhine  lend 
their  usual  advantages,  softening  and  frequently  rendering 
beautiful  objects  of  no  striking  attractions  when  seen  as 
they  exist  ;  while  every  similar  attempt  to  represent  the 
Hudson,  at  once  strikes  the  eye  as  unworthy  of  its  original. 

Nature  is  fruitful  of  fine  effects  in  every  region,  and  it 
is  a  mistake  not  to  enjoy  her  gifts,  as  we  move  through 
life,  on  account  of  some  fancied  superiority  in  this,  or 
that,  quarter  of  the  world.  We  left  the  Rhine,  therefore, 
with  regret,  for,  in  its  way,  a  lovelier  stream  can  scarce  be 
found. 

At  Mayence  we  crossed  to  the  right  bank  of  the  river, 
and  passing  by  the  Duchies  of  Nassau  and  Darmstadt,  en- 
tered that  of  Baden,  at  Heidelberg.  Here  \ve  sat  upon 
the  Tun,  examined  the  castle,  and  strolled  in  the  alleys  of 
the  remarkable  garden.  Thence  we  proceeded  to  Man- 
heim,  turning  our  faces,  once  more,  towards  the  French 
capital.  The  illness  of  one  of  the  party  compelled  us  to 
remain  a  few  hours  in  the  latter  city,  which  presented  little 
for  reflection,  unless  it  were  that  this,  like  one  or  two  other 
towns  we  had  lately  seen,  served  to  convince  us,  that  the 
symmetry  and  regularity  which  render  large  cities  mag- 
nificent, cause  those  that  are  small  to  appear  mean. 

It  was  a  bright  autumnal  day  when  we  returned  to  the  left 
bank  of  the  Rhine,  on  the  way  to  Paris.  The  wishes  of 
the  invalid  had  taken  the  appearance  of  strength,  and  we 
hoped  to  penetrate  the  mountains  which  bound  the  Palat- 
inate on  its  south-western  side,  and  to  reach  Kaiserslau- 
tern,  on  the  great  Napoleon  road,  before  the  hour  of  rest. 
The  main  object  had  been  accomplished,  and  as  with  all 
who  have  effected  their  purpose,  the  principal  desire  was 
to  be  at  home.  A  few  posts  convinced  us  that  repose  was 
still  necessary  to  the  invalid.  This  conviction,  unhappily 
as  I  then  believed,  came  too  late,  for  we  had  already  crossed 
the  plain  of  the  Palatinate,  and  were  drawing  near  to  the 
chain  of  mountains  just  mentioned  which  are  a  branch  of 
the  Vosges,  and  are  known  in  the  country  as  the  Haart. 
We  had  made  no  calculations  for  such  an  event,  and  former 
experience  had  caused  us  to  distrust  the  inns  of  this  isola- 
ted portion  of  the  kingdom  of  Bavaria.  I  was  just  bit- 
terly regretting  our  precipitation,  when  the  church-tower 
of  Duerckheim  peered  above  the  vineyards  ;  for,  on  get- 
ting nearer  to  the  base  of  the  hills,  the  land  became 
slightly  undulating,  and  the  vine  abundant.  As  we  ap- 


INTRODUCTION.  , 

proached,  the  village  or  borough  promised  little,  but  we 
had  the  word  of  the  postilion  that  the  post-house  was  an 
inn  fit  for  a  king ;  and  as  to  the  wine,  he  could  give  no 
higher  eulogium  than  a  flourish  of  the  whip,  an  eloquent 
expression  of  pleasure  for  a  German  of  his  class.  We  de- 
bated the  question  of  proceeding,  or  of  stopping,  in  a 
good  deal  of  doubt,  to  the  moment  when  the  carriage  drew 
up  before  the  sign  of  the  Ox.  A  substantial  looking 
burgher  came  forth  to  receive  us.  There  was  the  pledge  of 
good  cheer  in  the  ample  development  of  his  person,  which 
was  not  badly  typified  by  the  sign,  and  the  hale,  hearty 
character  of  his  hospitality  removed  all  suspicion  of  the 
hour  of  reckoning.  If  he  who  travels  much  is  a  gainer  in 
knowledge  of  mankind,  he  is  sure  to  be  a  loser  in  the 
charities  that  sweeten  life.  Constant  intercourse  with 
men  who  are  in  the  habit  of  seeing  strange  faces,  who  only 
dispose  of  their  services  to  those  that  are  likely  never  to 
need  them  again,  and  who,  of  necessity,  are  removed  from 
most  of  the  responsibilities  and  affinities  of  a  more  per- 
manent intercourse,  exhibits  the  selfishness  of  our  nature 
in  its  least  attractive  form.  Policy  may  suggest  a  specious 
blandishment  of  air,  to  conceal  the  ordinary  design  on  the 
pocket  of  the  stranger  ;  but  it  is  in  the  nature  of  things 
that  the  design  should  exist.  The  passion  of  gain,  like  all 
other  passions,  increases  with  indulgence  ;  and  thus  do  we 
find  those  who  dwell  on  beaten  roads  more  rapacious  than 
those  in  whom  the  desire  is  latent  for  want  of  use. 

Our  host  of  Duerckheim  offered  a  pledge,  in  his  honest 
countenance,  independent  air,  and  frank  manner,  of  his 
also  being  above  the  usual  mercenary  schemes  of  another 
portion  of  the  craft,  who,  dwelling  in  places  of  little  resort, 
endeavor  to  take  their  revenge  of  fortune,  by  showing  that 
they  look  ^  upon  every  post-carriage  as  an  especial  God- 
send. He  had  a  garden,  too,  into  which  he  invited  us  to 
enter,  while  the  horses  were  changing,  in  a  way  that 
showed  he  was  simply  desirous  of  being  benevolent,  and 
that  he  cared  little  whether  we  staid  an  hour  or  a  week. 
In  short,  his  manner  was  of  an  artless,  kind,  natural,  and 
winning  character,  that  strongly  reminded  us  of  home,  and 
which  at  once  established  an  agreeable  confidence  that  is 
of  an  invaluable  moral  effect.  Though  too  experienced 
blindly  to  confide  in  national  characteristics,  we  liked,  too, 
his  appearance  of  German  faith,  and  more  than  all  were 
we  pleased  with  the  German  neatness  and  comfort,  of 


io  INTRODUCTION: 

which  there  were  abundance,  unalloyed  by  the  swaggering 
pretension  that  neutralizes  the  same  qualities  among  people 
more  artificial.  The  house  was  not  a  beer-drinking,  smok- 
ing caravanserai,  like  many  hotels  in  that  quarter  of  the 
world,  but  it  had  detached  pavilions  in  the  gardens,  in 
which  the  wearied  traveller  might,  in  sooth,  take  his  rest. 
With  such  inducements  before  our  eyes,  we  determined  to 
remain,  and  we  were  not  long  in  instructing  the  honest 
burgher  to  that  effect.  The  decision  was  received  with 
great  civility,  and,  unlike  the  immortal  Falstaff,  I  began  to 
see  the  prospects  of  taking  "  mine  ease  in  my  inn"  without 
having  a  pocket  picked. 

The  carriage  was  soon  housed,  and  the  baggage  in  the 
chambers.  Notwithstanding  the  people  of  the  house  spoke 
confidently,  but  with  sufficient  modesty,  of  the  state  of  the 
larder,  it  wanted  several  hours,  agreeably  to  our  habits, 
to  the  time  of  dinner,  though  we  had  enjoyed  frequent 
opportunities  of  remarking  that  in  Germany  a  meal  is 
never  unseasonable.  Disregarding  hints,  which  appeared 
more  suggested  by  humanity  than  the  love  of  gain,  our 
usual  hour  for  eating  was  named,  and,  by  way  of  changing 
the  subject,  I  asked, — 

"  Did  I  not  see  some  ruins,  on  the  adjoining  mountain, 
as  we  entered  the  village  ?  " 

"We  call  Duerckheim  a  city,  mein  Herr,"  rejoined  our 
host  of  the  Ox  ;  "  though  none  of  the  largest,  the  time  has 
been  when  it  was  a  capital ! " 

Here  the  worthy  burgher  munched  his  pipe  and  chuck- 
led, for  he  was  a  man  that  had  heard  of  such  places  as 
London,  and  Paris,  and  Pekin,  and  Naples,  and  St.  Peters- 
burgh,  or,  haply,  of  the  Federal  City  itself. 

"  A  capital  ! — it  was  the  abode  of  one  of  the  smaller 
princes,  suppose  ;  of  what  family  was  your  sovereign, 
pray  ? " 

"You  are  right,  mein  Herr.  Duerckheim,  before  the 
French  revolution,  was  a  residence  (for  so  the  political 
capitals  are  called  in  Germany),  and  it  belonged  to  the 
princes  of  Leiningen,  who  had  a  palace  on  the  other  side 
of  the  city  (the  place  may  be  about  half  as  large  as  Hud- 
son, or  Schenectady),  which  was  burnt  in  the  war.  After 
the  late  wars,  the  sovereign  was  mediatise,  receiving  an  in- 
demnity in  estates  on  the  other  side  of  the  Rhine." 

As  this  term  of  mediatise  has  no  direct  synonyme  in  Eng- 
lish, it  may  be  well  to  explain  its  signification.  Germany, 


INTRODUCTION.  it 

as  well  as  most  of  Europe,  was  formerly  divided  into  a 
countless  number  of  petty  sovereignties,  based  on  the  prin- 
ciple of  feudal  power.  As  accident,  or  talent,  or  alliances, 
or  treachery  advanced  the  interests  of  the  stronger  of  these 
princes,  their  weaker  neighbors  began  to  disappear  alto- 
gether, or  to  take  new  and  subordinate  stations  in  the  social 
scale.  In  this  manner  has  France  been  gradually  com- 
posed of  its  original,  but  comparatively  insignificant  king- 
dom, buttressed,  as  it  now  is,  by  Brittany,  and  Burgundy, 
and  Navarre,  and  Dauphiny,  and  Provence,  and  Normandy, 
with  many  other  states  ;  and,  in  like  manner  has  England 
been  formed  of  the  Heptarchy.  The  confederative  system 
of  Germany  has  continued  more  or  less  of  this  feudal  or- 
ganization to  our  own  times.  The  formation  of  the  em- 
pires of  Austria  and  Prussia  has,  however,  swallowed  up 
many  of  these  principalities,  and  the  changes  produced  by 
the  policy  of  Napoleon  gave  the  death-blow,  without  dis- 
tinction, to  all  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  Rhine.  Of 
the  latter  number  were  the  Princes  of  Leiningen,  whose 
possessions  were  originally  included  in  the  French  repub- 
lic, then  in  the  empire,  and  have  since  passed  under  the 
sway  of  the  King  of  Bavaria,  who,  as  the  legitimate  heir  of 
the  neighboring  Duchy  of  Deux  Ponts,  had  a  nucleus  of 
sufficient  magnitude  in  this  portion  of  Germany  to  induce 
the  Congress  of  Vienna  to  add  to  his  dominions;  their  object 
being  to  erect  a  barrier  against  the  future  aggrandizement 
of  France.  As  the  dispossessed  sovereigns  are  permitted 
to  retain  their  conventional  rank,  supplying  wives  and 
husbands,  at  need,  to  the  reigning  branches  of  the  different 
princely  families,  the  term  m^diatistf\\2iS  been  aptly  enough 
applied  to  their  situation. 

"The  young  prince  was  here,  no  later  than  last  week," 
continued  our  host  of  the  Ox  ;  "  he  lodged  in  that  pavilion, 
where  he  passed  several  days.  You  know  that  he  is  a. son 
of  the  Duchess  of  Kent,  and  half-brother  to  the  young 
princess  who  is  likely,  one  day,  to  be  queen  of  England." 

"Has  he  estates  here,  or  is  he  still,  in  any  way,  con- 
nected with  your  government? " 

*'  All  they  have  given  him  is  in  money,  or  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Rhine.  He  went  to  see  the  ruins  of  the  old 
castle  ;  for  he  had  a  natural  curiosity  to  look  at  a  place 
which  his  ancestors  had  built.'' 

"  It  was  the  ruins  of  the  castle  of  Leiningen,  then,  that 
I  saw  on  the  mountain,  as  we  entered  the  town  ? " 


1 2  INTR  OD  UCTION; 

"  No,  mein  Herr.  You  saw  tlie  ruins  of  the  Abbey  of 
Limburg ;  those  of  Hartenburg,  for  so  the  castle  was 
called,  lie  farther  back  among  the  hills." 

"  What  !  a  ruined  abbey,  and  a  ruined  castle,  too  ! — Here 
is  sufficient  occupation  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  An  abbey 
and  a  castle  !  " 

"  And  the  Heidenmauer,  and  the  Teufelstein." 

"  How  !  a  Pagan's  wall,  and  a  Devil's  stone ! — You  are 
rich  in  curiosities  !  " 

The  host  continued  to  smoke  on  philosophically. 

"  Have  you  a  guide  who  can  take  me,  by  the  shortest 
way,  to  these  places  ?  " 

"  Any  child  can  do  that." 

"  But  one  who  can  speak  French  is  desirable — for  my 
German  is  far  from  being  classical." 

The  worthy  inn-keeper  nodded  his  head. 

"  Here  is  one  Christian  Kinzel,"  he  rejoined,  after  a  mo- 
ment of  thought,  "  a  tailor  who  has  not  much  custom,  and 
who  has  lived  a  little  in  France  ;  he  may  serve  your  turn." 

I  suggested  that  a  tailor  might  find  it  healthful  to  stretch 
his  knee-joints. 

The  host  of  the  Ox  was  amused  with  the  conceit,  and  he 
fairly  removed  the  pipe,  in  order  to  laugh  at  his  ease.  His 
mirth  was  hearty,  like  that  of  a  man  without  guile. 

The  affair  was  soon  arranged.  A  messenger  was  sent 
for  Christian  Kinzel,  and  taking  my  little  male  travelling 
companion  by  the  hand,  I  went  leisurely  ahead,  expecting 
the  appearance  of  the  guide.  But,  as  the  reader  will  have 
much  to  do  with  the  place  about  to  be  described,  it  may  be 
desirable  that  he  should  possess  an  accurate  knowledge  of 
its  locality. 

Duerckheim  lies  in  that  part  of  Bavaria  which  is  com- 
monly called  the  circle  of  the  Rhine.  The  king,  of  the 
country  named,  may  have  less  than  half  a  million  of  sub- 
jects in  this  detached  part  of  his  territories,  which  extends 
in  one  course  from  the  river  to  Rhenish  Prussia,  and  in 
the  other  from  Darmstadt  to  France.  It  requires  a  day  of 
hard  posting  to  traverse  this  province  in  any  direction, 
from  which  it  would  appear  that  its  surface  is  about  equal 
to  two-thirds  of  that  of  Connecticut.  A  line  of  mountains, 
resembling  the  smaller  spurs  of  the  Alleghanies,  and  which 
are  known  by  different  local  names,  but  which  are  a  branch 
of  the  Vosges,  passes  nearly  through  the  centre  of  the  dis- 
trict,  in  a  north  and  south  course.  These  mountains  ceasa 


INTRODUCTION.  13 

abruptly  on  their  eastern  side,  leaving  between  them  and 
the  river,  a  vast  level  surface  of  that  description  which  is 
called  "flats,"  or  "bottom  land,"  in  America.  This  plain, 
part  of  the  ancient  Palatinate,  extends  equally  on  the  other 
side  of  the  Rhine,  terminating  as  abruptly  on  the  eastern 
as  on  the  western  border.  In  an  air  line,  the  distance  be- 
tween Heidelberg  and  Duerckheim,  which  lie  opposite  to 
each  other  on  the  two  lateral  extremities  of  the  plain,  may 
a  little  exceed  twenty  miles,  the  Rhine  running  equi-dis- 
tant  from  both.  There  is  a  plausible  theory,  which  says 
that  the  plain  of  the  Palatinate  was  formerly  a  lake,  re-^ 
ceiving  the  waters  of  the  Rhine,  and  of  course  discharging 
them  by  some  inferior  outlet,  until  time,  or  a  convulsion 
of  the  earth,  broke  through  the  barrier  of  the  mountains 
at  Bingen,  draining  off  the  waters,  and  leaving  the  fertile 
bottom  described.  Irregular  sand-hills  were  visible,  as  we 
approached  Duerckheim,  which  may  go  to  confirm  this 
supposition,  for  the  prevalence  of  northerly  winds  might 
easily  have  cast  more  of  these  light  particles  on  the  south- 
western than  on  the  opposite  shore.  By  adding  that  the 
eastern  face  of  the  mountains,  or  that  next  to  the  plain,  is 
sufficiently  broken  and  irregular  to  be  beautiful,  while  it 
is  always  distinctly  marked  and  definite,  enough  has  been 
said  to  enable  us  to  proceed  with  intelligence. 

It  would  appear  that  one  of  the  passes  that  has  com- 
municated, from  time  immemorial,  between  the  Rhine  and 
the  country  west  of  the  Vosges,  issues  on  the  plain  through 
the  gorge  near  Duerckheim.  By  following  the  windings 
of  the  valleys,  the  post-road  penetrates,  by  an  easy  ascent, 
to  the  highest  ridge,  and  following  the  water-courses  that 
run  into  the  Moselle,  descends  nearly  as  gradually  into 
the  Duchy  of  Deux  Ponts,  on  the  other  side  of  the  chain. 
The  possession  of  this  pass,  therefore,  in  the  ages  of  law- 
lessness and  violence,  was,  in  itself,  a  title  to  distinction 
and  power  ;  since  all  who  journeyed  by  it,  lay  in  person 
and  effects  more  or  less  at  the  mercy  of  the  occupant. 

On  quitting  the  town,  my  little  companion  and  myself 
immediately  entered  the  gorge.  The  pass  itself  was  nar- 
row, but  a  valley  soon  opened  to  the  width  of  a  mile,  out 
of  which  issued  two  or  three  passages,  besides  that  by 
which  we  had  entered,  though  only  one  of  them  preserved 
its  character  for  any  distance.  The  capacity  of  this  valley, 
or  basin,  as  it  must  have  been  when  the  Palatinate  was  a 
lake,  is  much  curtailed  by  an  insulated  mountain,  whose 


H  INTRODUCTION. 

base,  covering  a  fourth  of  the  area,  stands  in  its  Very  centre, 
and  which  doubtless  was  an  island  when  the  valley  was  a 
secluded  bay.  The  summit  of  this  mountain  or  island-hill 
is  level,  of  an  irregularly  oval  form,  and  contains  some  six 
or  eight  acres  of  land.  Here  stand  the  ruins  of  Limburg, 
the  immediate  object  of  our  visit. 

The  ascent  was  exceedingly  rapid,  and  of  several  hun- 
dred feet ;  reddish  free-stone  appeared  everywhere  through 
the  scanty  soil,  the  sun  beat  powerfully  on  the  rocks  ;  and 
I  was  beginning  to  weigh  the  advantages  and  disadvantages 
)f  proceeding,  when  the  tailor  approached,  with  the  zeal 
of  new-born  courage. 

"  Voici  Christian  Kinzel  !  "  exclaimed ,  to  whom 

novelty  was  always  an  incentive,  and  who,  in  his  young 
life,  had  eagerly  mounted  Alp  and  Apennine,  Jura  and 
Calabrian  hill,  tower,  monument,  and  dome,  or  whatever 
else  served  to  raise  him  in  the  air  ;  "  Allons, — grimpons  !  " 

We  scrambled  up  the  hill-side,  and,  winding  among  ter- 
races on  which  the  vine  and  vegetables  were  growing,  soon 
reached  the  natural  platform.  There  was  a  noble  view 
from  the  summit,  but  it  would  be  premature  to  describe  it 
here.  The  whole  surface  of  the  hill  furnished  evidence  of 
the  former  extent  of  the  Abbey,  a  wall  having  encircled 
the  entire  place  ;  but  the  principal  edifices  had  been  built, 
and  still  remained,  near  the  longitudinal  centre,  on  the 
very  margin  of  the  eastern  precipice.  Enough  was  stand- 
ing to  prove  the  ancient  magnificence  of  the  structure. 
Unlike  most  of  the  ruins  which  border  the  Rhine,  the  ma- 
sonry was  of  a  workmanlike  kind,  the  walls  being  not  only 
massive,  but  composed  of  the  sand-stone  just  mentioned 
neatly  hewn,  for  immense  strata  of  the  material  exist  in  all 
this  region.  I  traced  the  chapel,  still  in  tolerable  preser- 
vation, the  refectory,  that  never-failing  solacer  of  monastic 
seclusion,  several  edifices  apparently  appropriated  to  the 
dormitories,  and  some  vestiges  of  the  cloisters.  There  is 
also  a  giddy  tower,  of  an  ecclesiastical  form,  that  suffi- 
ciently serves  to  give  a  character  to  the  ruins.  It  was 
closed,  to  prevent  idlers  from  incurring  foolish  risks  by 
mounting  the  crazy  steps  ;  but  its  having  formerly  been 
appropriated  to  the  consecrated  bells  was  not  at  all  doubt- 
ful. There  is  also  a  noble  arch  near,  with  several  of  its 
disjointed  stones  menacing  the  head  of  him  who  ventures 
beneath. 

Turning  from  the  ruin,  I  cast  a  look  at  the  surrounding 


INTRODUCTION.  15 

valley.  Nothing  could  have  been  softer  or  more  lovelv 
than  the  near  view.  That  sort  of  necessity,  which  induces 
us  to  cherish  any  stinted  gift,  had  led  the  inhabitants  to 
turn  every  foot  of  the  bottom  land  to  the  best  account. 
No  Swiss  Alp  could  have  been  more  closely  shaved  than 
the  meadows  at  my  feet,  and  a  good  deal  had  been  made  of 
two  or  three  rivulets  that  meandered  among  them.  The 
dam  of  a  rustic  mill  threw  back  the  water  into  a  miniature 
lake,  and  some  zealous  admirer  of  Neptune  had  established 
a  beer-house  on  its  banks,  which  was  dignified  with  the 
sign  of  the  "  Anchor ! "  But  the  principal  object  in  the 
interior  or  upland  view,  was  the  ruins  of  a  castle,  that  oc- 
cupied a  natural  terrace,  or  rather  the  projection  of  a  rock, 
against  the  side  of  one  of  the  nearest  mountains.  The 
road  passed  immediately  beneath  its  walls,  a  short  arrow- 
flight  from  the  battlements,  the  position  having  evidently 
been  chosen  as  the  one  best  adapted  to  command  the  or- 
dinary route  of  the  traveller.  I  wanted  no  explanation 
from  the  guide  to  know  that  this  was  the  castle  of  Harten- 
berg.  It  was  still  more  massive  than  the  remains  of  the 
Abbey,  built  of  the  same  material,  and  seemingly  in  differ- 
ent centuries  ;  for  while  one  part  was  irregular  and  rude, 
like  most  of  the  structures  of  the  middle  ages,  there  were 
salient  towers  filled  with  embrasures,  for  the  use  of  artil- 
lery. One  of  their  guns,  well  elevated,  might  possibly 
have  thrown  its  shot  on  the  platform  of  the  Abbey-hill, 
but  with  little  danger  even  to  the  ruined  walls. 

After  studying  the  different  objects  in  this  novel  and 
charming  scene,  for  an  hour,  I  demanded  of  the  guide  some 
account  of  the  Pagan's  Wall  and  of  the  Devil's  Stone. 
Both  were  on  the  mountain  that  lay  on  the  other  side  of 
the  ambitious  little  lake,  a  long  musket-shot  from  the  Ab- 
bey. It  was  even  possible  to  see  a  portion  of  the  for- 
mer, from  our  present  stand  ;  arid  the  confused  account  of 
the  tailor  only  excited  a  desire  to  see  more.  We  had  not 
come  on  this  excursion  without  a  fit  supply  of  road-books 
and  maps.  One  of  the  former  was  accidentally  in  my  pocket, 
though  so  little  had  we  expected  anything  extraordinary 
on  this  unfrequented  road,  that  as  yet  it  had  not  been 
opened.  On  consulting  its  pages  now,  I  was  agreeably 
disappointed  in  finding  that  Duerckheim  and  its  antiqui- 
ties had  not  been  thought  unworthy  of  the  traveller's  es- 
pecial attention.  The  Pagan's  Wall  was  there  stated  to  be 
the  spot  in  which  Attila  passed  the  winter  before  crossing 


1 6  INTRODUCTION. 

the  Rhine,  in  his  celebrated  inroad  against  the  capital  of 
the  civilized  world,  though  its  origin  was  referred  to  his 
enemies  themselves.  In  short,  it  was  believed  to  be  the 
remains  of  a  Roman  camp,  one  of  those  advanced  works 
of  the  empire,  by  which  the  Barbarians  were  held  in  check, 
and  of  which  the  Hun  had  casually  and  prudently  availed 
himself,  in  his  progress  south.  The  Devil's  Stone  was  de- 
scribed as  a  natural  rock,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  encamp- 
ment, on  which  the  Pagans  had  offered  sacrifices.  Of 
course  the  liberated  limbs  of  the  guide  were  put  in  requi- 
sition, to  conduct  us  to  a  spot  that  contained  curiosities  so 
worthy  of  even  his  exertions. 

As  we  descended  the  mountain  of  Limburg,  Christian 
Kinzel  lighted  the  way,  by  relating  the  opinions  of  the 
country  concerning  the  places  we  had  seen  and  were  about 
to  see.  It  would  appear  by  this  legend,  that  when  the 
pious  monks  were  planning  their  monastery,  a  compact 
was  made  with  the  Devil  to  quarry  the  stones  necessary 
for  so  extensive  a  work,  and  to  transport  them  up  the  steep 
acclivity.  The  inducement  held  forth  to  the  evil  spirit,  for 
undertaking  a  work  of  this  nature,  was  the  pretence  of 
erecting  a  tavern,  in  which,  doubtless,  undue  quantities  of 
Rhenish  wine  were  to  be  quaffed,  cheating  human  reason, 
and  leaving  the  undefended  soul  more  exposed  to  the  usual 
assaults  of  temptation.  It  would  seem,  by  the  legends  of 
the  Rhine,  that  the  monks  often  succeeded  in  outwitting 
the  arch  foe  in  this  sort  of  compact,  though  perhaps  never 
with  more  signal  success  than  in  the  bargain  in  question. 
Completely  deceived  by  the  artifices  of  the  men  of  God, 
the  father  of  sin  lent  himself  to  the  project  with  so  much 
zeal,  that  the  Abbey  and  its  appendages  were  completed 
in  a  time  incredibly  short  ;  a  circumstance  that  his  em- 
ployers took  good  care  to  turn  to  account,  after  their  own 
fashion,  by  ascribing  it  to  a  miracle  of  purer  emanation. 
By  all  accounts  the  deception  was  so  well  managed,  that 
notwithstanding  his  proverbial  cunning,  the  Devil  never 
knew  the  true  destination  of  the  edifice  until  the  Abbey- 
bell  actually  rang  for  prayers.  Then,  indeed,  his  indigna- 
tion knew  no  bounds,  and  he  proceeded  forthwith  to  the 
rock  in  question,  with  the  fell  intent  of  bringing  it  into  the 
air  above  the  chapel,  and,  by  its  fall,  of  immolating  the 
monks  and  their  altar  together,  to  his  vengeance.  But 
the  stone  was  too  firmly  rooted  to  be  displaced  even  by 
the  Devil  ;  and  he  was  finally  compelled,  by  the  pra\  ers 


INTRODUCTION.  17 

of  the  devotees,  who  were  now,  after  their  own  fashion  of 
fighting,  fairly  in  the  field,  to  abandon  this  portion  of  the 
country  in  shame  and  disgrace.  The  curious  are  shown 
certain  marks  on  the  rock,  which  go  to  prove  the  violent 
efforts  of  Satan,  on  this  occasion,  and  among  others  the 
prints  of  his  form,  left  by  seating  himself  on  the  stone, 
fatigued  by  useless  exertions.  The  more  ingenious  even 
trace,  in  a  sort  of  groove,  evidence  of  the  position  of  his 
tail,  during  the  time  the  baffled  spirit  was  chewing  the  cud 
of  chagrin  on  his  hard  stool. 

We  were  at  the  foot  of  the  second  mountain  when  Chris- 
tian Kinzel  ended  this  explanation. 

u  And  such  is  your  Duerckheim  tradition  concerning  the 
Devil's  Stone  ? "  I  remarked,  measuring  the  ascent  with  the 
sight. 

"  Such  is  what  is  said  in  the  country,  mein  Herr,"  re- 
turned the  tailor  ;  "but  there  are  people,  hereabouts,  who 
do  not  believe  it." 

My  little  travelling  companion  laughed,  and  his  eyes 
danced  with  expectation. 

"  Aliens,  grimpons  !  "  he  cried  again — "  Allons  voir  ce 
Teufelstein  ! " 

In  a  suitable  time  we  were  in  the  camp.  It  lay  on  an 
advanced  spur  of  the  mountain,  a  sort  of  salient  bastion 
made  by  nature,  and  was  completely  protected  on  every 
side,  but  that  at  which  it  was  joined  to  the  mass,  by  de- 
clivities so  steep  as  to  be  even  descended  with  some  pain. 
There  was  the  ruin  of  a  circular  wall,  half  a  league  in  ex- 
tent, the  stones  lying  in  a  confused  pile  around  the  whole 
exterior,  and  many  vestiges  of  foundations  and  intersecting 
walls  within.  The  whole  area  was  covered  with  a  young 
growth  of  dark  and  melancholy  cedars.  On  the  face  ex- 
posed to  the  adjoining  mountain,  there  had  evidently  been 
the  additional  protection  of  a  ditch. 

The  Teufelstein  was  a  thousand  feet  from  the  camp.  It 
is  a  weather-worn  rock,  that  shows  its  bare  head  from  a 
high  point  in  the  more  advanced  ranges  of  the  hills.  I 
took  a  seat  on  its  most  elevated  pinnacle,  and  for  a  mo- 
ment the  pain  of  the  ascent  was  forgotten. 

The  plain  of  the  Palatinate,  far  as  eye  could  reach,  lay 
in  the  view.  Here  and  there  the  Rhine  and  the  Neckar 

flittered  like  sheets  of  silver,  among  the  verdure  of  the 
elds,  and  tower  of  city  and  of  town,  of  Manheim,  Spires, 
and  Worms,   of  nameless  villages,   and  of  German 


1 8  INTRODUCTION. 

dences,  were  as  plenty  in  the  scene  as  tombs  upon  the 
Appian  Way.  A  dozen  gray  ruins  clung  against  the  sides 
of  the  mountains  of  Baden  and  Darmstadt,  while  the  castle 
of  Heidelberg  was  visible,  in  its  romantic  glen,  sombre, 
courtly,  and  magnificent.  The  landscape  was  German,  and 
in  its  artificial  parts  slightly  Gothic  ;  it  wanted  the  warm 
glow,  the  capricious  outlines,  and  seductive  beauty  of 
Italy,  and  the  grandeur  of  the  Swiss  valleys  and  glaciers  ; 
but  it  was  the  perfection  of  fertility  and  industry  embel- 
lished by  a  crowd  of  useful  objects. 

It  was  easy  for  one  thus  placed,  to  fancy  himself  sur- 
rounded by  so  many  eloquent  memorials  of  the  progress  of 
civilization,  of  the  infirmities  and  constitution,  of  the 
growth  and  ambition  of  the  human  mind.  The  rock  re- 
called the  age  of  furious  superstition  and  debased  igno- 
rance— the  time  when  the  country  lay  in  forest,  over  which 
the  hunter  ranged  at  will,  contending  with  the  beast  for 
the  mastery  of  his  savage  domain.  Still  the  noble  creature 
bore  the  image  of  God.  and  occasionally  some  master  mind 
pierced  the  shades,  catching  glimpses  of  that  eternal  truth 
which  pervades  Nature.  Then  followed  the  Roman,  with 
his  gods  of  plausible  attributes,  his  ingenious  and  specious 
philosophy,  his  accumulated  and  borrowed  art,  his  con- 
certed and  overwhelming  action,  his  love  of  magnificence, 
so  grand  in  its  effects,  but  so  sordid  and  unjust  in  its  means, 
and  last,  the  most  impressive  of  all,  that  beacon-like  am- 
bition which  wrecked  his  hopes  on  the  sea  of  its  vastness, 
with  the  evidence  of  the  falsity  of  his  system  as  furnished 
in  his  fall.  The  memorial  before  me  showed  the  means  by 
which  he  gained  and  lost  his  power.  The  Barbarian  had 
been  taught,  in  the  bitter  school  of  experience,  to  regain 
his  rights,  and,  in  the  excitement  of  the  moment,  it  was 
not  difficult  to  imagine  the  Huns  pouring  into  the  camp, 
and  calculating  their  chances  of  success  by  the  vestiges 
they  found  of  the  ingenuity  and  resources  of  their  foes. 

The  confusion  of  misty  images  that  succeeded  was  an  apt 
emblem  of  the  next  age.  Out  of  this  obscurity,  after  the 
long  and  glorious  reign  of  Charlemagne,  arose  the  baronia] 
castle,  with  feudal  violence  and  its  progeny  of  wrongs. 
Then  came  the  abbey,  an  excrescence  of  that  mild  and  suf- 
fering religion,  which  had  appeared  on  earth,  like  a  ray  of 
the  sun,  eclipsing  the  factitious  brilliancy  of  a  scene  from 
which  natural  light  had  been  excluded  for  a  substitute  of 
a  meretricious  and  deceptive  quality.  Here  arose  the  long 


1NTR  OD  UCTJOM  19 

and  selfish  strife,  between  antagonist  principles,  that  has 
not  yet  ceased.  The  struggle  was  between  the  power  of 
knowledge  and  that  of  physical  force.  The  former,  neither 
pure  nor  perfect,  descended  to  subterfuge  and  deceit ; 
while  the  latter  vacillated  between  the  dread  of  unknown 
causes,  and  the  love  of  domination.  Monk  and  baron  came 
in  collision  ;this  secretly  distrusting  the  faitli  he  professed, 
and  that  trembling  at  the  consequences  of  the  blow  which 
his  own  sword  had  given  ;  the  fruits  of  too  much  knowl- 
edge in  one,  and  of  too  little  in  the  other,  while  both  were 
the  prey  of  those  incessant  and  unwearied  enemies  of  the 
race,  the  greedy  passions. 

A  laugh  from  the  child  drew  my  attention  to  the  foot  of 
the  rock.  He  and  Christian  Kinzel  had  just  settled,  to  their 
mutual  satisfaction,  the  precise  position  that  had  been  oc- 
cupied by  the  Devil's  tail.  A  more  suitable  emblem  of  his 
country  than  that  boy,  could  not  have  been  found  on  the 
whole  of  its  wide  surface.  As  secondary  to  the  predomi- 
nant English  or  Saxon  stock,  the  blood  of  France,  Sweden, 
and  Holland  ran,  in  nearly  equal  currents,  in  his  veins.  He 
had  not  far  to  seek,  to  find  among  his  ancestors  the  peace- 
ful companion  of  Penn,  the  Huguenot,  the  Cavalier,  the 
Presbyterian,  the  follower  of  Luther  and  of  Calvin.  Chance 
had  even  deepened  the  resemblance  ;  for,  a  wanderer  from 
;nfancy,  he  now  blended  languages  in  merry  comments  on 
his  recent  discovery.  The  train  of  thought  that  his  appear- 
ance suggested  was  natural.  It  embraced  the  long  and 
mysterious  concealment  of  so  vast  a  portion  of  the  earth  as 
America,  from  the  acquaintance  of  civilized  man  ;  its  dis- 
covery and' settlement ;  the  manner  in  which  violence  and 
persecution,  civil  wars,  oppression  and  injustice,  had 
thrown  men  of  all  nations  upon  its  shores  ;  the  effects  of 
this  collision  of  customs  and  opinions,  unenthralled  by- 
habits  and  laws  of  selfish  origin  ;  the  religious  and  civil 
liberty  that  followed  ;  the  novel  but  irrefutable  principle 
on  which  its  government  was  based,  the  silent  working  of 
its  example,  in  the  two  hemispheres,  one  of  which  had  al- 
ready imitated  the  institutions  that  the  other  was  struggling 
to  approach,  and  all  the  immense  results  that  were  depend- 
ent on  this  inscrutable  and  grand  movement  of  Provi- 
dence. I  know  not  indeed  but  my  thoughts  might  have  ap- 
proached the  sublime,  had  not  Christian  Kinzel  interrupted 
them,  by  pointing  out  the  spot  where  the  Devil  had  kicked 
the  stone,  in  his  anger. 


20  INTR  OD  UCTION-. 

Descending  from  the  perch,  we  took  the  path  to  Duerck. 
heim.  As  we  came  down  the  mountain,  the  tailor  had  many 
philosophical  remarks  to  make,  that  were  chiefly  elicited 
by  the  forlorn  condition  of  one  who  had  much  toil  and  lit- 
tle food.  In  his  view  of  things,  labor  was  too  cheap,  and 
wine  and  potatoes  were  too  dear.  To  what  depth  he  might 
have  pushed  reflections  bottomed  on  principles  so  natural, 
it  is  impossible  to  say,  had  not  the  boy  started  some  doubts 
concerning  the  reputed  length  of  the  Devil's  tail.  He  had 
visited  the  Jardin  des  Plantes  at  Paris,  seen  the  kangaroos 
in  the  Zoological  Garden  in  London,  and  was  familiar 
with  the  inhabitants  of  a  variety  of  caravans  encountered  at 
Rome,  Naples,  Dresden,  and  other  capitals;  with  the 
bears  of  Berne  he  had  actually  been  on  the  familiar  terms 
of  a  friendly  visiting  acquaintance.  Having  also  some 
vague  ideas  of  the  analogies  of  things,  he  could  not  recall 
any  beast  so  amply  provided  with  such  an  elongation  of 
the  dorsal  bone  as  was  to  be  inferred  from  Christian  Kin- 
zel's  gutter  in  the  Teufelstein.  During  the  discussion  of 
this  knotty  point  we  reached  the  inn. 

The  host  of  the  Ox  had  deceived  us  in  nothing.  The 
viands  were  excellent,  and  abundant  to  prodigality.  The 
bottle  of  old  Duerckheimer  might  well  have  passed  for 
Johannisberger,  or  for  that  still  more  delicious  liquor, 
Steinberger,  at  London  or  New  York  ;  and  the  simple  and 
sincere  civility  with  which  everything  was  served,  gave  a 
zest  to  all. 

It  would  have  been  selfish  to  recruit  nature,  without 
thought  of  the  tailor,  after  so  many  hours  of  violent  ex- 
ercise in  the  keen  air  of  the  mountains.  He,  too,  had  his 
cup  and  his  viands,  and  when  both  were  invigorated  by 
these  natural  means,  we  held  a  conference,  to  which  the 
worthy  post-master  was  admitted. 

The  following  pages  are  the  offspring  of  the  convocation 
held  in  the  parlor  of  the  Ox.  Should  any  musty  German 
antiquary  discover  some  immaterial  anachronism,  a  name 
misplaced  in  the  order  of  events,  or  a  monk  called  prema- 
turely from  purgatory,  he  is  invited  to  wreak  his  just  in- 
dignation on  Christian  Kinzel,  whose  body  and  soul  may 
St.  Benedict  of  Limburg  protect,  for  evermore,  against  all 
critics. 


THE    HEIDENMAUER; 

OR,  THE   BENEDICTINES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  Stand  you  both  forth  now;  stroke  your  chins,  and  swear  by  your  beards 
that  I  am  a  knave." — As  You  Like  It. 

THE  reader  must  imagine  a  narrow  and  secluded  valley, 
for  the  opening  scene  of  this  tale.  The  time  was  that  in 
which  the  day  loses  its  power,  casting  a  light  on  objects 
most  exposed,  that  resembles  colors  seen  through  glass 
slightly  stained  ;  a  peculiarity  of  the  atmosphere,  which, 
though  almost  of  daily  occurrence  in  summer  and  autumn, 
is  the  source  of  constant  enjoyment  to  the  real  lover  of 
nature.  The  hue  meant  is  not  a  sickly  yellow,  but  rather 
a  soft  and  melancholy  glory,  that  lends  to  the  hill-side  and 
copse,  to  tree  and  tower,  to  stream  and  lawn,  those  tinges 
of  surpassing  loveliness  that  impart  to  the  close  of  day  its 
proverbial  and  soothing  charm.  The  setting  sun  touched 
with  oblique  rays  a  bit  of  shaven  meadow,  that  lay  in  a  dell 
so  deep  as  to  owe  this  parting  smile  of  nature  to  an  acci- 
dental formation  of  the  neighboring  eminences,  a  distant 
mountain  crest,  that  a  flock  had  cropped  and  fertilized,  a 
rippling  current  that  glided  in  the  bottom,  a  narrow  beaten 
path,  more  worn  by  hoof  than  wheel,  and  a  vast  range  of 
forest,  that  swelled  and  receded  from  the  view,  covering 
leagues  of  a  hill-chase,  that  even  tradition  had  never  peo- 
pled. The  spot  was  seemingly  as  retired  as  if  it  had  been 
chosen  in  one  of  our  own  solitudes  of  the  wilderness, 
while  it  was,  in  fact,  near  the  centre  of  Europe,  and  in  the 
sixteenth  century.  But,  notwithstanding  the  absence  of 
dwellings,  and  all  the  other  signs  of  the  immediate  pres- 


22  THE  HEJDENMAURK. 

ence  of  man,  together  with  the  wooded  character  of  the1 
scene,  an  American  eye  would  not  have  been  slow  to  de- 
tect its  distinguishing  features  from  those  which  mark  the 
Wilds  of  this  country.  The  trees,  though  preserved  with 
care,  and  flourishing,  wanted  the  moss  of  ages,  the  high 
and  rocking  summit,  the  variety  and  natural  wildness  of 
the  western  forest  No  mouldering  trunk  lay  where  it  had 
fallen,  no  branch  had  been  twisted  by  the  gale  and  forgot- 
ten, nor  did  any  upturned  root  betray  the  indifference  of 
man  to  the  decay  of  this  important  part  of  vegetation. 
Here  and  there,a  species  of  broom,  such  as  is  seen  occasion- 
ally on  the  mast-heads  of  ships,  was  erected  above  some 
tall  member  of  the  woods  that  stood  on  an  elevated  point ; 
land-marks  which  divided  the  rights  of  those  who  were 
entitled  to  cut  and  clip  ;  the  certain  evidence  that  man  had 
long  before  extended  his  sway  over  these  sombre  hills, 
and  that,  retired  as  they  seemed,  they  were  actually  subject 
to  all  the  divisions,  and  restraints,  and  vexations,  which,  in 
peopled  regions,  accompany  the  rights  of  property. 

For  an  hour  preceding  the  opening  of  our  tale,  not  a 
sound  of  any  nature,  beyond  that  of  a  murmuring  brook, 
had  disturbed  the  quiet  of  the  silent  little  valley,  if  a  gorge 
so  narrow,  and  in  truth  so  wild,  deserved  the  name.  There 
was  not  even  a  bird  fluttering  among  the  trees,  nor  a  hawk 
soaring  above  the  heights.  Once,  and  lor  a  minute  only, 
did  a  roebuck  venture  from  its  cover,  and  descend  to  the 
rivulet  to  drink.  The  animal  had  not  altogether  the  elas- 
tic bound,  the  timid  and  irresolute  movement,  nor  the 
wandering  eye  of  our  own  deer,  but  it  was  clearly  an  in- 
habitant of  a  forest ;  for  while  it  in  some  degree  confided 
in  the  protection,  it  also  distrusted  the  power  of  man.  No 
sooner  was  its  thirst  assuaged,  than,  listening  with  the 
keenness  of  an  instinct  that  no  circumstances  of  accidental 
condition  could  destroy,  it  went  up  the  acclivity  again, 
and  sought  its  cover  with  troubled  steps.  At  the  same 
instant  a  grayhound  leaped  from  among  the  trees,  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  gorge,  into  the  path,  and  began 
bounding  back  and  forth,  in  the  well-known  manner  of 
that  species  of  dog,  when  exercising  in  restlessness  rather 
than  engaged  in  the  hot  strife  of  the  chase.  A  whistle 
called  the  hound  back  from  its  gambols,  and  its  master 
entered  the  path. 

A  cap  of  green  velvet,  bearing  a  hunting-horn  above 
the  shade,  a  coarse  but  neat  frock  of  similar  color,  equally 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  23 

ornamented  with  the  same  badge  of  office,  together  with 
the  instrument  itself  suspended  from  a  shoulder,  and  the 
arms  usual  to  one  of  that  class,  denoted  a  forester,  or  an 
individual  charged  with  the  care  of  the  chase,  and  other- 
wise intiusted  with  a  jurisdiction  in  the  forest;  functions 
that  would  be  much  degraded  by  the  use  of  the  abused 
and  familiar  term  of  gamekeeper. 

The  forester  was  young,  active,  and,  notwithstanding 
the  rudeness  of  his  attire,  of  a  winning  exterior.  Laying 
his  fusee  against  the  root  of  a  tree,  he  whistled  in  the  dog, 
and  renewing  the  call,  by  means  of  a  shrill  instrument 
that  was  carried  for  that  purpose,  he  soon  succeeded  in 
bringing  its  fellow  to  his  side.  Coupling  the  grayhounds 
in  a  leash,  which  he  attached  to  his  own  person,  he  threw 
the  horn  from  its  noose,  and  blew  a  lively  and  short  strain, 
that  rolled  up  the  valley  in  mellow  and  melodious  notes. 
When  the  instrument  was  removed  from  his  lips,  the  youth 
listened  till  the  last  of  the  distant  echoes  was  done,  as  if 
expecting  some  reply.  He  was  not  disappointed.  Present- 
ly an  answering  blast  came  down  the  gorge,  ringing  among 
the  woods,  and  causing  the  hearts  of  many  of  its  tenants 
to  beat  quick  and  fearfully.  The  sounds  of  the  unseen  in- 
strument were  far  more  shrill  and  wild  than  those  of  the 
hunting-horn,  while  they  wanted  not  for  melancholy  sweet- 
ness. They  appeared  both  familiar  and  intelligible  to  the 
young  forester,  who  no  sooner  heard  them,  than  he  slung 
the  horn  in  its  usual  turn  of  the  cord,  resumed  the  fusee, 
and  stood  in  an  attitude  of  expectation. 

It  might  have  been  a  minute  before  another  youth  ap- 
peared in  the  path,  higher  in  the  gorge,  and  advancing 
slowly  towards  the  forester.  His  dress  was  rustic,  and  al- 
together that  of  a  peasant,  while  in  his  hand  he  held  a  long, 
straight,  narrow  tube  of  cherry  wood,  firmly  wrapped 
with  bark,  having  a  mouth-piece  and  a  small  bell  at  the 
opposite  end,  resembling  those  of  a  trumpet.  As  he  came 
forward,  his  face  was  not  without  an  expression  of  ill- 
humor,  though  it  was  rather  rendered  comic  than  grave, 
by  a  large  felt  hat,  the  front  rim  of  which  fell  in  an  enor- 
mous shade  above  his  eyes,  rendering  the  trim  cock  in  the 
rear,  ludicrously  pretending.  His  legs,  like  those  of  the 
forester,  were  encased  in  a  sort  of  leathern  hose,  that  left 
the  limbs  naked  and  free  below  the  knee,  while  the  gar- 
ment above  set  so  loosely  and  unbuttoned  above  that  im« 
portant  joint,  as  to  offer  no  restraint  to  his  movements. 


24  THE  HEIDEN.MAI:ER. 

"Thou  art  behind  thy  time,  Gottlob,"  said  the  young 
forester,  as  the  boor  approached,  "  and  the  good  hermit 
will  not  give  us  better  welcome  for  keeping  him  from 
prayer.  What  has  become  of  thy  herd  ?" 

"  That  may  the  holy  man  of  the  Heidenmauer  declare, 
for  it  is  more  than  I  could  answer  were  Lord  Emich  him- 
self to  put  the  question,  and  say,  in  the  manner  he  is  wont 
to  use  to  the  Abbot  of  Limburg — what  hath  become  of  thy 
herd,  Gottlob  ?" 

"  Nay,  this  is  no  trifling  matter,  if  thou  hast,  in  sooth, 
let  the  cattle  stray  !  Where  hadst  thou  the  beasts  last  in 
sight  ? " 

"  Here  in  the  forest  of  Hartenburg,  Master  Berchthold, 
on  the  honor  of  an  humble  servitor  of  the  Count." 

*'  Thou  wilt  yet  lose  this  service,  Gottlob,  by  thy  care- 
lessness ! " 

"It  would  be  a  thousand  pities  \vere  thy  words  to  be 
true,  for  in  that  case  Lord  Emich  would  lose  the  honestest 
cow-herd  in  Germany,  and  it  would  go  near  to  break  my 
heart  were  the  friars  of  Limburg  to  get  him !  But  the 
beasts  cannot  be  far  and  I  will  try  the  virtue  of  the  horn 
once  more,  before  I  go  home  to  a  broken  head  and  a  dis- 
charge. Dost  thou  know,  Master  Berchthold,  that  the 
disgrace  of  which  thou  speakest  never  yet  befell  any  of  my 
family,  and  we  have  been  keepers  of  cattle  longer  than  the 
Friedrichs  have  been  electors  ?  " 

The  forester  made  an  impatient  gesture,  patted  his 
hounds,  and  waited  for  the  effects  of  the  new  blast,  that 
his  companion  was  by  this  time  preparing  to  sound.  The 
manner  of  Gottlob  was  that  of  entire  confidence  in  his  own 
knowledge  of  his  calling,  for  notwithstanding  his  words, 
his  countenance  at  no  time  betrayed  uneasiness  for  the 
fate  of  his  trust.  The  valley  was  soon  ringing  with  the 
wild  and  plaintive  tones  of  the  cherry-wood  horn,  the  hind 
taking  care  to  give  the  strains  those  intonations,  which, 
by  a  mute  convention,  had  from  time  immemorial  been 
understood  as  the  signal  for  collecting  a  lost  herd.  His 
skill  and  faith  were  soon  rewarded,  for  cow  after  cow  came 
leaping  out  of  the  forest,  as  he  blew  his  air,  and  ere  long 
the  necessary  number  of  animals  were  in  the  path,  the 
younger  beasts  frisking  along  the  way,  with  elevated  tails 
and  awkward  bounds,  while  the  more  staid  contributors 
of  the  dairy  hurried  on,  with  business-like  air  but  grave 
steps,  as  better  became  their  years  and  their  characters  in 


THE  HEIDENMAURR.  25 

the  hamlet.  In  a  few  minutes  they  were  all  collected 
around  the  person  of  the  keeper,  who  having  counted  his 
charge,  shouldered  his  horn,  and  disposed  himself  to  pro- 
ceed towards  the  lower  extremity  of  the  gorge. 

"  Thou  art  lucky  to  have  gotten  the  beasts  together,  with 
so  little  trouble,  Gottlob,"  resumed  the  forester,  as  they 
followed  in  the  train  of  the  herd. 

"  Say  dexterous,  Master  Berchthold,  and  do  not  fear  to 
make  me  vain-glorious.  In  the  way  of  understanding  my 
own  merits  there  is  little  danger  of  doing  me  harm.  Thou 
shouldst  never  discourage  modesty,  by  an  over-scrupulous 
discretion.  It  would  be  a  village  miracle,  were  a  herd  so 
nurtured  in  the  ways  of  the  church  to  forget  its  duty  ! " 

The  forester  laughed,  but  he  looked  aside,  like  one  who 
would  not  see  that  to  which  he  wished  to  be  blind. 

"At  thy  old  tricks,  friend  Gottlob  !  Thou  hast  let  the 
beasts  roam  upon  the  range  of  the  friars !  " 

"  I  have  paid  Peter's  pence,  been  to  the  chapel  of  St. 
Benedict  for  prayer,  confessed  to  Father  Arnolph  himself, 
and  all  within  the  month  :  what  more  need  a  man  do,  to 
be  in  favor  with  the  Brothers  ?  " 

"  I  could  wish  to  know  if  thou  ever  entertainest  Father 
Arnolph  with  the  history  of  thy  visits  to  the  pastures  of 
the  convent,  with  Lord  Emich's  herd,  honest  Gottlob." 

"So!  Dost  thou  fancy,  Master  Berchthold,  that,  at  a 
moment  when  there  is  every  necessity  to  possess  a  calm 
and  contemplative  spirit,  I  should  strive  to  put  the  pious 
monk  in  a  passion,  by  relating  all  the  antics  of  some  ill- 
bred  cow,  or  of  a  heifer,  who  is  as  little  to  be  trusted  with- 
out a  keeper,  as  your  jung-frau  before  she  reaches  the 
years  of  caution  is  to  be  trusted  at  a  fair  without  her 
mother,  or  a  sharp-sighted  old  aunt,  at  the  very  least!" 

"  Well,  have  a  care,  Gottlob,  for  Lord  Emich,  though 
loving  the  friars  so  little,  will  be  apt  to  order  thee  into  a 
dungeon,  on  bread  and  water  for  a  week,  or  to  make  tin- 
back  acquainted  with  the  lash,  should  he  come  to  hear  that 
one  of  his  hinds  has  taken  this  liberty  with  the  rights  of  a 
neighbor." 

"  Let  Lord  Emich  then  expel  the  brotherhood  from  the 
richest  pasturage  near  the  Jaegerthal.  Flesh  and  blood 
cannot  bear  to  see  the  beasts  of  a  noble  digging  into  the 
earth  with  their  teeth,  after  a  few  bitter  herbs,  while  the 
carrion  of  a  convent  are  rolling  the  finest  and  sweetest 
grasses  over  their  tongues.  Look  you,  Master  Berchthold, 


26  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

these  friars  of  Limburg  eat  the  fattest  venison,  drink  the 
warmest  wine,  and  say  the  shortest  prayers  of  any  monks 
iu  Christendom!  Potz-Tausend  !  There  are  some  who 
accuse  them,  too,  of  shriving  the  prettiest  girls  !  As  for 
bread  and  water,  and  a  dungeon,  I  know  from  experience 
that  neither  of  the  remedies  agrees  with  a  melancholy 
constitution,  and  I  defy  the  Emperor,  or  even  the  Holy 
Father  himself,  to  work  such  a  miracle  as  to  make  back 
of  mine  acquainted  with  the  lash." 

"  Simply  because  the  introduction  hath  long  since  had 
place." 

"  That  is  thy  interpretation  of  the  matter,  Master  Bercht- 
hold,  and  I  wish  thee  joy  of  a  quick  wit.  But  we  are  get- 
ting beyond  the  limits  of  the  forest,  and  we  will  dismiss  the 
question  to  another  conversation.  The  beasts  are  full,  aiid 
will  not  disappoint  the  dairy  girls,  and  little  matters  it 
whence  the  nourishment  comes — Lord  Emich's  pastures 
or  a  churchly  miracle.  Thou  hast  hunted  the  dogs  lightly 
to-day,  Berchthold  ?" 

"  I  have  had  them  on  the  mountains  for  air  and  move- 
ment. They  got  away  on  the  heels  of  a  roebuck  for  a  short 
run,  but  as  all  the  game  in  this  chase  belongs  to  our 
master,  I  did  not  see  fit  to  let  them  go  faster  than  there 
was  need." 

"  I  rejoice  to  hear  thee  say  it,  for  I  count  upon  thy  com- 
pany in  climbing  the  mountain  when  our  work  is  ended  ; 
thy  legs  will  only  be  the  fresher  for  the  toil." 

"  Thou  hast  my  word,  and  I  will  not  fail  thee  ;  in  order 
that  no  time  be  lost,  we  will  part  here  to  meet  again  in  the 
hamlet." 

The  forester  and  the  cow-herd  made  signs  of  leave-tak- 
ing, and  separated.  The  former  quitted  the  public  road, 
turning  short  to  the  right  by  a  private  way,  which  led  him 
across  narrow  meadows,  and  the  little  river  that  glided 
among  them,  towards  the  foot  of  the  opposite  mountain. 
Gottlob  held  on  his  course  to  a  hamlet  that  was  now  visi- 
ble, and  which  completely  filled  a  narrow  pass  in  the  val- 
ley, at  a  point  where  the  latter  made  a  turn,  nearly  at  a 
right  angle  with  its  general  direction. 

The  path  of  the  former  led  him  to  a  habitation  very  dif- 
ferent from  the  rude  dwellings  towards  which  the  steps  of 
the  cow-herd  tended.  A  massive  castle  occupied  a  pro- 
jecting point  of  the  mountain,  overhanging  the  cluster  of 
houses  in  the  gorge,  and  frowning  upon  all  that  attempt- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  27 

ed  to  pass.  The  structure  was  a  vast  but  irregular  pile. 
The  more  modern  parts  were  circular  salient  towers,  that 
were  built  upon  the  uttermost  verge  of  the  rock,  from 
whose  battlements  it  would  not  have  been  difficult  to  cast 
a  stone  into  the  road,  and  which  denoted  great  attention 
to  strength  in  their  masonry,  while  beauty  of  form  and  of 
workmanship,  as  they  were  understood  at  the  period  of 
which  we  write,  were  not  entirely  neglected.  These  tow- 
ers, though  large,  were  mere  appendages  to  the  main 
building,  which,  seen  from  the  position  now  before  the 
mind  of  the  reader,  presented  a  confused  maze  of  walls, 
chimneys,  and  roofs.  In  some  places,  the  former  rose 
from  the  greensward  which  covered  the  hill-side  ;  while  in 
others,  advantage  had  been  taken  o'f  the  living  rock,  which 
was  frequently  so  blended  with  the  pile  it  supported,  both 
being  of  the  same  reddish  free-stone,  that  it  was  not  easy 
at  the  first  glance  to  say,  what  had  been  done  by  nature 
and  what  by  art. 

The  path  of  the  forester  led  from  the  valley  up  the 
mountain,  by  a  gradual  and  lateral  ascent  to  a  huge  gate 
that  opened  beneath  a  high  arch,  communicating  with  a 
court  within.  On  this  side  of  the  castle  there  was  neither 
ditch,  nor  bridge,  nor  any  other  of  the  usual  defences,  be 
yond  a  portcullis,  for  the  position  of  the  hold  rendered 
these  precautions  in  a  measure  unnecessary.  Still  great 
care  had  been  taken  to  prevent  a  surprise,  and  it  would 
have  required  a  sure  foot,  a  steady  head,  and  vigorous 
limbs,  to  have  effected  an  entrance  into  the  edifice,  by  any 
other  passage  than  its  gate. 

When  Berchthold  reached  the  little  terrace  that  lay  be- 
fore the  portal,  he  loosened  his  horn,  and,  standing  on  the 
verge  of  the  precipice,  blew  a  hunting  strain,  apparently 
in  glee.  The  music  echoed  among  the  hills  as  suited  the 
spot,  and  more  than  one  crone  of  the  hamlet  suspended 
her  toil,  in  dull  admiration,  to  listen  to  its  wild  effect.  Re- 
placing the  instrument,  the  youth  spoke  to  his  hounds  and 
passed  beneath  the  portcullis,  which  happened  to  be  raised 
at  the  moment. 


THE  HEIDENMAUER. 


CHAPTER  II. 

"What  sayest  thou  to  a  hare,  or  the  melancholy  of  moor-ditch  ?  ^ 

— King  Henry  IV. 

THE  light  had  nearly  disappeared  from  the  gorge,  in 
which  the  hamlet  of  Hartenburg  lay,  when  Berchthold 
descended  from  the  castle,  by  a  path  different  from  that 
by  which  he  had  entered  it  an  hour  before,  and  crossing 
the  rivulet  by  a  bridge  of  stone,  he  ascended  the  opposite 
bank  into  the  street,  or  rather  the  road.  The  young  for- 
ester having  kennelled  the  hounds,  had  laid  aside  his  leash 
and  fusee,  but  he  still  kept  the  horn  suspended  from  his 
shoulder.  At  his  side,  too,  he  carried  a  couteau-de-chasse, 
a  useful  instrument  of  defence  in  that  age  and  country,  as 
well  as  a  weapon  he  was  entitled  to  carry,  in  virtue  of  his 
office  under  the  Count  of  Leiningen-Hartenburg,  the  mas- 
ter of  the  hold  he  had  just  quitted,  and  the  feudal  lord  of 
most  of  the  adjoining  mountains,  as  well  as  of  sundry 
villages  on  the  plain  of  the  Palatinate.  It  would  seem 
that  the  cow-herd  expected  his  associate,  or  perhaps  we 
might  venture  to  call  him  friend,  for  such  in  truth  did  he 
appear  to  be,  by  the  easy  terms  on  which  they  met.  Gott- 
lob  was  in  waiting  near  the  cottage  of  his  mother,  and 
when  the  two  joined  each  other  they  communicated  by  a 
sign,  and  proceeded  with  swift  steps,  leaving  the  cluster  of 
houses. 

Immediately  on  quitting  the  hamlet,  the  valley  expanded, 
and  took  that  character  of  fertility  and  cultivation,  which 
has  been  described  to  the  reader  in  the  Introduction  ;  for 
all  who  have  perused  that  opening  and  necessary  preface 
to  our  labors,  will  at  once  recognize  that  the  two  youths 
introduced  to  their  acquaintance,  were  now  in  the  moun- 
tain basin  which  contained  the  Abbey  of  Limburg.  But 
three  centuries,  while  they  have  effected  little  in  altering 
the  permanent  features  of  the  place,  have  wrought  essen- 
tial changes  in  those  which  \vere  more  perishable. 

As  the  young  men  moved  swiftly  on,  the  first  rays  of  the 
moon  touched  the  tops  of  the  mountains,  and  ere  they  had 
gone  a  mile,  always  holding  the  direction  of  the  pass 
which  communicated  with  the  valley  of  the  Rhine,  the 
towers  and  roofs  of  the  Abbey  itself  were  illuminated.  The 


THE  HEJDENMAUER.  29 

conventual  buildings  were  then  perfect,  resembling,  by 
their  number  and  confusion,  the  grouping  of  some  village, 
while  a  strong  and  massive  wall  encircled  the  entire  brow 
of  the  isolated  hill.  The  construction  resembled  one  of 
those  warlike  ecclesiastical  princes  of  the  middle  ages,  who 
wore  armor  beneath  the  stole  ;  for  while  the  towers  and 
painted  windows,  the  pious  memorials  and  votive  monu- 
ments, denoted  the  objects  of  the  establishment,  the  de- 
fences betrayed  that  as  much  dependence  was  placed  on 
human  as  on  other  means,  for  the  protection  of  those  who 
composed  the  brotherhood. 

"  There  is  a  moon  for  a  monk  as  well  as  for  a  cow-herd, 
it  would  seem,"  observed  Gottlob,  speaking,  however,  in  a 
voice  subdued  nearly  to  a  whisper.  "  There  comes  the 
light  upon  the  high  tower  of  the  Abbey,  and  presently  it 
will  be  glistening  on  the  bald  head  of  every  straggler  of 
the  convent,  who  is  abroad  tasting  the  last  vintage,  or 
otherwise  prying  into  the  affairs  of  some  burgher  of 
Duerckheim  !  " 

"  Thou  hast  not  much  reverence  for  the  pious  fathers, 
honest  Gottlob  ;  for  it  is  seldom  thou  lettest  opportunity 
pass  to  do  them  an  ill  turn,  with  tongue  or  hungry  beast." 

"  Look  you,  Berchthold,  we  vassals  are  little  more  than 
so  much  clear  water  in  which  our  master  may  see  his  own 
countenance,  and  at  need  his  own  humors.  Whenever 
Lord  Emich  has  a  sincere  hatred  for  man  or  horse, 
dog  or  cat,  town  or  village,  monk  or  count,  I  know 
not  why  it  is  so,  but  I  feel  my  own  choler  rise,  until  I 
am  both  ready  and  willing  to  strike  when  he  striketh,  to 
curse  when  he  curseth,  and  even  to  kill  when  he  killeth." 

"Tis  a  good  temper  for  a  servitor,  but  it  is  to  be 
hoped,  for  the  sake  of  Christian  credit,  that  the  sympathy 
does  not  end  here,  but  that  thy  affections  are  as  social  as 
thy  dislikes." 

"  More  so,  as  there  is  faith  in  man  !  Count  Emich  is  a 
huge  lover  of  a  venison  pasty  of  a  morning,  and  I  feel  a 
yearning  for  it  the  day  long — Count  Emich  will  despatch 
you  a  bottle  of  Deurckheim  in  an  hour,  whereas  two 
would  scarce  show  my  zeal  for  his  honor  in  the  same  time  , 
and  as  for  other  mortifications  of  this  nature,  I  am  not  the 
man  to  desert  my  master  for  want  of  zeal." 

"  I  believe  thee,  Gottlob,"  said  Berchthold,  laughing,  "  and 
even  more  than  thou  canst  find  words  to  say  in  thine  own 
favor,  on  topics  like  these.  But,  after  all,  the  Benedictines 


3o  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

are  churchmen,  and  sworn  to  their  faith  and  duty,  as  well 
as  any  bishop  in  Germany  ;  and  I  do  not  see  the  cause  of 
all  the  dislike  of  either  lord  or  vassal." 

"  Ay,  thou  art  in  favor  with  some  of  the  fraternity,  and 
it  is  rare  that  the  week  passes  in  which  thou  art  not  kneel- 
ing before  some  of  their  altars  ;  but  with  me  the  case  is 
different,  for  since  the  penance  commanded  for  that  affair 
of  dealing  a  little  freely  with  one  of  their  herds,  I  have 
small  digestion  for  their  spiritual  food." 

"And  yet  thou  hast  paid  Peter's  pence,  said  thy  prayers, 
and  confessed  thy  sins  to  Father  Arnolph,  and  all  within 
the  month !  " 

"  What  wouldst  thou  have  of  a  sinner  ?  I  gave  the 
money  on  the  promise  of  having  it  back  with  usury ;  I 
prayed  on  account  of  an  accursed  tooth  that  torments  me, 
at  times,  in  a  manner  worse  than  a  damned  soul  is  har- 
rowed ;  and  as  to  confession,  ever  since  my  uncommon 
candor,  concerning  the  herd,  got  me  into  that  penance,  I 
confess  under  favor  of  a  proper  discretion.  To  tell  the 
truth,  Master  Berchthold,  the  church  is  something  like  a 
two-year  old  wife  ;  pleasant  enough  when  allowed  her  own 
way,  but  a  devil  of  a  vixen  when  folded  against  her  will." 

The  young  forester  was  thoughtful  and  silent,  and  as 
they  were  now  in  the  vicinity  of  the  hamlet  which  belonged 
to  the  friars  of  Limburg,  his  loquacious  and  prurient 
companion  saw  fit  to  imitate  his  reserve,  from  a  motive  of 
prudence.  The  little  artificial  lake  mentioned  in  the 
Introduction  was  in  existence,  at  the  time  of  our  tale  ;  but 
the  inn,  with  the  ambitious  sign  of  the  anchor,  is  the  fruit 
of  far  more  modern  enterprise.  When  the  young  men 
reached  a  ravine,  that  opened  into  the  mountain  near  the 
present  site  of  this  tavern,  they  turned  aside  from  the  high 
road,  first  taking  care  to  observe  that  no  curious  eye 
watched  their  movements. 

Here  commenced  a  long  and  somewhat  painful  ascent, 
by  means  of  a  rough  path,  that  was  only  lighted  in  spots 
by  the  rising  moon.  The  vigorous  limbs  of  the  forester 
and  the  cow-herd,  however,  soon  carried  them  to  the  sum- 
mit of  the  most  advanced  spur  of  the  adjoining  mountain, 
where  they  arrived  upon  an  open  heath-like  plain.  Al- 
though the  discourse  between  them  had  been  maintained 
during  the  ascent,  it  was  in  more  subdued  tones  even  than 
when  beneath  the  walls  of  Limburg,  the  spirits  of  Gottlob 
appearing  to  ooze  away  the  higher  he  mounted. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  3t 

"  This  is  a  dreary  and  a  courage-killing  waste,  Bercht* 
hold,"  whispered  the  cow-herd,  as  his  foot  touched  the 
level  ground  ;  "  and  it  is  even  more  disheartening  to  enter 
on  it  by  the  aid  of  the  moon,  than  in  the  dark.  Hast  ever 
been  nearer  to  the  Teufelstein,  at  this  hour  ? " 

"  I  came  upon  it  once  at  midnight ;  for  it  was  there  I 
made  acquaintance  with  him  that  we  are  now  about  to 
visit — Did  I  never  relate  the  manner  of  that  meeting  ?  " 

"  What  a  habit  hast  thou  of  taxing  a  memory  !  Perhaps 
if  thou  wert  to  repeat  it,  I  might  recall  the  facts  by  the 
time  thou  wert  ended  ;  and  to  speak  truth,  thy  voice  is 
comfortable  on  this  sprite's  common." 

The  young  forester  smiled,  but  without  derision,  for  he 
saw  that  his  companion,  spite  of  his  indifference  to  all 
grave  subjects,  was,  as  is  generally  the  case,  the  most  af- 
fected of  the  two  when  put  to  a  serious  trial,  and  perhaps 
he  also  remembered  the  difference  that  education  had 
made  in  their  powers  of  thinking.  That  he  did  not  treat 
the  subject  as  one  of  light  import  himself,  was  also  ap- 
parent by  the  regulated  and  cautious  manner  in  which  he 
delivered  the  following  account. 

"  I  had  been  on  the  chases  of  Lord  Emich  since  the  ris- 
ing of  the  sun,"  commenced  Berchthold,  "  for  there  was 
need  of  more  than  common  vigilance  to  watch  the  neigh- 
boring boors.  The  search  had  led  me  far  into  the  hills, 
and  the  night  came,  not  as  it  is  now  seen,  but  so  pitchy 
dark,  that,  accustomed  as  I  was  from  childhood  to  the 
forest,  it  was  not  possible  to  tell  the  direction  of  even  a 
star,  much  less  that  of  the  Castle.  For  hours  I  wandered, 
hoping  at  each  moment  to  reach  the  opening  of  the  valley, 
when  I  found  myself  of  a  sudden  in  a  field  that  appeared 
endless  and  uninhabited." 

"  Aye — That  was  this  devil's  ball-room  ! — thou  meanest 
untenanted  by  man." 

"  Hast  thou  ever  known  the  helplessness  of  being  lost 
in  the  forest,  Gottlob  ?  " 

"  In  my  own  person,  never,  Master  Berchthold ;  but  in 
that  of  my  herd,  it  is  a  misfortune  that  often  befalls  me, 
sinner  that  I  am  ! " 

"  I  know  not  that  sympathy  with  thy  cows  can  teach  thee 
the  humiliation  and  depression  that  come  over  the  mind, 
when  we  stand  on  this  goodly  earth,  cut  off  from  all  com- 
munication with  our  fellows,  in  a  desert,  though  sur- 
rounded by  living  men,  deprived  of  the  senses  of  sight  and 


32  THE   HEIDE^MATER. 

hearing  for  useful  ends,  and  with  all  the  signs  of  God  be- 
fore the  eyes,  and  yet  with  none  of  the  common  means  of 
enjoying  his  bounty,  from  having  lost  the  clew  to  his  in- 
tentions." 

"  Must  the  teeth,  of  necessity,  be  idle,  or  the  throat  dry, 
Master  Forester,  because  the  path  is  hid  ?" 

"  At  such  a  moment  the  appetites  are  quieted,  in  the 
grand  desire  to  return  to  our  usual  communication  with 
the  earth.  It  is  like  being  restored  to  the  helplessness  of 
infancy,  with  all  the  wants  and  habits  of  manhood  beset- 
ting the  character  and  wishes." 

"  If  thou  callest  such  a  thing  a  restoration,  friend  Bercht- 
hold,  I  shall  make  interest  with  St.  Benedict  that  I  may 
remain  deposed  to  the  end  of  my  days." 

"  I  weigh  not  the  meaning  of  every  word  I  utter,  with 
the  recollection  of  that  helpless  moment  so  fresh.  But  it 
was  when  the  desolate  feeling  was  strongest,  that  I  roved 
out  of  the  chase  upon  this  mountain  heath  ;  there  ap- 
peared something  before  my  sight,  that  seemed  a  house, 
and  by  a  bright  light  that  glittered,  as  I  fancied,  at  a 
window,  I  felt  again  restored  to  intercourse  with  my 
kind." 

"  Thou  usest  thy  terms  with  more  discretion  now,"  said 
the  cow-herd,  fetching  a  heavy  breath,  like  one  who  was 
glad  the  difficulty  had  found  a  termination.  "  I  hope  it 
was  the  abode  of  some  substantial  tenant  of  Lord  Emich, 
who  was  not  without  the  means  of  comforting  a  soul  in 
distress." 

"  Gottlob,  the  dwelling  was  no  other  than  the  Teufel 
stein,  and  the  light  was  a  twinkling  star,  that  chance  had 
brought  in  a  line  with  the  rock." 

"  I  take  it  for  granted,  Master  Berchthold,  thou  didst 
hot  knock  twice  for  admission  at  that  door! " 

"  I  am  not  much  governed  by  the  vulgar  legends  and 
womanish  superstitions  of  our  hills,  but " 

"  Softly — softly — friend  forester  ;  what  thou  callest  by 
names  so  irreverent,  are  the  opinions  ol  all  who  dwell  in 
or  about  Deurckheim  ;  knight  or  monk — burgher  or  count, 
has  equally  a  respect  for  our  venerable  traditions.  Tausand 
Sechs  und  Zvvanziges !  what  would  become  of  us  if  we 
had  not  a  gory  tale,  or  some  alarming  and  reverend  spec- 
tacle of  this  sort,  to  set  up  against  the  penances,  and 
prayers,  and  masses  of  the  Friars  of  Limburg  ! — As  much 
wisdom  and  philosophy  as  thou  wilt,  foster-brother  of 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  33 

mine,  but  leave  us  our  Devil,  if  it  be  only  to  make  battle 
against  the  Abbot !  " 

*'  Notwithstanding  thy  big  words,  I  well  know  that  none 
among  us  has,  at  heart,  a  greater  dread  of  this  very  hill 
than  thyself,  Gottlob  !  I  have  seen  thee  sweat  cold  drops 
from  thy  forehead,  in  crossing  the  heath  after  night-fall." 

"  Art  quite  sure  'twas  not  the  dew  ?  We  have  heavy 
falls  of  that  moisture  in  these  hills,  when  the  earth  is 
parched  ! " 

"  Let  it  then  be  the  dew." 

"  To  oblige  thee,  Berchthold,  I  would  willingly  swear  it 
was  a  water-spout.  But  what  didst  thou  make  of  the  rock 
and  the  star  ? " 

"  I  could  change  the  nature  of  neither.  I  pretend  not  to 
thy  indifference  to  the  mysterious  power  that  rules  the 
earth,  but  thou  well  k newest  that  fear  never  yet  kept  me 
from  ihis  hill.  When  a  near  approach  showed  me  my  error, 
I  was  about  to  turn  away,  not  without  crossing  myself  and 
repeating  an  Ave,  as  I  am  ready  to  acknowledge  ;  but  a 
glance  upward  convinced  me  that  the  stone  was  occu- 
pied  •" 

"  Occupied  ? — I  have  always  known  that  it  was  possessed, 
but  never  before  did  I  think  it  was  occupied  ! " 

"There  \vas  one  seated  on  its  uppermost  projection,  as 
plainly  to  be  seen  as  the  rock  itself." 

"  Whereupon  thou  madest  manifest  that  good  speed 
which  had  gained  thee  the  favor  of  the  Count,  and  thy 
post  of  forester." 

"  I  hope  the  nerve  to  put  the  duties  of  my  office  in  prac- 
tice, had  their  weight  with  Lord  Emich,"  rejoined  Bercht- 
hold, a  little  quickly.  "  I  did  not  run,  Gottlob,  but  I  spoke 
to  the  being  who  had  chosen  a  seat  so  remarkable,  and  at 
that  late  hour." 

Spite  of  his  spirit  and  affected  humor,  the  cow-herd  un- 
consciously drew  nearer  to  his  companion,  casting  at  the 
same  time  an  oblique  glance  in  the  direction  of  the  sus- 
pected rock. 

"Thou  seemest  troubled,  Gottlob." 

"  Dost  thou  think  I  am  without  bowels  ?  What,  shall  a 
friend  of  mine  be  in  this  strait,  and  I  not  troubled  !  Heaven 
save  thee,  Berchthold,  were  the  best  cow  in  my  herd 
off  her  stomach,  I  could  not  be  in  greater  concern.  Hadst 
any  answer  ? " 

"  I  had — and  the  result  has  gone  to  show  me,"  returned 


34  THE  tTElDENMAUER. 

the  forester,  musing  as  he  spoke,  like  one  who  was  ob« 
taining  glimpses  of  long-concealed  truth,  "  that  our  fears 
oftentimes  prevent  us  from  seeing  things  as  they  are,  and 
are  the  means  of  nourishing  our  mistakes.  I  got  an  an- 
swer, and  certainly,  contrary  to  what  most  in  Duerckheim 
would  have  believed,  it  was  given  in  a  human  voice." 

"  That  was  encouraging,  though  it  were  hoarser  than 
the  roaring  of  a  bull !  " 

"  It  spoke  mildly  and  in  reason,  Gottlob,  as  thou  wilt 
readily  believe,  when  I  tell  thee  it  was  no  other  than  the 
voice  of  the  Anchorite  of  the  Cedars.  Our  acquaintance 
then  and  there  commenced,  since  which  time,  as  thou 
knowest  well,  it  hath  not  flagged  for  want  of  frequent 
visits  to  his  abode,  on  my  part." 

The  cow-herd  walked  on  in  silence,  for  more  than  a 
minute,  and  then  stopping  short,  he  abruptly  addressed  his 
companion  : — 

"And  this  then  hath  been  thy  secret,  Berchthold,  con- 
cerning the  manner  of  commencing  on  thy  new  friend- 
ship." 

"  There  is  no  other.  I  well  knew  how  much  thou  wert 
fettered  by  the  opinions  of  the  country,  and  was  afraid  of 
losing  thy  company  in  these  visits,  were  I,  without  cau- 
tion, to  tell  all  the  circumstances  of  our  interview.  But 
now  thou  hast  become  known  to  the  anchorite,  I  do  not 
fear  thy  desertion." 

"  Never  count  upon  too  many  sacrifices  from  thy  friends, 
Master  Berchthold  !  The  mind  of  man  is  borne  upon  by  so 
many  fancies,  is  ruled  by  so  many  vagaries,  and  tormented 
by  so  many  doubts,  when  there  is  question  concerning  the 
safety  of  the  body,  to  say  nothing  of  the  soul,  that  I  know 
no  more  rash  confidence,  than  to  count  too  securely  on 
the  sacrifices  of  a  friend." 

"  Thou  knowest  the  path,  and  can  return  by  thyself,  to 
the  hamlet,  if  thou  wilt,"  said  the  forester  peevishly,  and 
not  without  severity. 

"  There  are  situations  in  which  it  is  as  difficult  to  go 
back  as  to  go  forward,"  observed  Gottlob  ;  "else,  Bercht- 
hold, I  might  take  thee  at  thy  word,  and  go  back  to  my 
careful  mother,  a  good  supper,  and  a  bed  that  stands 
between  a  picture  of  the  Virgin,  one  of  St.  Benedict,  and 
one  of  my  Lord  the  Count.  But  for  my  concern  for  thee, 
I  would  not  go  another  foot  toward  the  camp." 

"  Do  as  thou  wilt,"  said  the  forester,  who  appeared,  how- 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  35 

ever,  to  know  the  apprehension  his  companion  felt  of 
being  left  alone  in  that  solitary  and  suspected  spot,  and 
who  turned  his  advantage  to  good  account  by  quickening 
his  pace  in  such  a  manner  as  would  soon  have  left  Gott- 
lob  to  his  own  thick-coming  fancies,  had  he  not  diligently 
imitated  his  gait.  "  Thou  canst  tell  the  people  of  Lord 
Emich,  that  thou  abandoned  me  on  this  hill." 

"  Nay,"  returned  Gottlob,  making  a  merit  of  necessity, 
"  if  I  do  that,  or  say  that,  may  they  make  a  Benedictine  of 
me,  and  the  Abbot  of  Limburg  to  boot ! " 

As  the  cow-herd,  who  felt  all  his  master's  antipathies 
against  their  religious  neighbors,  expressed  this  determin- 
ation in  a  voice  strong  as  his  resolution,  confidence  was  re- 
stored between  the  friends,  who  continued  their  progress 
with  swift  paces.  The  place  was,  sooth  to  say,  one  every 
way  likely  to  quicken  any  dormant  seeds  of  superstition 
that  education,  or  tradition,  or  local  opinions  had  im- 
planted in  the  human  breast. 

By  this  time  our  adventurers  had  approached  a  wood  of 
low  cedars,  which,  apparently  encircled  in  a  round  wall 
that  was  composed  of  a  confused  but  vast  pile  of  fallen 
stones,  grew  upon  the  advanced  spur  of  the  hills.  Behind 
them  lay  the  heath-like  plain,  while  the  bald  rock  which 
the  moon-beams  had  just  lighted,  raising  its  head  from  out 
of  the  earth,  resembled  some  gloomy  monument  placed  in 
the  centre  of  the  waste,  to  mark  and  to  render  obvious,  by 
comparison,  the  dreary  solitude  of  the  naked  fields.  The 
back-ground  was  the  dark  slopes  and  ridges  of  the  forest 
of  the  Haart  mountains.  On  their  right  was  the  glen,  or 
valley,  from  which  they  had  just  ascended  ;  and  on  their 
front,  looking  a  little  obliquely  from  the  grove,  the  plain 
of  the  Palatinate,  which  lay  in  misty  obscurity,  like  a  dim 
sea  of  cultivation,  hundreds  of  feet  beneath  their  elevated 
stand. 

It  was  rare,  indeed,  that  any  immediate  dependant  of  the 
Count  Emich,  and  more  especially  any  of  those  who  dwelt  in 
or  about  his  castle,  and  who  were  likely  to  be  called  into  his 
service  at  an  unexpected  moment,  ventured  so  far  from  the 
fortress,  and  in  the  direction  of  the  hostile  Abbey,  without 
providing  himself  with  the  means  of  offence  and  defence. 
Berchthold  wore,  as  wont,  his  hunting-knife,  or  the  short 
straight  sword,  which  to  this  day  is  carried  by  that  descrip- 
tion of  European  dependant  called  a  chasseur,  and  who  is 
seen,  degraded  to  the  menial  offices  of  a  footman,  standing 


36  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

behind  the  carriages  of  ambassadors  and  princes,  remind- 
ing the  observant  spectator  of  the  regular  and  certain  de- 
cadency of  the  usages  of  feudal  times.  Neither  had  Gottlob 
been  neglectful  of  his  personal  security,  as  respects  human 
foes  ;  for  on  the  subject  of  resisting  all  such  attacks,  his 
manhood  was  above  reproach,  as  had  been  proved  in 
more  than  one  of  those  bloody  frays,  which  in  that  age 
were  of  frequent  occurrence  between  the  vassals  of  the 
minor  German  princes.  The  cow-herd  had  provided  him- 
self with  a  heavy  weapon  that  his  father  had  often  wielded 
in  battle,  and  which  needed  all  the  vigor  of  the  muscular 
arm  of  the  son,  to  flourish  with  a  due  observance  of  the  re- 
quired positions  and  attitudes.  Fire-arms  were  of  too 
much  value  and  of  too  imperfect  use  to  be  resorted  to  on 
every  light  occasion,  like  that  which  had  now  drawn  the 
foster-brothers,  for  such  supported  by  long  habit  was  the 
secret  of  the  intimacy  between  the  forester  and  the  cow- 
herd, from  their  hamlet  to  the  hill  of  Duerckheim. 

Berchthold  loosened  his  couteau-de-chasse,  as  he  turned 
by  an  ancient  gate-way,  whose  position  was  known  merely 
by  an  interruption  of  the  ditch  that  had  protected  this  face 
of  the  wall,  and  an  opening  in  the  wall  itself,  to  enter  the 
inclosure,  which  the  reader  will  at  once  recognize  as  the 
Pagan's  Camp  of  the  Introduction.  At  the  same  moment 
Gottlob  cast  his  heavy  weapon  from  his  shoulder,  and 
grasped  its  handle  in  a  more  scientific  manner.  There  was 
certainly  no  enemy  visible  to  justify  these  movements,  but 
the  increasing  solitude  of  the  place,  and  that  impression 
of  danger  which  besets  the  faculties,  when  we  find  our- 
selves in  situations  favorable  to  deeds  of  violence,  prob- 
ably induced  the  double  and  common  caution.  The  light  of 
the  moon,  which  was  not  yet  full,  had  not  sufficient  power 
to  penetrate  the  thick  branches  of  the  cedars  ;  and  when 
the  youths  were  fairly  beneath  the  gloomy  foliage,  al- 
though not  left  in  the  ordinary  darkness  of  a  clouded 
night,  they  were  perhaps  in  that  very  species  of  dull  and 
misty  illumination,  which,  by  leaving  objects  uncertain 
while  visible,  is  the  best  adapted  to  undermine  the  confi- 
dence of  a  distrustful  spirit.  There  was  little  wind,  but 
the  sighs  of  the  night  air  were  plaintively  audible,  while 
the  adventurers  picked  their  way  among  the  fragments  of 
the  place. 

It  has  been  elsewhere  said,  that  the  Heidenmatier  was 
originally  a  Roman  camp.  The  warlike  and  extraordinary 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  37 

people  who  had  erected  these  advanced  works  on  the  re- 
motest frontier  of  their  wide  empire,  had,  of  course,  neg- 
lected none  of  the  means  that  were  necessary,  under  the 
circumstances,  either  for  their  security  or  for  their  comfort. 
The  first  had  been  sufficiently  obtained  by  the  nearly  iso- 
lated position  of  the  hill,  protected,  as  it  was,  by  walls  so 
massive  and  so  high  as  those  must  have  been,  which  had 
consumed  the  quantity  of  materials  still  visible  in  the  large 
circuit  that  remained  ;  while  the  interior  furnished  abund- 
ant proofs  that  the  latter  had  not  been  neglected,  in  its  in- 
tersecting remains,  over  which  Gottlob  more  than  once 
stumbled,  as  he  advanced  into  the  shadows  of  the  place. 
Here  and  there,  a- ruined  habitation,  more  or  less  dilapi- 
dated, was  still  standing,  furnishing,  like  the  memorable 
remains  of  Pompeii  and  Herculaneum,  interesting  and  in- 
fallible evidence  of  the  usages  of  those  who  have  so  long 
since  departed  to  their  eternal  rest.  It  would  seem,  by 
the  rude  repairs  which  rather  injured  than  embellished 
these  touching,  though  simple  monuments  of  what  the  in- 
terior of  the  camp  had  been  in  its  day  of  power  and  pride, 
that  modern  adventurers  had  endeavored  to  turn  them  to 
account,  by  converting  the  falling  huts  into  habitations 
appropriated  to  their  own  temporary  uses.  All,  however, 
appeared  to  have  been  long  before  finally  abandoned  ;  for 
as  Berchthold  and  his  companion  stole  cautiously  among 
the  crumbling  stones,  the  gaping  rents  and  roofless  walls 
denoted  hopeless  decay.  At  length  the  youths  paused,  and 
fastened  their  looks  in  a  common  'direction,  as  if  apprized 
that  they  were  near  the  goal  of  their  expedition. 

In  a  part  of  the  grove,  where  the  cedars  grew  more 
dense  and  luxuriant  than  on  most  of  that  stony  and  broken 
soil,  stood  a  single  low  building,  which,  of  all  there,  had 
the  air  of  being  still  habitable.  Like  the  others,  it  either 
had  been  originally  constructed  by  the  masters  of  the 
world,  or  restored  on  the  foundations  of  some  Roman  con 
struction  by  the  followers  of  Attila,  who,  it  will  be  remem- 
bered, had  passed  a  winter  in  this  camp  ;  and  it  was  now 
rendered  weather-proof  by  the  usual  devices  of  the  poor 
and  laborious.  There  was  a  single  window,  a  door,  and  a 
rude  chimney,  which  the  climate  and  the  elevated  situation 
of  the  place  rendered  nearly  indispensable.  The  light  of 
a  dim  torch  shone  through  the  former,  the  only  sign  that 
the  hut  was  tenanted  ;  for  on  the  exterior,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  rough  repairs  just  mentioned,  all  around  it  lay 


38  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

in  the  neglected  and  eloquent  stillness  of  ruin.  The  readei 
will  not  imagine,  in  this  description,  any  of  that  massive 
grandeur  which  so  insensibly  attaches  itself  to  most  that 
is  connected  with  the  Roman  name  ;  for  while,  in  the  nat- 
ure of  things,  the  most  ponderous  and  the  most  imposing 
of  the  public  works  of  that  people  are  precisely  those 
which  are  the  most  likely  to  have  descended  to  our  own 
times,  the  traveller  often  meets  with  memorials  of  their 
power,  that  are  so  frail  and  perishable  in  their  construc- 
tion, as  to  owe  their  preservation,  in  a  great  measure,  to 
an  accidental  combination  of  circumstances  favorable  to 
such  a  result.  Still,  the  Roman  was  ordinarily  as  much 
greater  in  little  things,  if  connected  with  a  public  object, 
as  he  excelled  all  who  have  succeeded  him,  in  those  which 
were  of  more  importance.  The  Ringmauer,or  Heidenmauer, 
is  a  strong  proof  of  what  we  say.  There  is  not  an  arch, 
nor  a  tomb,  nor  a  gate,  nor  a  paved  road  of  any  descrip- 
tion in  the  vicinity  of  Duerckheim,  to  show  that  the  post 
was  more  than  a  temporary  military  position  ;  and  yet  the 
presence  of  its  former  occupants  is  established  by  more 
evidence  than  would  probably  be  found,  a  century  hence, 
were  half  of  the  present  cities  of  Christendom  to  be  sud- 
denly abandoned.  But  these  evidences  are  rude  and 
suited  to  the  objects  which  had  brought  them  into  exist- 
ence. 

The  forester  and  the  cow-herd  stood  long  regarding  the 
solitary  hut,  which  had  arrested  their  looks  like  men  hesi- 
tating to  proceed. 

"  I  had  more  humor  for  the  company  of  the  honest 
anchorite,  Master  Berchthold,"  said  the  latter  "  before 
thou  madest  me  acquainted  with  his  fondness  for  taking 
the  night  air  on  the  Teufelstein." 

"  Thou  hast  not  fear,  Gottlob  ?  Thou,  who  bearest  so 
good  a  name  for  courage  among  our  youths  ! " 

"  I  shall  be  the  last  to  accuse  myself  of  cowardice  or  of 
any  other  discreditable  quality,  friend  forester,  but  pru- 
dence is  a  virtue  in  a  youth,  as  the  Abbot  of  Limburg  him- 
self would  swear,  were  he  here — 

"  He  is  not  present  in  his  own  reverend  and  respected 
person,"  said  a  voice  so  nigh  the  ear  of  Gottlob,  as  to  cause 
him  to  jump  nimbly  aside;  "but  one  who  may  humbly 
represent  some  portion  of  his  sanctity,  is  not  wanting  to 
affirm  the  truth  of  what  thou  sayest,  son." 

The  startled  young  men  saw  that  a  monk  of  the  opposite 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  39 

mountain  had  unexpectedly  appeared  between  them. 
They  were  on  the  lands  of  the  Abbey,  or  rather  on  ground 
in  dispute  between  the  burghers  of  Duerckheim  and  the 
convent,  but  actually  in  possession  of  the  latter  ;  and  they 
felt  the  insecurity  of  their  situation  as  the  dependants  of 
the  count  of  Hartenburg.  Neither  spoke,  therefore,  for 
each  was  striving  to  invent  some  plausible  pretext  for  his 
appearance  in  a  place  so  unfrequented,  and  which,  in 
general,  was  held  in  so  little  favor  by  the  neighboring 
peasantry. 

"You  are  youths  of  Duerckheim?"  asked  the  monk,  en- 
deavoring to  observe  their  features  by  the  imperfect  light 
that  penetrated  the  foliage  of  the  dark  cedars.  Gottlob, 
whose  besetting  infirmity  was  a  too  exuberant  fluency  of 
tongue,  took  on  himself  the  task  of  answering. 

"We  are  youths,  reverend  father,"  he  said,  "as  thy 
quick  and  sagacious  sight  hath  so  well  seen.  I  will  not 
deny  my  years,  and  if  I  would,  the  devil,  who  besets  all 
between  fifteen  and  five-and-twenty  in  the  shape  of  some 
giddy  infirmity,  would  soon  betray  the  imposture." 

"Of  Duerckheim,  son  ?" 

"  As  there  is  question  between  the  Abbey  and  the  town 
concerning  these  hills,  we  might  not  stand  any  better  in 
thy  favor,  holy  Benedictine,  were  we  to  say  yes." 

"In  that  suspicion  thou  dost  little  justice  to  the  Abbey, 
son  ;  we  may  defend  the  rights  of  the  Church,  confided  in 
their  temporalities  as  they  are  to  an  unworthy  and  sinful 
brotherhood,  without  feeling  any  uncharitableness  against 
those  who  believe  they  have  claims  better  than  our  own. 
The  love  of  mammon  is  feeble  in  bosoms  that  are  devoted 
to  self-denying  and  repentant  lives.  Say  then  boldly  that 
that  you  are  a  Duerckheim,  and  dread  not  my  displeasure." 

"  Since  it  is  thy  good  pleasure,  benevolent  monk,  I  will 
say  boldly  that  we  are  of  Duerckheim." 

"  And  you  come  to  consult  the  holy  Anchorite  of  the 
Cedars  ? " 

"  It  is  not  necessary  that  I  should  tell  one  of  thy  knowl- 
edge of  human  nature,  reverend  Benedictine,  that  the  fail- 
ing of  all  dwellers  in  small  towns,  is  an  itching  to  look  into 
the  affairs  of  their  neighbors.  Himmel !  If  our  worthy 
burgomasters  would  spare  a  little  time  from  the  affairs 
of  other  people  to  look  into  their  own,  we  should  all 
be  greatly  gainers  ;  they  in  their  property,  and  we  in  our 
comfort!" 


40  THE  1IP.IDENMAUER. 

The  Benedictine  laughed,  and  he  motioned  for  the  youths 
to  follow,  advancing  himself  towards  the  hut. 

"  Since  you  have  given  yourself  this  trouble,  no  doubt 
with  a  praiseworthy  and  pious  intention,  my  sons,"  he  said, 
"let  not  respect  for  my  presence  change  your  purpose. 
We  will  go  into  the  cell  of  the  holy  hermit,  in  company  ; 
and  if  there  should  be  advantage  from  his  blessing,  or  dis- 
course, believe  me  I  will  not  be  so  unjust  as  to  envy  either 
of  you  a  share." 

"The  manner  in  which  the  friars  of  Limburg  deny 
themselves  advantages,  in  order  to  do  profit  to  their  fellow- 
Christians,  is  in  the  mouths  of  all,  far  and  near ;  and  this 
generosity  of  thine,  reverend  monk,  is  quite  of  a  piece 
with  the  well-earned  reputation  of  the  whole  brother- 
hood." 

As  Gottlob  spoke  gravely,  and  bowed  with  sufficient 
reverence,  the  Benedictine  was  in  a  slight  degree  his 
dupe  ;  though,  as  he  passed  beneath  the  low  portal  of 
the  hut,  he  could  not  prevent  a  lurking  suspicion  of  the 
truth. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  He  comes  at  last  in  sullen  loneliness, 
And  whence  they  know  not,  why  they  need  not  guess." — Lara. 

IN  those  ages  in  which  mortal  wrongs  were  chiefly  re- 
paired by  superstition,  and  the  slaves  of  the  grosser  pas- 
sions believed  they  were  only  to  be  rebuked  by  signal  acts 
of  physical  self-denial,  the  world  often  witnessed  examples 
of  men  retiring  from  its  allurements,  to  caves  and  huts,  for 
the  ostensible  purposes  of  penitence  and  prayer.  That  this 
extraordinary  pretension  to  godliness  was  frequently  the 
cloak  of  ambition  and  deceit  is  certain,  but  it  would  be  un- 
charitable to  believe  that,  in  common,  it  did  not  proceed 
from  an  honest,  though  it  might  be  an  ill-directed,  zeal. 
Hermitages  are  still  far  from  infrequent  in  the  more  south- 
ern parts  of  Europe,  though  they  are  of  rare  occurrence  in 
Germany  ;  but  previously  to  the  change  of  religion  which 
occurred  in  the  sixteenth  century,  and  consequently  near 
the  period  of  this  tale,  they  were  perhaps  more  often  met 
with  among  the  descendants  of  the  northern  race,  than 
among  the  more  fervid  fancies  of  the  southern  stock  of  that 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  41 

quarter  of  the  world.  It  is  a  law  of  nature  that  the  sub- 
stances which  most  easily  receive  impressions,  are  the  least 
likely  to  retain  them  ;  and  possibly  there  may  be  requisite 
a  constancy  and  severity  of  character  to  endure  the  never- 
ending  and  mortifying  exactions  of  the  anchorite,  that  were 
not  so  easily  found  among  the  volatile  and  happy  children 
of  the  sun,  as  among  the  sterner  offspring  of  the  regions  of 
cold  and  tempests. 

Whatever  may  be  said  of  the  principles  of  him  who  thus 
abandoned  worldly  ease  for  the  love  of  God,  it  is  quite 
sure,  that  in  practice,  there  were  present  and  soothing  re- 
wards in  this  manner  of  life,  that  were  not  without  strong 
attractions  to  morbid  minds  ;  especially  to  those  in  which 
the  seeds  of  ambition  were  dormant  rather  than  extinct.  It 
Was  rare,  indeed,  that  a  recluse  established  himself  in  the 
vicinity  of  a  simple  and  religious  neighborhood,  and  few 
were  they  who  sought  absolute  solitude,  without  reaping  a 
rich  harvest  of  veneration  and  moral  dependence  among 
the  untrained  minds  of  his  admirers.  In  this  treacherous 
manner  does  vanity  beset  us  in  our  strong-holds  of  mental 
security,  and  he  who  has  abandoned  the  world,  in  the  hope 
of  leaving  behind  him  those  impulses  which  endangered 
his  hopes,  finds  the  enemy  in  a  new  shape,  intrenched  in 
the  very  citadel  of  his  defences.  There  is  little  merit,  and 
commonly  as  little  safety,  in  turning  the  back  on  any  dan- 
ger, and  he  has  far  less  claims  to  the  honors  of  a  hero  who 
outlives  the  contest  in  consequence  of  means  so  question- 
able, than  he  who  survives  because  he  has  given  a  mortal 
blow  to  his  antagonist.  The  task  assigned  to  man  is  to 
move  among  his  fellows  doing  good,  filling  his  part  in  the 
scale  of  creation,  and  escaping  from  none  of  the  high 
duties  which  God  has  allotted  to  his  being ;  and  greatly 
should  he  be  grateful,  that,  while  his  service  is  arduous,  he 
is  not  left  without  the  powerful  aid  of  that  intelligence 
which  controls  the  harmony  of  the  universe. 

The  Anchorite  of  the  Cedars,  as  the  recluse  now  visited 
by  the  monk  and  his  accidental  companions  was  usually 
termed  by  the  peasants,  and  by  the  burghers  of  Duerck- 
heim,  had  made  his  appearance  about  six  months  before 
the  opening  of  our  story,  in  the  Ringmauer.  Whence  he 
had  come,  how  long  he  intended  to  remain,  and  what  had 
been  his  previous  career,  were  facts  equally  unknown  to 
those  among  whom  he  so  suddenly  took  up  his  abode. 
None  had  seen  him  arrive,  nor  could  any  say  from  what 


42  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

sources  he  drew  the  few  articles  of  household  furniture 
which  were  placed  in  his  hut  They  who  left  the  camp 
untenanted  one  week,  or  returning  the  next,  had  found  it 
occupied  by  a  man,  who  had  arranged  one  of  the  deserted 
buildings  in  a  manner  to  shelter  him  from  the  storms,,  and 
who,  by  erecting  a  crucifix  at  his  door,  had  sufficiently  an- 
nounced the  motive  of  his  retirement.  It  was  usual  to  hail 
the  establishment  of  a  hermit  in  any  particular  district,  as 
a  propitious  event  ;  and  many  were  the  hopes  excited,  and 
plans  of  effecting  temporal  objects  concocted,  by  the  in- 
tervention of  the  prayers  of  the  stranger,  before  his  pres- 
ence had  been  known  a  fortnight.  All  within  the  influence 
of  the  name  of  the  hermit,  except  Emich  of  Leiningen- 
Hartenburg,  the  burgomasters  of  Duerckheim,  and  the 
monks  of  Limburg,  heard  of  his  arrival  with  satisfaction. 
The  haughty  and  warlike  baron  had  imbibed  a  standing 
prejudice  against  all  devotees,  from  an  inherited  enmity  to 
the  adjoining  convent,  which  had  contested  the  sovereignty 
of  the  valley  with  his  family  for  ages  ;  while  the  magistrates 
had  a  latent  jealousy  of  every  influence  which  custom  and 
the  laws  had  not  rendered  familiar.  As  to  the  monks,  the 
secret  of  their  distrust  was  to  be  found  in  that  principle 
of  human  nature,  which  causes  us  to  dislike  being  outdone 
in  any  merit  of  which  we  make  an  especial  profession, 
even  though  superior  godliness  be  its  object.  Until  now 
the  Abbot  of  Limburg  was  held  to  be  the  judge,  in  the 
last  resort,  of  all  intercessions  between  earth  and  heaven  : 
and  as  his  supremacy  had  the  support  of  time,  he  had  long 
enjoyed  it  in  that  careless  security  which  lures  so  many  of 
the  prosperous  to  their  downfall. 

These  antipathies  on  the  part  of  the  honored  and  power- 
ful might,  to  say  the  least,  have  rendered  the  life  of  the 
anchorite  very  uncomfortable,  if  not  positively  insecure, 
were  it  not  for  the  neutralizing  effect  of  the  antagonistic 
forces  which  were  set  in  motion.  Opinion,  deepened  by 
superstition,  held  its  shield  over  the  humble  hut,  and 
month  after  month  glided  away,  after  the  arrival  of  the 
stranger,  during  which  he  received  no  other  testimonials 
of  the  feelings  excited  by  his  presence,  than  those  con- 
nected with  the  reverence  of  the  bulk  of  the  population. 
An  accidental  communication  with  Berchthold  was  ripen- 
ing into  intimacy,  and,  as  will  be  seen  in  the  course  of  the 
narrative,  there  were  others  to  whom  his  counsel,  or  his 
motives,  or  his  prayers,  were  not  indifferent. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  43 

The  latter  fact  was  made  sufficiently  apparent  to  those 
who  on  account  of  their  mutual  distrust,  now  presented 
themselves  with  less  ceremony  than  usual,  at  the  threshold 
of  the  hut.  The  light  within  came  from  a  fagot  which  was 
burning  on  the  rude  hearth,  but  it  was  quite  strong  enough 
to  show  the  monk  and  his  companions  that  the  anchorite 
was  not  alone.  Their  footsteps  had  evidently  been  heard, 
and  a  female  had  time  to  arise  from  her  knees,  and  to  ar- 
range her  mantle  in  such  a  manner  as  effectually  to  con- 
ceal her  countenance.  The  hurried  action  was  scarcely 
completed,  when  the  Benedictine  darkened  the  door  with 
his  gloomy  robes,  while  Berchthold  and  his  friend  stood 
gazing  over  his  shoulders,  with  lively  curiosity  mingled 
with  surprise. 

The  form  and  countenance  of  the  anchorite  were  those 
of  middle  age.  His  eye  had  lost  nothing  of  its  quickness 
or  intelligence,  though  his  movements  had  the  delibera- 
tion and  care  that  long  experience  insensibly  interweaves 
in  the  habits  of  those  who  have  not  lived  in  vain.  He  ex- 
pressed neither  concern  nor  wonder  at  the  unexpected 
visits,  but  regarding  his  guests  earnestly,  like  one  who  as- 
sured himself  of  their  identity,  he  mildly  motioned  for  all 
to  enter.  There  was  jealous  suspicion  in  the  glance  of 
the  Benedictine,  as  he  complied  :  for  until  now,  he  had  no 
reason  to  believe  that  the  recluse  was  usurping  so  inti- 
mate and  so  extensive  an  influence  over  the  minds  of  the 
young,  as  the  presence  of  the  unknown  female  would  give 
reason  to  believe. 

"  I  knew  that  thou  wert  of  holy  life  and  constant  pray- 
er, venerable  hermit,"  he  said,  in  a  tone  that  questioned  in 
more  than  one  meaning  of  the  term,  "but  until  this  mo- 
ment, I  had  not  thought  thee  vested  with  the  Church's 
power  to  hearken  to  the  transgressions  of  the  faithful  and 
to  forgive  sins  ! " 

"The  latter  is  an  office,  brother,  that  of  right  belongs 
only  to  God.  The  head  of  the  Church  himself  is  but  an 
humble  instrument  of  faith,  in  discharging  this  solemn 
trust." 

The  countenance  of  the  monk  did  not  become  more 
amicable  at  this  reply,  nor  did  he  fail  to  cast  a  scrutinizing 
glance  at  the  muffled  form  of  the  stranger,  in  a  fruitless 
endeavor  to  recognize  her  person. 

"Thou  hast  not  even  the  tonsure,"  he  continued,  while 
his  uneasy  eye  rolled  from  that  of  the  recluse  to  the  form 


44  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

of  the  stranger,  who  had  shrunk,  as  far  as  the  narrow  place 
would  permit,  from  observation. 

"  Thou  seest,  father,  I  have  all  the  hair  that  time  and 
infirmities  have  left  me.  But  is  it  thought,  in  thy  bene- 
ficed  and  warlike  abbey,  that  the  advice  of  one  who  has 
lived  long  enough  to  know  and  to  lament  his  own  errors, 
can  injure  the  less  experienced  ?  If  unhappily  I  may  have 
deceived  myself,  thou  art  timely  present,  reverend  monk, 
to  repair  the  wrong." 

"  Let  the  maiden  come  to  the  confessional  of  the  Abbey 
Church,  if  distrust  or  apprehension  weigh  upon  her  mind  ; 
doubt  it  not,  she  will  find  great  comfort  in  the  expert 
ment." 

"As  I  will  testify,  from  many  trials  — "  abruptly  inter- 
posed the  cow-herd,  who  advanced  intrusively  between 
the  two  devotees,  in  a  manner  to  occupy  all  their  atten- 
tion. "  '  Go  upon  the  hill,  and  ease  thy  soul,  Gottlob,'  is 
my  good  and  venerable  mother  in  the  practice  of  saying, 
whenever  my  opinion  of  myself  is  getting  to  be  too  hum- 
ble, '  and  discourse  with  some  of  the  godly  fathers  of  the 
Abbey,  whose  wisdom  and  unction  will  not  fail  to  lighten 
thy  heart  of  even  a  heavier  load.  There  is  Father  Ulrich, 
he  is  a  paragon  of  virtue  and  self-denial ;  and  Father  Cuno 
is  even  more  edifying  and  salutary  than  he ;  while  Father 
Siegfried  is  more  balmy  to  a  soul,  than  the  most  reverend 
Abbot,  the  virtuous  and  pious  Father  Bonifacius  himself! 
Whatever  thou  doest,  child,  go  upon  the  hill,  and  enter 
boldly  into  the  church,  like  a  loaded  and  oppressed  sin- 
ner as  thou  art,  and  especially  seek  counsel  and  prayer 
from  the  excellent  and  beloved  father  Siegfried.'  " 

"  And  thou — who  art  thou  ?  "  demanded  the  half-doubt- 
ing monk,  "  that  thus  speakest  of  me,  in  terms  that  I  so 
little  merit,  to  my  face  ?" 

"  I  would  I  were  Lord  Emich  of  Hartenburg,  or  for  that 
matter,  the  Elector  Palatine  himself,  in  order  to  do  justice 
to  those  I  honor  ;  in  which  case  certain  Fathers  of  Lim- 
burg  should  have  especial  favor,  and  that  quickly  too, 
after  my  own  flesh  and  blood  !  Who  am  I,  father?  I  won- 
der that  a  face  so  often  seen  at  the  confessional  should  be 
forgotten.  What  there  is  of  me  to  boast  of,  Father  Sieg- 
fried, is  of  thine  own  forming — but  it  is  no  cause  of  sur- 
prise that  thou  dost  not  recall  me  to  mind,  since  the  meek 
and  lowly  of  spirit  are  sure  to  forget  their  own  good 
works ! " 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  45 

"  Thou  callest  thyself  Gottlob — but  the  name  belongs  to 
many  Christians." 

"More  bear  it,  reverend  monk,  than  know  how  to  do  it 
honor.  There  is  Gottlob  Frincke,  as  arrant  a  knave  as 
any  in  Duerckheim  ;  and  Gottlob  Popp  might  have  more 
respect  for  his  baptismal  vow  ;  and  as  to  Lord  Gottlob  of 
Manheim — 

"We  will  overlook  the  transgressions  of  the  remainder 
of  thy  namesakes,  for  the  good  that  thou  thyself  hast 
done,"  interrupted  the  Benedictine,  who,  having  insensibly 
yielded  to  the  unction  of  flattery  in  the  commencement  of 
the  interview,  began  now  to  be  ashamed  of  the  weakness, 
as  the  fluent  cow-herd  poured  forth  his  words  in  a  manner 
to  excite  some  suspicion  of  the  quality  of  praise  that  came 
from  such  a  source.  "  Come  to  me  when  thou  wilt,  son, 
and  such  counsel  as  a  weak  head,  but  a  sincere  heart,  can 
render,  shall  not  be  withheld." 

"  How  this  would  lighten  the  heart  of  my  old  mother  to 
hear  !  '  Gottlob,'  would  she  say— 

"  What  has  become  of  thy  companion,  and  of  the  maid- 
en?" hastily  demanded  the  Benedictine. 

As  the  part  of  the  cow-herd  was  successfully  performed, 
he  stood  aside,  with  an  air  of  well-acted  simplicity  and 
amazement,  leaving  the  discourse  to  be  pursued  between 
the  recluse  and  the  monk. 

"  Thy  guests  have  suddenly  left  us,"  continued  the  latter, 
after  satisfying  himself,  by  actual  observation,  that  no  one 
remained  in  the  hut  but  himself,  its  regular  occupant,  and 
the  honey-tongued  Gottlob  ;  "  and,  as  it  would  seem,  in 
company ! " 

"They  are  gone  as  they  came,  voluntarily  and  without 
question." 

"  Thou  knowest  them,  by  frequent  visits,  holy  hermit  ?" 

"  Father,  I  question  none  :  were  the  Elector  Friedrich 
to  come  into  my  abode,  he  would  be  welcome,  and  this 
cow-herd  is  not  less  so.  To  both,  at  parting,  I  merely  say, 
*  God  speed  ye  ! ' ' 

"  Tfiou  keepest  the  cattle  of  the  burghers,  Gottlob  ? " 

"  I  keep  a  herd,  reverend  priest,  such  as  my  masters 
please  to  trust  to  my  care." 

"  We  have  grave  cause  of  complaint  against  one  of  thy 
fellows  v/ho  serves  the  Count  of  Hartenburg,  and  who  is 
in  the  daily  habit  of  trespassing  on  the  pastures  of  the 
church.  Dost  know  the  hind  ?  " 


46  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

"  Potz  Tausend  !  If  all  the  knaves  who  do  these  wrongs, 
when  out  of  sight  of  their  masters,  were  set  in  a  row  be- 
fore the  eyes  of  the  most  reverend  Abbot  of  Limburg,  he 
would  scarce  know  whether  to  begin  with  prayers  or 
stripes,  and  they  say  he  is  a  potent  priest  at  need,  with 
both  !  I  sometimes  tremble  for  my  own  conduct,  though 
no  one  can  have  a  better  opinion  of  himself  than  I,  poor 
and  lowly  as  I  stand  in  your  reverend  presence  ;  for  a  hard 
fortune,  and  some  oversight  in  the  management  of  my 
father's  affairs,  have  brought  me  to  the  need  of  living 
among  such  associates.  Were  I  not  of  approved  honesty, 
there  might  be  more  beasts  on  the  Abbey  lands  ;  and  they 
who  now  pass  their  time  in  fasting'in  sheer  humility,  might 
come  to  the  practice  of  sheer  necessity." 

The  Benedictine  examined  the  meek  countenance  of 
Gottlob  with  a  keen  distrustful  eye  ;  he  next  invited  the 
hermit  to  bestow  his  blessing,  and  then  motioning  for  the 
hind  to  retire,  he  entered  on  the  real  object  of  his  visit  to 
the  hermitage. 

We  shall  merely  say,  at  this  point  of  the  narrative,  that 
the  moment  was  extremely  critical  to  all  who  dwelt  in  the 
Palatinate  of  the  Rhine.  The  Elector  had,  perhaps  impru- 
dently for  a  prince  of  his  limited  resources,  taken  an  active 
part  in  the  vindictive  warfare  then  raging,  and  serious  re- 
verses threatened  to  endanger  not  only  his  tranquillity  but 
his  throne.  It  was  a  consequence  of  the  feudal  system, 
which  then  so  generally  prevailed  in  Europe,  that  internal 
disorders  succeeded  any  manifest,  though  it  might  be  only 
a  temporary  derangement  of  the  power  of  the  potentate 
that  held  the  right  of  sovereignty  over  the  infinite  number 
of  petty  rulers  who,  at  that  period,  weighed  particularly 
heavy  on  Germany.  To  them  he  was  the  law,  for  they 
were  not  apt  to  acknowledge  any  supremacy  that  did  not 
come  supported  by  the  strong  hand.  The  ascending  scale 
of  rulers,  including  baron,  count,  landgrave,  margrave, 
duke,  elector,  and  king,  up  to  the  nominal  head  of  the 
state,  the  emperor  himself,  wTith  the  complicated  and  varied 
interests,  embracing  allegiance  within  allegiance,  and  duty 
upon  duty,  was  likely  in  itself  to  lead  to  dissension,  had 
the  Imperial  Crown  been  one  of  far  more  defined  and  posi- 
tive influence  than  it  was.  But,  uncertain  and  indirect  in 
the  application  of  its  means,  it  was  rare  that  any  very  seri- 
ous obstacle  to  tranquillity  was  removed  without  the  em- 
ployment of  positive  force.  No  sooner  was  the  Emperoi 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  47 

involved  in  a  serious  struggle,  than  the  great  princes  en- 
deavored to  recover  that  balance  which  had  been  lost  by 
the  long  ascendency  of  a  particular  family,  while  the 
minor  princes  seldom  saw  themselves  surrounded  with  ex- 
ternal embarrassment,  that  internal  discord  did  not  come 
to  increase  the  evil.  As  a  vassal  was  commonly  but  a  rude 
reflection  of  his  lord's  enmities  and  prejudices,  the  reader 
will  have  inferred  from  the  language  of  the  cow-herd,  that 
affairs  were  not  on  the  most  amicable  footing  between 
those  near  neighbors,  the  Abbot  of  Limburg  and  the  Count 
of  Hartenburg.  The  circumstance  of  their  existing  so  near 
each  other  was,  of  itself,  almost  a  certain  cause  of  rivalry  ; 
to  which  natural  motive  of  contention  may  be  added  the 
unremitted  strife  between  the  influence  of  superstition  and 
the  dread  of  the  sword. 

The  visit  of  the  monk  had  reference  to  certain  interests 
connected  with  the  actual  state  of  things,  as  they  existed 
between  the  Abbey  and  the  Castle.  As  it  would  be 
premature,  however,  to  expose  his  object,  we  shall  be  con- 
tent with  saying,  that  the  conference  between  the  priest 
and  the  hermit  lasted  for  half  an  hour,  when  the  former 
took  his  leave,  craving  a  blessing  from  one  of  a  life  so  pure 
and  self-denying  as  his  host. 

At  the  door  of  the  hut  the  monk  found  Gottlob,  who 
had  early  been  gotten  rid  of,  it  will  be  remembered,  but 
who,  for  reasons  of  his  own,  had  seen  fit  to  await  the  ter- 
mination of  the  conference. 

"Thou  here,  son!"  exclaimed  the  Benedictine.  "I  had 
thought  thee  at  peace  in  thy  bed,  favored  with  the  bene- 
diction of  a  hermit  so  holy  !  " 

"  Good  fortune  is  sure  to  drive  sleep  from  my  eyes, 
father,"  returned  Gottlob,  dropping  in  by  the  side  of  the 
monk,  who  was  walking  through  the  cedars  towards  the  an- 
cient gateway  of  the  camp.  "  I  am  not  of  your  animal 
kind,  that  is  no  sooner  filled  with  a  good  thing  than  it 
lies  down  to  rest  ;  but  the  happier  I  become,  the  more  I 
desire  to  be  up  to  enjoy  it." 

"Thy  wish  is  natural,  and,  although  many  natural  de- 
sires are  to  be  resisted,  I  do  not  see  the  danger  of  our 
knowing  our  own  happiness." 

"  Of  the  danger  I  will  say  nothing,  father,  but  of  the 
comfort,  there  is  not  a  youth  in  Duerckheim,  who  can 
speak  with  greater  certainty  than  myself." 

"Gottlob,"  said  the  Benedictine,  insensibly  edging  near- 


48  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

er  his  companion,  like  one  willing  to  communicate  con- 
fidentially, "  since  thou  namest  Duerckheim,  canst  say 
aught  of  the  humor  of  its  people,  in  this  matter  of  conten- 
tion between  our  holy  Abbot  and  Lord  Emich  of  Harten- 
burg  ? " 

"  Were  I  to  tell  thy  reverence  the  truth  that  lies  deepest 
in  my  mind,  it  would  be  to  say,  that  the  burghers  wish  to 
see  the  affair  brought  to  an  end,  in  such  a  way  as  to  leave 
no  doubt,  hereafter,  to  which  party  they  most  owe  obedi- 
ence and  love,  since  they  find  it  a  little  hard  upon  their 
zeal,  to  have  so  large  demands  of  these  services  made  by 
both  parties." 

"  Thou  canst  not  serve  God  and  Mammon,  son,  so  sayeth 
one  who  could  not  deceive." 

"And  so  sayeth  reason,  too,  worshipful  monk,  but  to 
give  thee  at  once  my  inmost  soul,  I  believe  there  is  not  a 
man  in  our  Duerckheim,  who  believes  himself  strong 
enough  in  learning  to  say,  in  this  strife  of  duties,  which  is 
God  and  which  is  Mammon  ! " 

"  How !  do  they  call  in  question  our  sacred  mission— 
our  divine  embassy — in  short,  our  being  what  we  are  ?" 

"  No  man  is  so  bold  as  to  say  that  the  monks  of  Lim- 
burg  are  \vhat  they  are  ;  that  might  be  irreverent  to  the 
Church,  and  indecent  to  Father  Siegfried  ;  and  the  most 
we  dare  to  say  is,  that  they  seem  to  be  what  they  are  ;  and 
that  is  no  small  matter,  considering  the  way  things  go  in 
this  world.  '  Seem  to  be,  Gottlob,'  said  my  poor  father, 
'and  thou  wilt  escape  envy  and  enemies  ;  for  in  this  seem- 
liness  there  is  nothing  so  alarming  to  others  ;  it  is  only 
when  one  is  really  the  thing  itself,  that  men  begin  to  find 
fault.  If  thou  wishest  to  live  peaceably  with  thy  neigh- 
bors, push  nothing  beyond  seeming  to  be,  for  that  much 
all  will  bear,  since  all  can  seem ;  whereas  being  oftentimes 
sets  a  whole  village  in  an  uproar.  It  is  wonderful  the 
virtue  there  is  in  seeming,  and  the  heart-burnings  and 
scandal,  ay,  and  the  downright  quarrels  there  are  in  being 
just  what  one  seems.'  No,  the  most  we  say,  in  Duerck- 
heim, is  that  the  monks  of  Limburg  seem  to  be  men  of 
God." 

"  And  Lord  Emich  ?  " 

"  As  to  Count  Emich,  father,  we  hold  it  wise  to  re- 
member he  is  a  great  noble.  The  Elector  has  not  a  bold- 
er knight,  nor  the  Emperor  a  truer  vassal ;  we  say,  there- 
fore, that  he  seems  to  be  brave  and  loyal." 


THE   HEIDBNMA  f  'ER. 


49 


"  Thou  makest  great  account,  son,  of  these  apparent 
qualities." 

"  Knowing  the  frailty  of  man,  father,  and  the  great  like- 
lihood of  error,  when  we  wish  to  judge  of  acts  and  rea- 
sons, that  lie  deeper  than  our  knowledge,  we  hold  it  to  be 
the  most  prudent.  No,  let  us  of  Duerckheim  alone,  as 
men  of  caution  !  " 

"  For  a  cow-herd,  thou  wantest  not  wit — Canst  read  ?" 

"  By  God's  favor,  Providence  put  that  little  accident  in 
my  way  when  a  child,  reverend  monk,  and  I  picked  it  up, 
as  I  might  swallow  a  sweet  morsel."  ^ 

"  Tis  a  gift  more  likely  to  injure  than  to  serve  one  of 
thy  calling.  The  art  can  do  little  benefit  to  thy  herd  ! " 

"  I  will  not  take  upon  myself  to  say,  that  any  of  the  cat- 
tle are  much  the  better  for  it  ;  though,  to  deal  fairly  by 
thee,  reverend  Benedictine,  there  are  animals  among  them 
that  seem  to  be." 

"  How !  wilt  thou  attempt  to  show  a  fact  not  only  im- 
probable but  impossible  ?  Go  to,  thou  hast  fallen  upon 
some  silly  work  of  a  jester.  There  have  been  numberless 
of  these  commissions  of  the  devil  poured  forth,  since  the 
discovery  of  that  imprudent  brother  of  Mainz.  I  would 
gladly  hear  in  what  manner  a  beast  can  profit  by  the  art  of 
printing  ! " 

"  Thy  patience,  Father  Siegfried,  and  thou  shalt  know. 
Now  here  is  a  hind  that  can  read,  and  there  is  one  that 
cannot.  We  will  suppose  them  both  the  servants  of  Emich 
of  Hartenburg.  Well,  they  go  forth  of  a  morning  with 
their  herds  ;  this  taking  the  path  to  the  hills  of  the  Count, 
and  that,  having  read  the  description  of  the  boundaries 
between  his  Lord's  land  and  that  of  the  holy  Abbot  of 
Limburg,  taking  another,  because  learning  will  not  will- 
ingly follow  ignorance ;  whereupon  the  reader  readies  a 
nearer  and  better  pasture  than  he  who  hath  gone  about 
to  feed  upon  ground  that  has  only  been  trodden  upon  too 
often  before,  by  hoof  of  beast  and  foot  of  man." 

"  Thy  learning  hath  not  done  much  towards  clearing  thy 
head,  Gottlob,  whatever  it  may  have  done  for  the  condi- 
tion of  thy  herd  !  " 

"  If  your  worship  has  any  doubts  of  my  being  what  I 
say,  here  is  proof  of  its  justice,  then — I  know  nothing  that 
so  crams  a  man  and  confuses  him  as  learning !  He  who 
has  but  one  horn  can  take  it  and  go  his  way  ;  whereas  he 
that  hath  many,  may  lose  his  herd  while  choosing  between 


5o  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

instruments  that  are  better  or  worse.  He  that  hath  but 
one  sword,  will  draw  it  and  slay  his  enemy  ;  but  he  that 
hath  much  armor,  may  lose  his  life  while  putting  on  his 
buckler  or  head-piece." 

"  I  had  not  thought  thee  so  skilful  in  answers.  And  thou 
thinkest  the  good  people  of  Duerckheim  will  stand  neuter 
between  the  Abbey  and  the  Count?" 

"  Father,  if  thou  wilt  show  me  by  which  side  they  will 
be  the  greatest  gainers,  I  think  I  might  venture  to  say, 
with  some  certainty,  on  which  side  they  will  be  likely  to 
draw  the  sword.  Our  burghers  are  prudent  townsmen,  as 
I  have  said,  and  it  is  not  often  that  they  are  found  fighting 
against  their  own  interests." 

"  Thou  shouldst  know,  son,  that  he  who  is  most  favored 
in  this  life,  may  find  the  balances  of  justice  weighing 
against  him  in  the  next ;  while  he  who  suffers  in  the 
flesh,  will  be  most  likely  to  find  its  advantage  in  the 
spirit." 

"  Himmel !  -In  that  case,  reverend  Benedictine,  the 
most  holy  Abbot  of  Limburg  himself  may  fare  worse  here- 
after than  even  a  hind  who  now  lives  like  a  dog  ! "  ex- 
claimed Gottlob,  with  an  air  of  admiration  and  simplicity 
that  completely  misled  his  listener.  "  The  one  is  said  to 
comfort  the  body  in  various  ways,  and  to  know  the  dif- 
ference between  a  cup  of  pure  Rhenish  and  a  draught  of  the 
washy  liquors  that  come  from  the  other  side  of  our  moun- 
tains ;  while  the  other,  whether  it  be  of  necessity  or  in- 
clination I  will  not  take  upon  myself  to  say,  drinks  only 
of  the  spring.  Tis  a  million  of  pities  that  one  never 
knoweth  which  to  choose,  present  ease  with  future  pain, 
or  a  starving  body  with  a  happy  soul !  Believe  me,  Father 
Siegfried,  were  thy  reverence  to  think  more  of  these  trials 
that  befall  us  ignorant  youths,  thou  wouldst  not  deal  so 
heavily  with  the  penances,  as  thine  own  severe  virtue 
often  tempts  thee  to  do." 

"  What  is  thus  done  is  done  for  thy  health,  future  and 
present.  By  chastening  the  spirit  in  this  manner,  it  is  grad- 
ually prepared  for  its  final  purification,  and  thou  art  not  a 
loser  in  the  eyes  of  thy  fellows,  by  leading  a  chaste  life. 
Thou  wilt  have  justice  at  the  settlement  of  the  great  ac- 
count" 

"  Nay,  I  am  no  greedy  creditor,  to  dun  Providence  for 
my  dues.  I  very  well  know  that  what  will  come  cannot 
be  prevented,  and  therefore  I  take  patience  to  be  a  virtue. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  51 

But  I  hope  these  accounts,  of  which  you  tell  us  so  often, 
are  kept  with  sufficient  respect  for  a  poor  man  ;  for,  to 
deal  fairly  with  thee,  father,  we  have  not  overmuch  favor 
in  settling  those  of  the  world." 

"  Thou  hast  credit  for  all  thy  good  deeds  with  thy  fel- 
lows, Gottlob." 

"  I  wish  it  were  true  !  To  me  it  seems  that  the  world 
is  ready  enough  to  charge,  while  it  is  as  niggardly  as  a 
miser  in  giving  credit — I  never  did  an  evil  act — and  as  we 
are  all  mortal  and  frail,  most  holy  monk,  these  accidents 
will  befall  even  your  saint  or  a  Benedictine — that  the  deed 
itself  and  all  its  consequences  were  not  set  down  against 
me,  in  letters  that  a  short-sighted  man  might  read  ;  while 
most  of  my  merits — and  considering  I  am  but  a  cow-herd 
they  are  of  respectable  quality — seem  to  be  forgotten. 
Now  your  Abbot,  or  his  Highness  the  Elector,  or  even 
Count  Emich ' 

"  The  Summer  Landgrave  !  "  interrupted  the  monk, 
laughing. 

"  Summer  or  winter,  as  thou  wilt,  Father  Siegfried,  he  is 
Count  of  Hartenburg,  and  a  noble  of  Leiningen.  Even  he 
does  no  deed  of  charity,  or  even  of  simple  justice,  that  all 
men  do  not  seize  upon  the  occasion  to  proclaim  it,  as  ea- 
gerly as  they  endeavor  to  upbraid  me  for  the  accidental  loss 
of  a  beast,  or  any  other  little  backsliding,  that  may  befall 
one,  who  being  bold  under  thy  holy  instruction,  some- 
times stumbles  against  a  sin." 

"  Thou  art  a  casuist,  and,  at  another  time,  I  must  look 
more  closely  into  the  temper  of  thy  mind.  At  present, 
thou  mayst  purchase  favor  of  the  Church  by  enlisting  a 
little  more  closely  in  her  interests.  I  remember  thy  clev- 
erness and  thy  wit,  Gottlob,  for  both  have  been  remarked 
in  thy  visits  to  the  convent  ;  but,  until  this  moment,  there 
has  not  been  sufficient  reason  to  use  the  latter  in  the  man- 
ner that  we  may  fairly  claim  to  do,  considering  our  fre- 
quent prayers,  and  the  other  consolations  afforded  in  thy 
behalf." 

"Do  not  be  too  particular,  Father  Siegfried,  for  thy 
words  reveal  grievous  penance  ! " 

"  Which  may  be  much  mitigated  in  future,  if  not  en- 
tirely avoided,  by  a  service  that  I  would  now  propose  to 
thee,  honest  Gottlob,  and  which  I  will  venture  to  say,  from 
my  knowledge  of  thy  reverence  for  holy  things,  as  is  man- 
ifest in  thy  attentions  to  the  pious  hermit,  and  thy  love  for 


52  THE   i 

the  Abbey  of  Limburg,  thou  wouldst  not  refuse  to  under 
take." 

"  So !  " 

"  Nay,  I  have  as  good  as  pledged  myself  to  Father  Boni- 
facius  to  procure  either  thee,  or  one  shrewd  and  faithful  as 
ihee,  to  do  a  trusty  service  for  the  brotherhood." 

"  The  latter  might  not  be  easy  among  the  cow-herds  !  " 

"  Of  that  I  am  sure.  Thy  skill  in  the  management  of 
the  beasts  may  yet  gain  thee  the  office  of  tending  the  am- 
ple herds  of  the  abbey.  Thou  art  already  believed  fit  for 
the  charge." 

"  Not  to  deny  my  own  merits,  sagacious  father,  I  have 
already  some  knowledge  of  the  pastures." 

"  And  of  the  beasts,  too,  Gottlob  ;  we  keep  good  note 
of  the  characters  of  all  who  come  to  our  confessionals. 
There  are  worse  than  thine  among  them,  I  do  assure  thee." 

"  And  yet  have  I  never  told  thee  half  that  I  might  say  of 
myself,  father  !  " 

"  It  is  not  important  now.  Thou  knowest  the  state  of 
the  contest  between  Count  Emich  and  our  Abbey.  The 
service  that  I  ask  of  thee,  son,  is  this  ;  and  by  discharging 
it,  with  thy  wonted  readiness,  believe  me  thou  wilt  gain 
favor  with  St.  Benedict  and  his  children.  We  have  had  reason 
to  know,  that  there  is  a  strong  band  of  armed  men  in  the 
castle,  ready  and  anxious  to  assail  our  walls,  under  a  vain 
belief  that  they  contain  riches  and  stores  to  repay  the  sac- 
rilege ;  but  we  want  precise  knowledge  of  their  numbers 
and  intentions.  Were  we  to  send  one  of  known  pursuits 
on  this  errand,  the  Count  would  find  means  to  mislead 
him  ;  whereas,  we  think  a  hind  of  thy  intelligence  might 
purchase  the  Church's  kindness  without  suspicion." 

"  Were  Count  Emich  to  get  wind  of  the  matter,  he  would 
not  leave  me  an  ear  with  which  to  listen  to  thy  holy  ad- 
monitions." 

"  Keep  thine  own  counsel,  and  he  will  not  suspect  one  of 
thy  appearance.  Hast  no  pretext  for  visiting  the  castle  ? " 

"  Nay,  it  would  be  easy  to  make  a  thousand.  Here,  I 
might  say,  I  wished  to  ask  the  cow-herd  of  Lord  Emich 
for  his  cunning  in  curing  diseased  hoofs,  or  I  might  pre- 
tend a  wish  to  change  my  service,  or,  there  is  no  want  of 
laughing  damsels  in  and  about  the  hold." 

"  Enough  :  thou  art  he,  Gottlob,  for  whom  I  have  sought 
daily  for  a  fortnight.  Go  thy  way,  then,  without  fail,  and 
seek  me  after  to-morrow's  mass,  in  the  Abbey." 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  53 

"It  may  be  enough  on  the  side  of  Heaven,  father,  but 
men  of  our  prudence  must  not  forget  their  mortal  state. 
Am  I  to  risk  my  ears,  do  discredit  to  my  simplicity,  and 
neglect  my  herd,  without  a  motive  ?" 

"  Thou  wilt  serve  the  Church,  son  ;  get  favor  in  the  eyes 
of  our  reverend  Abbot,  and  thy  courage  and  dexterity  will 
be  remembered  in  future  indulgences." 

''That  I  shall  serve  the  Church  it  is  well  known  to  me, 
reverend  Benedictine,  and  it  is  a  privilege  of  which  a  cow- 
herd hath  reason  to  be  proud  ;  but,  by  serving  the  Church, 
I  shall  make  enemies  on  earth,  for  two  sufficient  reasons : 
first,  that  the  Church  is  in  no  great  esteem  in  this  valley  ; 
and  second,  because  men  never  love  a  friend  for  being  any 
better  than  themselves.  '  No,  Gottlob,'  used  my  excellent 
father  to  say,  'seem  to  all  around  thee  conscious  of  thy 
unworthiness,  after  which  thou  mayst  be  what  thou  seem- 
est.  On  this  condition  only  can  virtue  live  at  peace  with 
its  fellow-creatures.  But  if  thou  wouldst  have  the  respect 
of  mankind,'  would  he  say,  '  set  a  fair  price  on  all  thou 
doest,  for  the  world  will  not  give  thee  credit  for  disinter- 
estedness ;  and  if  thou  workest  for  naught,  it  will  think 
thou  deservest  naught.  No,'  did  he  shake  his  head  and 
add,  *  that  which  cometh  easy  is  little  valued,  while  that 
which  is  costly,  do  men  set  a  price  upon.' " 

"  Thy  father  was,  like  thyself,  one  that  looked  to  his  ease. 
Thou  knowest  that  we  inhabitants  of  cells  do  not  carry  silver. " 

"  Nay,  righteous  Benedictine,  if  it  were  a  trifle  of  gold, 
I  am  not  one  to  break  a  bargain  for  so  small  a  difference." 

"  Thou  shalt  have  gold,  then.  On  the  faith  of  my  holy 
calling,  I  will  give  thee  an  image  of  the  Emperor  in  gold, 
shouldst  thou  succeed  in  bringing  the  tidings  we  require." 

Gottlob  stopped  short,  and  kneeling,  he  reverently  asked 
the  monk  to  bless  him.  The  latter  complied,  half  doubt- 
ing the  discretion  of  employing  such  an  emissary,  between 
whose  cunning  and  simplicity  he  was  completely  at  fault. 
Still,  as  he  risked  nothing,  except  in  the  nature  of  the  in- 
formation he  was  to  receive,  he  saw  no  sufficient  reason  for 
recalling  the  commission  he  had  just  bestowed.  He  gave 
the  desired  benediction,  therefore  ;  and  our  two  conspir- 
ators descended  the  mountain  in  company,  discoursing,  as 
they  went,  of  the  business  on  which  the  cow-herd  \vas  about 
to  proceed.  When  so  near  the  road  as  to  be  in  danger  of 
observation,  they  separated,  each  taking  the  direction  ne- 
cessary to  his  object. 


54  THE   HEIDENMAUER, 


CHAPTER   IV. 

"  And  not  a  matron,  sitting  at  her  wheel, 
But  could  repeat  their  story. — "  ROGERS. 

THE  female,  enveloped  in  her  mantle,  had  so  well  profi- 
ted by  the  timely  interposition  of  Gottlob  Frincke,  as  tc\ 
quit  the  hermit's  hut  without  attracting  the  notice  of  the 
Benedictine.  But  the  vigilance  of  young  Berchthold  had 
not  been  so  easily  eluded.  He  stepped  aside  as  she  glided 
through  the  door,  then  stooping  merely  to  catch  the  eye 
of  the  cow-herd,  to  whom  he  communicated  his  intention 
by  a  sign,  he  followed.  Had  the  forester  felt  any  doubts 
as  to  the  identity  of  her  he  pursued,  the  light  and  active 
movement  would  have  convinced  him  that  age,  at  least, 
had  no  agency  in  inducing  her  to  conceal  her  features. 
The  roe-buck  of  his  own  forests  scarce  bounded  with  more 
agility  than  the  fugitive  fled,  on  first  quitting  the  abode  of 
the  recluse  ;  nor  did  her  speed  sensibly  lessen,  until  she 
had  crossed  most  of  the  melancholy  camp,  and  reached  a 
spot  where  the  opening  of  the  blue  and  star-lit  void  showed 
that  she  was  at  the  verge  of  the  wood,  and  near  the 
margin  of  the  summit  of  the  mountain.  Here  she  paused, 
and  stood  leaning  against  a  cedar,  like  one  whose  strength 
was  exhausted. 

Berchthold  had  followed  swiftly,  but  without  losing  that 
•.appearance   of  calmness  and  of  superior   physical    force 
which  gives  dignity  to  the  steps   of  young  manhood,  as 
compared  with  the  timid  but  more   attractive  movements 
of  the  feebler  sex.     He   seemed  conscious  of  his  greater 
powers,  and  unwilling  to  increase  a  flight  that  was  alread 
swifter  than  circumstances  required,  and  which  he   knev 
to  be  far  more  owing  to  a  vague   and   instinctive  alarri 
than  to  any  real  cause  for  apprehension.    When  the  spee^ 
of  the  female  ceased,  his  own  relaxed,  and  he  approached 
the  spot  where  she  stood  panting  for  breath,  like  a  cautious 
boy,  who  slackens  his  haste  in  order  not  to  give  new  alarm 
to  the  bird  that  has  just  alighted. 

"  What  is  there  so  fearful  in  my  f ace, Meta, that  thou  fleest 
my  presence,  as  I  had  been  the  spirit  of  one  of  vhose 
Pagans  that  they  say  once  peopled  this  camp  ?  K  .s  not 
thy  wont  to  have  this  dread  of  a  youth  thou  has/  knt,:vn 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  55 

from  childhood,  and  I  will  say,  in  my  own  defence,  known 
as  honest  and  true !  " 

"  It  is  not  seemly  in  a  maiden  of  my  years — it  was  fool- 
lish,  if  not  disobedient,  to  be  here  at  this  hour,"  answered 
the  hurried  girl  ; — "  I  would  I  had  not  listened  to  the  desire 
of  hearing  more  of  the  holy  hermit's  wisdom  !  " 

"Thou  art  not  alone,  Meta!  " 

"That  were  unbecoming,  truly,  in  my  father's  child!" 
returned  the  young  damsel,  with  an  expression  of  pride  of 
condition,  as  she  glanced  an  eye  toward  the  fallen  wall, 
among  whose  stones  Bcrchthold  saw  the  well-known  form 
of  a  female  servitor  of  his  companion's  family.  "  Had  I 
carried  imprudence  to  this  pass,  Master  Berchthold,  tliou 
wouldst  have  reason  to  believe,  in  sooth,  that  it  was  the 
daughter  of  some  peasant,  that  by  chance  had  crossed  thy 
footstep." 

"  There  is  little  danger  of  that  error,"  answered  Bercht- 
hold quickly.  "  I  know  thee  well ;  thou  art  Meta,  the 
only  child  of  Heinrich  Frey,  the  Burgomaster  of  Duerck- 
heim.  None  know  thy  quality  and  hopes  better  than  I,  for 
none  have  heard  them  oftener  ! " 

The  damsel  dropped  her  head  in  a  movement  of  natural 
regret  and  sudden  repentance,  and  when  her  blue  eye, 
softened  by  a  ray  of  the  moon,  met  the  gaze  of  the  forester, 
he  saw  that  better  feelings  were  uppermost. 

"  I  did  not  wish  to  recount  my  father's  honors,  nor  any 
accidental  advantage  of  my  situation,  and,  least  of  all,  to 
thee,"  answered  the  maiden,  with  eagerness  ;  "  but  I  felt 
concern  lest  thou  shouldst  imagine  I  had  forgotten  the 
modesty  of  my  sex  and  condition — or,  I  had  fear  that  thou 
mightest— thy  manner  is  much  changed  of  late,  Bercht- 
hold ! " 

"It  is  then  without  my  knowledge  or  intention.  But  we 
will  forget  the  past,  and  thou  wilt  tell  me,  what  wonder 
hath  brought  thee  to  this  suspected  and  dreaded  moor,  at 
an  hour  so  unusuaj  ?" 

Meta  smiled,  and  the  expression  of  her  countenance 
proved,  that  if  she  had  moments  of  uncharitable  weaknes's, 
they  were  more  the  offspring  of  the  world's  opinions,  than 
of  her  own  frank  and  generous  nature. 

"  I  might  retort  the  question  on  thee,  Berchthold,  and 
plead  a  woman's  curiosity  as  a  reason  why  I  should  be 
quickly  answered — Why  art  thou  here,  at  an  hour  when 
most  young  hunters  sleep  ?  " 


56  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

"  I  am  Lord  Emich's  forester  ;  but  thou,  as  there  has 
just  been  question,  art  a  daughter  of  the  Burgomaster  of 
Duerckheim." 

"  I  give  thee  credit  for  all  the  difference.  Did  my  mother 
know  that  I  was  thus  about  to  furnish  a  reason  for  my  con- 
duct, she  would  say,  *  Keep  thy  explanations,  Meta,  for 
those  who  have  a  right  to  demand  them  ! ' ' 

"  And  Heinrich  Frey  ?  " 

"  He  would  be  little  likely  to  approve  of  either  visit  or 
explanation." 

"  Thy  father  loves  me  not,  Meta  ?  " 

"  He  does  not  so  much  disapprove  of  thee,  Master 
Berchthold,  as  that  thou  art  only  Lord  Emich's  forester. 
Wert  thou  as  thine  own  parent  was,  a  substantial  burgher 
of  our  town,  he  might  esteem  thee  much.  But  thou  hast 
great  favor  with  my  dear  mother  !  " 

"Heaven  bless  her,  that  in  her  own  prosperity  she  hath 
not  forgotten  those  who  have  fallen  !  I  think  that,  in  thy 
heart  as  in  thy  looks,  Meta,  thou  more  resemblest  thy 
mother  than  thy  father." 

"  I  would  have  it  so.  When  I  speak  to  thee  of  my  being 
the  child  of  Heinrich  Frey,  it  is  without  thought  of  any 
present  difference  between  us,  I  do  affirm  to  thee,  Bercht- 
hold, but  rather  as  showing  that  in  not  forgetting  my 
station,  I  am  not  likely  to  do  it  discredit.  Nay,  I  know  not 
that  a  forester's  is  a  dishonorable  office  !  They  who  serve 
the  Elector  in  this  manner  are  noble." 

"  And  they  who  serve  nobles,  simple.  I  am  but  a  menial, 
Meta,  though  it  be  in  a  way  to  do  little  mortification  to  my 
pride." 

<k  And  what  is  Count  Emich  but  a  vassal  of  the  Elector, 
who,  in  turn,  is  a  subject  of  the  Emperor  !  Thou  shalt  noi 
dishonor  thyself  in  this  manner,  Berchthold,  and  no  one 
say  aught  to  vindicate  thee." 

"  Thanks,  dearest  Meta.  Thou  art  the  child  of  my 
mother's  oldest  and  closest  friend,  and  whatever  the  world 
may  proclaim  of  the  difference  that  now  exists  between  us, 
tny  excellent  heart  whispers  to  the  contrary.  Thou  art 
not  only  the  fairest,  but,  in  truth,  the  kindest  and  gentlest 
damsel  of  thy  town  !  " 

The  daughter,  only  child,  and  consequently  the  heiress 
of  the  wealthiest  burgher  of  Duerckheim,  did  not  hear  this 
opinion  of  Lord  Emich's  handsome  forester  without  great 
secret  gratification. 


THE   IIETDEVMArKK.  57 

"And  now  thou  shalt  know  the  reason  of  this  unusual 
visit,"  said  Meta,  when  the  silent  pleasure  excited  by  the 
last  speech  of  young  Berchthold  had  a  little  subsided  ; 
"for  this  have  I,  in  some  measure,  promised  to  thee  ;  and 
it  would  little  justify  thy  good  opinion  to  forget  a  pledge. 
Thou  knowest  the  holy  hermit,  and  the  sudden  manner  of 
his  appearance  in  the  Heidenmauer  ?  " 

"  None  are  ignorant  of  the  latter,  and  thou  hast  already 
seen  that  I  visit  him  in  his  hut." 

"  I  shall  not  pretend  to  give,  or  to  seek,  the  reason,  but 
sure  it  is,  that  he  had  not  been  a  week  in  the  old  Roman 
abode,  when  he  sought  occasion  to  show  me  greater  notice 
than  to  any  other  maiden  of  Duerckheim,  or  than  any 
merit  of  mine  might  claim." 

"  How !  is  the  knave  but  a  pretender  to  this  sanctity, 
after  all !  " 

"  Thou  canst  not  be  jealous  of  a  man  of  his  years  ;  and, 
judging  by  his  worn  countenance  and  hollow  eyes,  years 
too  of  mortification  and  suffering !  He  truly  is  of  a 
character  to  give  a  youth  of  thy  age,  and  gentle  air,  and 
active  frame,  and  comely  appearance,  uneasiness  !  But  I 
see  the  color  in  thy  cheek,  Master  Berchthold,  and  will  not 
offend  thee  with  comparisons  that  are  so  much  to  thy  dis- 
advantage. Be  the  motive  of  the  holy  hermit  what  it  will, 
on  the  two  occasions  when  he  visited  our  town,  and  in  the 
visits  that  we  maidens  have  often  made  to  his  cell,  he  hath 
shown  kind  interest  in  my  welfare  and  future  hopes,  both 
as  they  are  connected  with  this  life,  and  with  that  to  which 
we  all  hasten,  although  it  be  with  steps  that  are  not  heard 
even  by  our  own  ears." 

"  It  does  not  surprise  me,  that  all  who  see  and  know 
thee,  Meta,  should  act  thus.  And  yet  I  find  it  very 
strange !" 

"Nay,"  said  the  amused  girl,  "now  thou  justifiest  the 
exact  words  of  old  Use,  who  hath  often  said  to  me,  *  Take 
heed,  Meta,  and  put  not  thy  faith  too  easily  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  young  townsmen  ;  for,  by  looking  closely  into 
their  meaning,  thou  wilt  see  that  they  contradict  them- 
selves. Youth  is  so  eager  to  obtain  its  end,  that  it  stops 
not  to  separate  the  true  from  the  plausible.'  These  are 
her  very  words,  and  oft  repeated  too,  which  thou  has  just 
verified — I  believe  the  crone  fairly  sleepeth  on  that  pile  of 
the  fallen  wall  !  " 

"  Disturb  her  not.     One  of  her  years  hath  great  need  of 


58  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

rest  ;  nay,  it  would  be  thoughtless  to  rob  her  of  this  little 
pleasure!  " 

Meta  had  made  a  step  in  advance,  seemingly  with  intent 
to  arouse  her  attendant,  when  the  hurried  words  and  rapid 
action  of  the  youth  caused  her  to  hesitate.  Receding  to 
her  former  attitude,  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  cedar,  she 
more  considerately  resumed — 

"  It  would  be  ungracious,  in  sooth,  to  awaken  one  who 
hath  so  lately  toiled  up  this  weary  hill." 

"And  she  so  aged,  Meta  !  " 

"  And  one  that  did  so  much  for  my  infancy  !  I  ought 
to  go  back  to  my  father's  house,  but  my  kind  mother  will 
overlook  the  delay,  for  she  loveth  Use  little  less  than  one 
of  her  own  blood." 

"  Thy  mother  knoweth  of  this  visit  to  the  hermit's  hut, 
then  ? " 

"  Dost  think,  Master  Berchthold,  that  a  Burgomaster  of 
JDuerckheim's  only  child  would  go  forth,  at  this  hour, 
without  permission  had?  There  would  be  great  unseem- 
liness in  such  secret  gossiping,  and  a  levity  that  would 
better  suit  thy  damsels  of  Count  Emich's  village  ;  they 
say  indeed,  in  our  town,  that  the  castle  damsels  are  none 
too  nice  in  their  manner  of  life." 

"They  belie  us  of  the  mountain  strangely,  in  the  towns 
of  the  plain  !  I  swear  to  thee,  there  is  not  greater  modesty 
in  thy  Duerckheim  palace  than  among  our  females, 
whether  of  the  village  or  of  the  castle." 

"  It  may  be  true  in  the  main,  and,  for  the  credit  of  my 
sex,  I  hope  it  is  so  ;  but  thou  wilt  scarce  find  courage, 
Berchthold,  to  say  aught  in  favor  of  her  they  call  Gisela, 
the  warder's  child  ?  More  vanity  have  I  never  seen  in 
female  form ! " 

"  They  think  her  fair,  in  Hartenburg." 

"  'Tis  that  opinion  which  spoileth  the  creature's  manner  ! 
Thou  art  much  in  her  society,  Master  Berchthold,  and  I 
doubt  not  that  use  causeth  thee  to  overlook  some  qualities 
that  are  not  concealed  from  strangers.  '  Do  but  regard 
that  flaunting  bird  from  the  pass  of  the  Jaegerthal,'  said 
the  excellent  old  Use,  one  morn  that  we  had  a  festival  in 
our  venerable  church,  to  which  the  country  round  came 
forth  in  their  best  array;  'one  would  imagine  from  its 
fluttering,  and  the  movements  of  its  feathers,  that  it  fan- 
cied the  eye  of  every  young  hunter  was  on  its  plumage, 
and  that  it  dreaded  the  bolt  of  the  archer  unexpectedly 


THE   IIKIDENMA  UER. 


59 


And  yet  have  I  known  animals  of  this  breed  that  did  not 
so  greatly  fear  the  fowler's  hand,  if  truth  were  said  ! '  ' 

"Thou  judgest  Gisela  harshly;  for  though  of  some 
lightness  of  speech,  and  haply  not  without  admiration  of 
her  own  beauty,  the  girl  is  far  from  being  uncompaniona- 
ble, or,  at  times,  of  agreeable  discourse." 

"Nay,  I  do  but  repeat  the  words  of  Use,  Master  Bercht- 
hold  ! " 

"  Thy  Use  is  old,  and  garrulous,  and  is  like  to  utter  fool- 
ishness." 

"  This  may  be  so — but  let  it  be  foolish,  if  thou  wilt — 
the  folly  of  my  nurse  is  my  folly.  I  have  gained  so  much 
from  her  discourse,  that  I  fear  it  is  now  too  late  to  amend. 
To  deal  fairly  with  thee,  she  did  not  utter  a  syllable  con- 
cerning thy  warder's  daughter  that  I  do  not  believe." 

Berchthold  was  but  little  practised  in  the  ways  of  the 
human  heart.  Free  in  the  expression  of  his  own  senti- 
ments as  the  air  he  breathed  on  his  native  hills,  and  entire- 
ly without  thought  of  guilt,  as  respects  the  feeling  which 
bound  him  to  Meta,  he  had  never  descended  into  the 
arcana  of  that  passion  of  which  he  was  so  completely  the 
subject,  without  indeed  knowing  even  the  extent  of  his 
own  bondage.  He  viewed  this  little  ebullition  of  jealousy, 
therefore,  as  a  generous  nature  regards  all  injustice,  and 
he  entered  only  the  more  warmly  into  the  defence  of  the 
injured  party.  One  of  those  sieve-like  hearts  that  have 
been  perforated  a  hundred  times  by  the  shots  that  Cupid 
fires,  right  and  left,  in  a  capital,  would  probably  have  had 
recourse  to  the  same  expedient,  merely  to  observe  to  what 
extent  he  could  trifle  with  the  feelings  of  a  being  he  pro- 
fessed to  love. 

Europeans,  who  are  little  addicted  to  looking  into  the 
eye  of  their  cis-Atlantic  kinsman  in  search  of  the  mote, 
say,  that  the  master  passion  of  life  is  but  a  sluggish  emotion 
in  the  American  bosom.  That  those  who  are  chiefly  em- 
ployed in  the  affairs  of  this  world  should  be  content  with 
the  natural  course  of  the  affections,  as  they  arise  in  the 
honest  relations  of  the  domestic  circle,  is  quite  as  proba- 
ble, as  it  is  true  that  they  who  feed  their  passions  by  vani- 
ty and  variety,  are  mistaken  when  they  think  that  casual 
and  fickle  sensations  compose  any  of  the  true  ingredients 
of  that  purifying  and  elevated  sentiment,  which,  by  invest' 
ing  the  admired  object  with  all  that  is  estimable,  leads  us 
to  endeavor  to  be  worthy  of  the  homage  we  insensibly 


60  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

pay  to  virtue.  In  Berchthold  and  Meta,  the  reader  is  to 
look  for  none  of  that  constitutional  fervor,  which  some- 
times substitutes  impulse  for  a  deeper  feeling,  or  for  any 
of  that  factitious  cultivation  of  the  theory  of  love,  that  so 
often  tempts  the  neophyte  to  mistake  his  own  hallucina- 
tions for  the  more  natural  attachment  of  sympathy  and 
reason.  For  the  former  they  lived  too  far  north,  and  for 
the  latter  it  might  possibly  be  said,  that  fortune  had  cast 
their  lot  a  little  too  far  south.  That  subtle  and  nearly  in- 
definable sympathy  between  the  sexes,  which  we  call  love, 
to  which  all  are  subject,  since  its  principle  is  in  nature 
itself,  exists  perhaps  in  its  purest  and  least  conventional 
form  precisely  in  the  bosoms  of  those  whom  Providence 
lias  placed  in  the  middle  state,  between  extreme  cultiva- 
tion and  ignorance  ;  between  the  fastidious  and  sickly  per- 
version of  over-indulgence,  and  the  selfishness  that  is  the 
fruit  of  constant  appeals  to  exertion  ;  or  the  very  condition 
of  the  two  young  persons  that  have  been  placed  before 
the  reader  in  this  chapter.  Enough  has  been  seen  to  show 
that  Berchthold,  though  exercising  a  menial  office,  had  re- 
ceived opinions  superior  to  his  situation ;  a  circumstance 
that  is  sufficiently  explained  by  the  allusions  already  made 
to  the  decayed  fortunes  of  his  parents.  His  language  and 
manner,  therefore,  as  he  generously  vindicated  Gisela,  the 
daughter  of  the  person  charged  to  watch  the  approaches 
of  Lord  Emich's  castle,  was  perhaps  superior  to  what  would 
have  been  expected  in  a  mere  forester. 

"  I  shall  not  take  upon  myself  the  office  of  pointing  out 
the  faults  of  our  castle  beauty,  if  faults  she  hath,"  he  said  ; 
"  but  this  much  may  I  say  in  her  defence,  without  fear  of 
exceeding  truth  ;  her  father  is  grown  gray  under  the  livery 
of  Leiningen,  and  there  is  not  a  child  in  the  world  that 
showeth  more  reverence  or  affection  to  -him  who  gave  her 
being,  than  this  same  bird  of  thine,  with  its  flaunting 
plumes,  and  the  coquetry  with  the  archer's  bolt  !  " 

"  'Tis  said,  a  dutiful  daughter  will  ever  make  an  excel- 
lent and  an  obedient  wife." 

"  The  luckier  then  will  he  be  who  weds  old  Friedrich's 
child.  I  have  known  her  keep  the  gates,  deep  into  the 
night,  that  her  father  might  take  his  rest,  when  the  nobles 
have  frequented  the  forest  later  than  common  ;  aye,  and  to 
watch  weary  hours,  when  most  of  her  years  and  sex  would 
find  excuses  for  being  on  their  pillows.  Now  this  have  I 
often  seen,  going  forth,  as  thou  may'st  be  certain  by  my 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  6l 

office,  in  Count  Emich's  company,  in  most  of  his  hunts. 
Nay,  Gisela  is  fair,  none  will  deny  ;  and  it  may  be  that, 
among  her  other  qualities,  the  girl  knows  it." 

"  She  appeareth  not  to  be  the  only  one  of  thy  Har- 
tenburg  pile  that  is  aware  of  the  fact,  Master  Bercht- 
hold  !  " 

"  Dost  thou  mean,  Meta,  the  revelling  abbe,  from  Paris, 
or  the  sworn  soldier-monk  of  Rhodes,  that  now  abide  in 
the  castle  ? "  asked  the  young  forester,  with  a  simplicity 
that  would  have  set  the  heart  of  a  coquette  at  ease,  by  its 
perfect  nature  and  openness.  "Now  thou  touchest  on 
the  matter,  I  will  own,  though  one  of  my  office  should  be 
wary  of  opinions  on  those  his  master  loves,  but  I  know  thy 
prudence,  Meta — Therefore  will  I  say,  that  I  have  half  sus- 
pected these  two  ill-assorted  servants  of  the  church,  of 
thinking  more  of  the  poor  girl  than  is  seemly." 

"  Thy  poor  Gisela  hath  cause  to  hang  herself.  Truly, 
were  wassailers,  like  these  thou  namest,  to  regard  me  with 
but  a  free  look,  the  Burgomaster  of  Duerckheim  should 
know  of  their  boldness  !  " 

"  Meta,  they  would  not  dare  !  Poor  Gisela  is  not  the 
offspring  of  a  stout  citizen,  but  the  warder  of  Hartenburg's 
child,  and  there  may  be  some  difference  in  thy  natures,  too 
— nay,  there  is  ;  for  thou  art  not  one  of  those  that  seek 
the  admiration  of  each  cavalier  that  passeth,  but  a  maiden 
that  knoweth  her  worth,  and  the  meed  that  is  her  due. 
That  thou  hast,  in  something,  wronged  our  beauty  of  the 
hold,  I  needs  must  say  ;  but  to  compare  thee  with  her, 
either  in  the  excellence  of  the  body  or  that  of  the  mind,  is 
what  could  never  be  done  justly.  If  she  is  fair,  thou  art 
fairer  ;  if  she  is  witty,  thou  art  wise  !  " 

"  Nay,  do  not  mistake  me,  Berchthold,  by  thinking  that 
I  have  uttered  aught  against  thy  warder's  daughter  that  is 
harsh  and  unseemly.  I  know  the  girl's  cleverness,  and 
moreover  I  am  willing  to  acknowledge,  that  one  cruelly 
placed  by  fortune  in  a  condition  of  servitude,  like  her's, 
may  find  it  no  easy  matter  to  be  always  what  one  of  her 
sex  and  years  could  wish.  I  dare  to  say,  that  Gisela,  did 
fortune  and  opportunity  permit,  would  do  no  discredit  to 
her  breeding  and  looks,  both  of  which,  sooth  to  say,  are 
somewhat  above  her  condition." 

"  And  thou  saidst,  thy  mother  knew  of  this  visit  to  the 
hermit  ? " 

"  And  said  truth.    My  mother  has  never  made  objection 


62  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

to  any  reverence  paid  by  her  daughter  to  the  Church  01 
to  its  servants." 

"  That  hath  she  not  ! — Thou  art  amongst  the  most  fre- 
quent of  those  who  resort  to  the  Abbey  in  quest  of  holy 
offices  thyself,  Meta  !  " 

"  Am  I  not  a  Christian  ?  Wouldst  have  a  well-respected 
maiden  forget  her  duties  ?  " 

"  I  say  not  that  ;  but  there  is  discourse  amongst  us  hunt- 
ers, that  of  late  the  prior  hath  much  preferred  his  young 
nephew,  Brother  Hugo,  to  the  duty  of  quieting  the  con- 
sciences of  the  penitents.  It  were  better  that  some  father, 
whose  tonsure  hath  a  ring  of  gray,  were  put  into  the  con- 
fessional, in  a  church  so  much  frequented  by  the  young 
and  fair  of  Duerckheim." 

"  Thou  wouldst  do  well  to  write  of  this  to  the  Bishop  of 
Worms,  or  to  our  holy  Abbot,  in  thine  own  scholarly  hand. 
Thou  hast  the  clerkly  gifts,  Master  Berchthold,  and  might 
persuade  !  " 

"  I  would  that  the  little  I  have  done  in  this  way  had  not 
so  failed  of  its  design.  Thou  hast  had  frequent  proofs  of 
its  sincerity,  if  not  of  its  skill,  Meta." 

"  Well,  this  is  idle,  and  leads  me  to  forget  the  hermit  : 
My  mother — I  know  not  why — and  now  thou  makest  me 
think  of  it,  I  find  it  different  from  her  common  rule  ;  but 
it  is  certain  that  she  in  nowise  discourages  these  visits  to 
the  Heidenmauer.  We  are  very  young,  Berchthold,  and 
may  not  yet  understand  all  that  enters  into  older  and  wiser 
heads !  " 

"  It  is  strange  that  the  holy  man  should  seek  just  us  !  If 
he  most  urges  his  advice  on  you  among  the  damsels  of  the 
town,  he  most  gives  his  counsel  to  me  among  the  youths 
of  the  Jaegerthal  !  " 

There  was  a  charm  in  this  idea  which  held  these  two 
young  and  unpractised  minds  in  sweet  thraldom  for  many 
fleeting  minutes.  They  conversed  of  the  unexplained 
sympathy  between  the  man  of  God  and  themseh'es,  long 
and  with  undiminishing  interest  in  the  subject,  for  it 
seemed  to  both  that  it  contained  a  tie  to  unite  them  still 
closer  to  each  other.  Whatever  philosophy  and  experience 
may  pretend  on  such  subjects,  it  is  certain  that  man  is  dis- 
posed to  be  superstitious  in  respect  to  the  secret  influences 
that  guide  his  fortunes,  in  the  dark  passage  of  the  wrorld. 
Whether  it  be  the  mystery  of  the  unforeseen  future,  or  the 
consciousness  of  how  much  of  even  his  most  prized  sue* 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  63 

cess  is  the  result  of  circumstances  that  he  never  could  or 
did  control,  or  whether  God,  with  a  view  to  his  own  har- 
monious and  sublime  ends,  has  implanted  this  principle  in 
the  human  breast,  in  order  to  teach  us  dependence  on  a 
superior  power,  it  is  certain  that  few  reach  a  state  of  mind 
so  calculating  and  reasoning  as  not  to  trust  some  portion 
of  that  which  is  to  come,  to  the  chances  of  Fortune,  or  to 
Providence  ;  for  so  we  term  the  directing  power,  as  the 
mind  clings  to  or  rejects  the  immediate  agency  of  the 
Deity,  in  the  conduct  of  the  subordinate  concerns  of  life. 
In  the  age  of  which  we  write,  intelligence  had  not  made 
sufficient  progress  to  elevate  ordinary  minds  above  the 
arts  of  necromancy.  Men  no  longer  openly  consulted  the 
entrails  of  brutes,  in  order  to  learn  the  will  of  fate,  but 
they  often  submitted  to  a  dictation  scarcely  less  beastly, 
and  few  indeed  were  they  who  were  able  to  separate  piety 
from  superstition,  or  the  grand  dispensations  of  Providence 
from  the  insignificant  interests  of  selfishness.  It  is  not 
surprising,  therefore,  that  Berchthold  and  Meta  should 
cling  to  the  singular  interest  that  the  hermit  manifested  in 
them  respectively,  as  an  omen  propitious  to  their  common 
hopes;  common,  for  though  the  maiden  had  not  so  far 
relinquished  the  reserve  she  still  deemed  essential  to  her 
sex,  as  to  acknowledge  all  she  felt,  that  subtle  instinct 
which  unites  the  young  and  innocent  left  little  doubt  in 
the  mind  of  either,  of  the  actual  state  of  the  other's  in- 
clinations. 

Old  Use  had  consequently  ample  time  to  rest  her  frame, 
after  the  painful  toil  of  the  ascent  between  the  town  and 
the  camp.  When  Meta  at  length  approached  to  arouse 
her,  the  garrulous  woman  broke  out  in  exclamations  of 
surprise  at  the  shortness  of  the  interview  with  the  hermit, 
for  the  soundness  of  her  slumbers  left  her  in  utter  igno- 
rance of  the  appearance  and  disappearance  of  Berchthold. 

"  It  is  but  a  moment,  Meta,  dear,"  she  said,  "  since  we 
came  up  the  hill,  and  I  fear  thou  hast  not  given  sufficient 
heed  to  the  wise  words  of  the  holy  man.  We  should  not 
reject  a  wholesome  draught  because  it  proves  bitter  to  the 
mouth,  child,  but  swallow  all  to  the  last  drop,  when  we 
think  there  is  healing  in  the  cup.  Didst  deal  fairly  by  the 
hermit,  and  tell  him  honestly  of  thy  evil  nature  ? " 

"  Thou  forgettest,  Use,  the  hermit  has  not  even  the  ton 
sure,  and  cannot  shrive  and  pardon." 

"Nay,  nav — I  know  not  that!     A  hermit  is  a  man  of 


64  THE   IIETDRXMAURR. 

God  ;  and  a  man  of  God  is  holy  ;  and  any  Christian  may 
aye,  and  should  pardon  ;  and  as  to  shriving,  give  me  a  self- 
denying  recluse,  who  passes  his  time  in  prayer,  mortifying 
soul  and  body,  before  any  monk  of  Limburg,  say  I  ! 
There  is  more  virtue  in  one  blessing  from  such  a  man, 
than  in  a  dozen  from  a  carousing  Abbot — I  know  not  but 
I  might  say  fifty." 

"But  I  had  his  blessing,  nurse." 

"  Well,  that  is  comforting,  and  we  have  not  wearied  our 
limbs  for  naught ;  but  thou  shouldst  have  told  him  of  thy 
wish  to  wear  the  laced  bodice,  at  the  last  mass,  in  order 
that  thy  equals  might  envy  thy  beauty.  It  would  have 
been  wholesome  to  have  acknowledged  that  sin,  at  least." 

"  But  he  questioned  me  not  of  my  sins.  All  his  dis- 
course was  of  my  father's  house,  and  of  my  good  mother, 
and— and  of  other  matters." 

"Thou  shouldst  then  have  edged  the  bodice  in  among 
the  other  matters.  Have  I  not  always  forewarned  thee, 
Meta,  of  the  danger  of  pride,  and  of  stirring  envy  in  the 
bosom  of  a  companion  ?  There  is  naught  more  uncom- 
fortable than  envy,  as  I  know  by  experience.  Oh  !  I  am 
no  longer  young  ;  and  come  to  me  if  thou  wouldst  wish 
to  know  what  envy  is,  or  any  other  dangerous  vice,  and  I 
warrant  thee  thou  shalt  hear  it  well  explained  !  Aye,  thou 
wert  very  wrong  not  to  have  spoken  of  the  bodice  ! " 

"  Had  it  been  tit  to  confess,  I  might  have  found  more 
serious  sins  to  own  than  any  that  belong  to  dress." 

"  I  know  not  that  !  Dress  is  a  great  beguiler  of  the 
young  heart,  and  of  the  handsome  face.  If  thou  hast 
beauty  in  thy  house,  break  thy  mirrors  that  the  young 
should  not  know  it,  is  what  I  have  heard  a  thousand  times  \ 
and  as  thou  art  both  young  and  fair,  I  will  repeat  it, 
though  all  Duerckheim  gainsay  my  words,  thou  art  in  dan- 
ger if  thou  knowest  it.  No,  hadst  thou  told  the  hermit  of 
that  bodice,  it  might  have  done  much  good.  What  mat- 
ters it  to  such  a  man,  whether  he  hath  the  tonsure  or  not  ? 
He  hath  prayers,  and  fastings,  and  midnight  thought,  and 
great  bodily  suffering,  and  these  are  surely  worth  as  much 
hair  as  hath  ever  fallen  from  all  the  monks  in  the  Palatin- 
ate. I  would  that  thou  hadst  told  him  of  that  bodice, 
child  ! " 

"Since  thou  so  wishest  it,  at  our  next  meeting  it  shall 
be  said,  dear  Use  ;  so  set  thy  heart  at  peace." 

"This  will  give  thy  clear   mother  great   pleasure;  else,. 


THE.  HEIDENMAUEK.  65 

why  should  she  consent  that  a  daughter  of  her's  should 
visit  a  heathenish  camp,  at  so  late  an  hour  ?  I  warrant 
thee  that  she  thought  of  the  bodice  ! " 

"  Do  cease  speaking  of  the  garment,  nurse  ;  my  thoughts 
are  bent  on  something  else." 

"  Well,  if  indeed  thou  thinkest  of  something  else,  it  may 
be  amiss  to  say  more  at  present,  though,  Heaven  it  knows  ! 
thou  hast  great  occasion  to  recall  that  vain-glorious  mass 
to  thy  mind.  How  suddenly  thy  communion  with  the  her- 
mit ended  to-night,  Meta  !  " 

"We  have  not  been  long  on  the  mountain,  truly,  Use. 
But  we  must  hasten  back,  lest  my  mother  should  be  un- 
easy." 

"And  why  should  she  be  so  ?  Am  I  not  with  thee  ?  Is 
age  nothing,  and  experience,  and  prudence,  and-  an  old 
head,  aye,  and,  for  that  matter,  an  old  body,  too,  and  a  good 
memory,  and  such  eyes  as  no  other  in  Duerckheim  of  rny 
years  hath — I  say  of  my  years,  for  thou  hast  better  ;  and 
thy  dear  mother's  are  little  worse  than  thine — but  of  my 
years,  few  have  their  equal.  At  thy  age,  girl,  I  was  not 
the  old  Use,  but  the  lively  Use,  and  the  active,  and,  God 
forgive  me  if  there  be  vain-glory  in  the  words  !  but  truth 
should  always  be  spoken — the  handsome  Use,  and  this  too 
without  aid  from  any  such  bodice  as  that  of  thine." 
*  "  Wilt  never  forget  the  bodice  !  here,  lean  on  me,  nurse, 
or  thy  foot  may  fail  thee  in  the  steep  descent." 

Here  they  began  to  descend,  and  as  they  were  now  at  a 
point  of  the  path  where  much  caution  was  necessary,  the 
conversation  in  a  great  measure  ceased. 

He  who  visits  Duerckheim  now,  will  find  sufficient  re- 
maining evidence  to  show  that  the  town  formerly  extend- 
ed more  towards  the  base  of  the  mountain  than  its  present 
site  would  prove.  There  are  the  ruins  of  walls  and  towers 
among  the  vineyards  that  ornament  the  foot  of  the  hill, 
and  tradition  speaks  of  fortifications  that  have  long  since 
disappeared,  rendered  useless  by  those  improvements  in 
warfare  that  have  robbed  so  many  other  strong  places  of 
their  importance.  Then,  every  group  of  houses  on  an 
eminence  was  more  or  less  a  place  of  defence  ;  but  the  use 
of  gunpowder  and  artillery  centuries  ago  rendered  all  these 
targets  useless,  and  he  who  would  now  seek  a  citadel,  is 
most  sure  to  find  it  buried  in  some  plain  or  morass.  The 
world  has  reached  another  crisis  in  improvement,  for  the 
introduction  of  steam  is  likely  to  alter  all  its  systems  of 


66  THE   HETDENMAVER. 

offence  and  defence  both  by  land  and  sea  ;  but,  be  the  fut- 
ure as  it  may,  the  skill  of  the  engineer  had  not  so  far 
ripened  at  the  period  of  our  tale  as  to  prevent  Meta  and 
her  attendant  from  entering  within  wails  of  ancient  con- 
struction, clumsily  adapted  to  meet  the  exigencies  of  the 
imperfect  state  of  the  existing  art.  As  the  hour  was  early, 
they  had  no  difficulty  in  reaching  the  Burgomaster's  door 
without  attracting  remark. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"What  news?" 

"None,  my  lord  ;  but  that  the  world  is  grown  honest." 
"Then  is  doomsday  near  ! " — Hamlet. 

WITHIN  the  whole  of  these  widely  extended  states,  there 
is  scarcely  a  single  vestige  of  the  manner  of  life  led  by 
those  who  first  settled  in  the  wilderness.  Little  else  is 
found  to  arrest  the  eye  of  the  antiquary  in  the  shape  of  a 
ruin,  except  the  walls  of  some  fortress  or  the  mounds  of  an 
intrenchment  of  the  war  of  independence.  We  have,  it  is 
true,  some  faint  remains  of  times  still  more  remote  ;  and 
there  are  even  a  few  circumvallations,  or  other  inventions 
of  defence,  that  are  believed  to  have  once  been  occupied 
by  the  red  man  ;  but  in  no  part  of  the  country  did  there 
ever  exist  an  edifice,  of  either  a  public  or  a  private  nature, 
that  bore  any  material  resemblance  to  a  feudal  castle.  In 
order,  therefore,  that  the  reader  shall  have  as  clear  a  pict- 
ure as  our  feeble  powers  can  draw,  of  the  hold  occupied 
by  the  sturdy  baron  who  is  destined  to  act  a  conspicuous 
part  in  the  remainder  of  this  legend,  it  has  become  neces- 
sary to  enter  at  some  length  into  a  description  of  the  sur- 
rounding localities,  and  of  the  building  itself.  We  say  of 
the  reader,  for  we  profess  to  write  only  for  the  amusement 
— fortunate  shall  we  be  if  instruction  may  be  added — of  our 
own  countrymen:  should  others  be  pleased  to  read  these 
crude  pages,  we  shall  be  flattered  and  of  course  grateful ; 
but  with  this  distinct  avowal  of  our  object  in  holding  the 
pen,  we  trust  they  will  read  with  the  necessary  amount  of 
indulgence. 

And  here  we  shall  take  occasion  to  hold  one  moment's 
communion  with  that  portion  of  the  reading  public  of  all 


TffK   HEIDEXMAlrER.  67 

nations,  that,  as  respects  a  writer,  composes  what  is  termed 
the  world.  Let  it  not  be  said  of  us,  because  we  make 
frequent  reference  to  opinions  and  circumstances  as  they 
exist  in  our  native  land,  that  we  are  profoundly  ignorant  of 
the  existence  of  all  others.  *We  make  these  references, 
crime  though  it  be  in  hostile  eyes,  because  they  best  an- 
swer our  end  in  writing  at  all,  because  they  allude  to  a 
state  of  society  most  familiar  to  our  own  minds,  and  be- 
cause we  believe  that  great  use  has  hitherto  been  made  of 
the  same  things,  to  foster  ignorance  and  prejudice.  Should 
we  unheedingly  betray  the  foible  of  national  vanity— that 
foul  and  peculiar  blot  of  American  character!  we  solicit 
forgiveness  ;  urging,  in  our  own  justification,  the  aptitude 
of  a  young  country  for  falling  insensibly  into  the  vein  of 
imitation,  and  praying  the  critical  observer  to  overlook 
any  blunders  in  this  way,  if  perchance  wre  should  not  mani- 
fest that  felicity  of  execution  which  is  the  fruit  only  of 
great  practice.  Hitherto  we  believe  that  our  modesty 
cannot  justly  be  impeached.  As  yet  we  have  left  the 
cardinal  virtues  to  mankind  in  the  gross,  never,  to  our 
knowledge,  having  written  of  "American  courage,''  or 
"  American  honesty,"  nor  yet  of  "  American  beauty,"  nor 
haply  of  "American  manliness,"  nor  even  of  "American 
strength  of  arm,"  as  qualities  abstracted  and  not  common 
to  our  fellow-creatures  ;  but  have  been  content,  in  the  un- 
sophisticated language  of  this  western  clime,  to  call  virtue, 
virtue — and  vice,  vice.  In  this  we  well  know  how  much 
we  have  fallen  short  of  numberless  but  nameless  classical 
writers  of  our  time,  though  we  do  not  think  we  are  greatly 
losers  by  the  forbearance,  because  wre  have  sufficient  proof 
that  when  we  wish  to  make  our  pages  unpleasant  to  the 
foreigner,  we  can  effect  that  object  by  much  less  imposing 
allusions  to  national  merits  ;  since  we  have  good  reason  to 
believe,  there  exists  a  certain  querulous  class  of  readers 
who  consider  even  the  most  delicate  and  reserved  com- 
mendations of  this  western  world  as  so  much  praise  un* 
reasonably  and  dishonestly  abstracted  from  themselves. 
As  for  that  knot  in  our  own  fair  country  who  aim  at  suc- 
cess by  flattering  the  stranger,  and  who  hope  to  shine  in 
their  own  little"  orbits  by  means  of  borrowed  light,  we 
commit  them  to  the  correction  of  a  reproof  which  is  cer- 
tain to  come,  and, 'in  their  cases,  to  come  embittered  by  the 
consciousness  of  its  being  merited  by  a  servility  as  degrad- 
ing as  it  is  unnatural.  As  they  dive  deeper  into  the 


68  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

secrets  of  the  human  heart,  they  will  learn  there  is  a 
healthful  feeling  that  cannot  be  repulsed  with  impunity, 
and  that  as  none  are  so  respected  as  they  who  fearlessly 
and  frankly  maintain  their  rights,  so  none  are  so  contemned 
as  those  who  ignobly  desert  them. 

During  the  time  that  Berchthold  was  holding  converse 
with  Meta,  on  the  mountain  of  the  Heidenmauer,  Emich 
of  Leiningen  was  at  rest  in  his  castle  of  Hartenburg.  It 
has  already  been  said,  that  the  hold  was  of  massive  ma- 
sonry, the  principal  material  being  the  reddish  sand-stone, 
that  is  so  abundantly  found  in  nearly  the  whole  region  of 
the  ancient  Palatinate.  The  building  had  grown  with 
time,  and  that  which  had  originally  been  a  tower  had 
swelled  into  a  formidable  and  extensive  fortress.  In  the 
ages  which  succeeded  the  empire  of  Charlemagne,  he 
who  could  rear  one  of  these  strong  places,  and  maintain 
it  in  opposition  to  his  neighbors,  became  noble,  and  in 
some  measure  a  sovereign.  He  established  his  will  as  law 
for  the  contiguous  territory,  and  they  who  could  not  enjoy 
their  own  lands,  without  submitting  to  his  pleasure,  were 
content  to  purchase  protection  by  admitting  their  vassal- 
age. No  sooner  was  one  of  these  local  lords  firmly  es- 
tablished in  his  hold,  by  receiving  service  and  homage 
from  their  husbandmen,  than  he  began  to  quarrel  with  his 
nearest  neighbor  of  his  own  condition.  The  victor  neces- 
sarily grew  more  powerful  by  his  conquests,  until,  from 
being  the  master  of  one  castle  and  one  village,  he  became 
in  process  of  time  the  master  of  many.  In  this  manner 
did  minor  barons  swell  into  power  and  sovereignty,  even 
mighty  potentates  tracing  their  genealogical  and  political 
trees  into  roots  of  this  wild  growth.  There  still  stands  on 
an  abrupt  and  narrow  ledge  of  land  in  the  confederation 
of  Switzerland  and  in  the  Canton  of  Argovie,  a  tottering 
ruin,  that,  in  past  ages,  was  occupied  by  a  knight,  who 
from  his  aerie  overlooked  the  adjoining  village,  and  com- 
manded the  services  of  its  handful  of  boors.  This  ruined 
castle  was  called  Hapsbourg,  and  is  celebrated  as  the 
cradle  of  that  powerful  family  which  has  long  sat  upon  the 
throne  of  the  Caesars,  and  which  now  rules  so  much  of 
Germany  and  Upper  Italy.  The  King  of  Prussia  traces 
his  line  to  the  House  of  Hohenzollern,  the  offspring  of 
another  castle  ;  and  numberless  are  the  instances  in  which 
he  who  thus  laid  the  corner-stone  of  a  strong  place,  in  ages 
when  security  was  only  to  be  had  by  good  walls,  also  laid 


THE    HEIDENMAUER.  69 

the  foundation  of  a  long  line  of  prosperous  and  puissant 
princes. 

Neither  the  position  of  the  castle  of  Hartenburg,  how- 
ever, nor  the  period  in  which  it  was  founded,  was  likely  to 
lead  to  results  as  great  as  these  just  named.  As  has  been 
said,  it  commanded  a  pass  important  for  local  purposes, 
but  not  of  so  much  moment  as  to  give  him  who  held  the 
hold  any  material  rights  beyond  its  immediate  influence. 
Still,  as  the  family  of  Leiningen  was  numerous,  and  had 
other  branches  and  other  possessions  in  more  favored  por- 
tions of  Germany,  Count  Emich  was  far  from  being  a  mere 
mountain  chief.  The  feudal  system  had  become  method- 
ized long  before  his  birth,  and  the  laws  of  the  Empire  se- 
cured to  him  many  villages  and  towns  on  the  plain,  as  the 
successor  of  those  who  had  obtained  them  in  more  remote 
ages.  He  had  recently  claimed  even  a  higher  dignity,  and 
wider  territories,  as  the  heir  of  a  deceased  kinsman  ;  but 
in  this  attempt  to  increase  his  powers,  and  to  elevate  his 
rank,  he  had  been  thwarted  by  a  decision  of  his  peers.  It 
was  to  this  abortive  assumption  of  dignity,  that  he  owed 
the  sobriquet  of  the  Summer  Landgrave  ;  for  such  was  the 
rank  he  had  claimed,  and  the  period  for  which  he  had 
been  permitted  to  bear  it. 

With  this  knowledge  of  the  power  of  their  family,  the 
reader  will  not  be  surprised  to  hear  that  the  castle  of  the 
Counts  of  Hartenburg,  or,  to  be  more  accurate,  of  the 
Counts  of  Hartenburg-Leiningen,  was  on  a  commensurate 
scale.  Perched  on  the  advanced  spur  of  the  mountain, 
just  where  the  valley  was  most  confined,  and  at  a  point 
where  the  little  river  made  a  short  bend,  the  pass  beneath 
1-iy  quite  at  the  mercy  of  the  archer  on  its  battlements.  In 
the  fore-ground,  all 'that  part  of  the  edifice  which  came 
into  the  view  was  military,  and,  in  some  slight  degree,  fitted 
to  the  imperfect  use  that  was  then  made  of  artillery  ;  while 
in  the  rear  arose  that  maze  of  courts,  chapels,  towers,  gates, 
portcullises,  state-rooms,  offices,  and  family  apartments, 
that  marked  the  usages  and  tastes  of  the  day.  The  hamlet 
which  lay  in  the  dell,  immediately  beneath  the  walls  of  the 
salient  towers,  or  bastions,  for  they  partook  of  both  char- 
acters, was  insignificant,  and  of  little  account  in  estimating 
the  wealth  and  resources  of  the  feudal  lord.  These  came 
principally  from  Duerckheim,and  the  fertile  plains  beyond, 
though  the  forest  was  not  without  its  value,  in  a  country 
in  which  the  axe  had  so  long  been  used. 


7° 


THE   HEIDENMA  I  ~E 


We  have  said  that  Emich  of  Leiningen  was  taking  his 
rest  in  the  hold  of  Hartenburg.  Let  the  reader  imagine  a 
massive  building,  in  the  centre  of  the  confused  pile  we 
have  mentioned,  rudely  fashioned  to  meet  the  wants  of  the 
domestic  economy  of  that  age,  and  he  will  get  a  nearer 
view  of  the  interior.  The  walls  were  wainscoted,  and  had 
much  uncouth  and  massive  carving ;  the  halls  were  large 
and  gloomy,  loaded  with  armor,  and  at  this  moment  preg- 
nant with  armed  men  ;  the  saloons  of  a  medium  size  which 
suited  a  baronial  state,  and  all  the  appliances  of  that  min- 
gled taste  in  which  comfort  and  luxury,  as  now  understood, 
were  unknown,  but  which  was  not  without  a  portion  of  the 
effect  that  is  produced  by  an  exhibition  of  heavy  magnifi- 
cence. With  few  but  signal  exceptions,  Germany,  even  at 
this  hour,  is  not  a  country  remarkable  for  the  elegancies  of 
domestic  life.  Its  very  palaces  are  of  simple  decoration, 
its  luxuries  of  a  homebred  and  inartificial  kind,  and  its 
taste  is  rarely  superior,,  and  indeed  not  always  equal,  to 
our  own.  There  is  still  a  shade  of  the  Gothic  in  the  habits 
and  opinions  of  this  constant  people,  who  seem  to  cultivate 
the  subtle  refinements  of  the  mind,  in  preference  to  the 
more  obvious  and  material  enjoyments  which  address 
themselves  to  the  senses. 

Quaint  and  complicated  ornaments,  wrought  by  the  pa- 
tient industry  of  a  race  proverbial  for  this  description  of 
ingenuity;  swords,  daggers,  morions,  cuirasses,  and  all  sorts 
of  defensive  armor  then  in  use  ;  such  needle-work,  as  it 
befitted  a  noble  dame  to  produce  ;  pictures  that  possessed 
most  of  the  faults  and  few  of  the  beauties  of  the  Flemish 
school  ;  furniture  that  bore  some  such  relation  to  the  gar- 
niture of  the  palaces  of  electors  and  kings,  as  the  decora- 
tions of  a  village  drawing-room  in  our  own  time,  bear  to 
those  of  the  large  towns  ;  a  profuse  display  of  plate,  on 
which  the  arms  of  Leiningen  were  embossed  and  graven  in 
every  variety  of  style,  with  genealogical  trees  and  heraldic 
blazonry  in  colors,  were  the  principal  features. 

Throughout  the  whole  pile,  there  was  little  appear- 
ance, however,  of  the  presence  of  females,  or  even  of  the 
means  of  their  accommodation.  Few  of  that  sex  were  seen 
in  the  corridors,  or  offices,  or  courts  ;  though  men  crowded 
the  place  in  unusual  numbers.  The  latter  were  chiefly 
grim  and  whiskered  warriors,  who  loitered  in  the  halls,  or 
in  the  more  public  parts  of  the  castle,  like  idlers  waiting 
for  the  expected  mpvement  of  exertion.  None  among  them 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  71 

were  armed  at  all  points,  though  this  carelessly  wore  his 
morion,  that  had  buckled  on  a  breast-plate,  and  another 
leaned  listlessly  on  his  arquebuse  or  handled  his  pike. 
Here  a  group  exercised,  in  levity,  with  their  several  weap- 
ons of  offence  ;  there  a  jester  amused  a  crowd  of  sluggish 
listeners,  with  his  ribaldry  and  humor  :  and  numberless 
were  those  who  quaffed  of  the  Rhenish  of  their  lord.  Al- 
though this  continent  had  then  been  discovered,  the  goodly 
portion  which  has  since  fallen  to  our  heritage  was  still  in 
the  hands  of  its  native  proprietors  ;  and  the  plant,  so  long 
known  as  the  weed  of  Virginia,  but  which  has  since  be- 
come a  staple  of  so  many  other  countries  in  this  hemi- 
sphere, was  not  in  its  present  general  use  amongst  the 
Germans  ;  else  would  it  have  been  our  duty  to  finish  this 
hasty  sketch,  by  enveloping  it  all  in  mist.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  general  air  of  indifference  and  negligence,  which 
reigned  within  the  walls  of  Hartenburg  without  the  gates, 
in  the  turrets,  and  on  the  advanced  towers,  there  was  the 
appearance  of  more  than  the  customary  watchfulness.  Had 
one  been  there  to  note  the  circumstance,  he  would  have 
seen,  in  addition  to  the  sentries  who  always  guarded  the  ap- 
proaches of  the  castle,  several  swift-footed  spies  on  the 
look-out,  in  the  hamlet,  on  the  rocks  of  the  mountain-side, 
and  along  the  winding  paths  ;  and  as  all  eyes  were  turned 
towards  -the  valley  in  the  direction  of  Limburg,  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  event  they  awaited  was  expected  to  arrive 
from  that  quarter. 

While  such  was  the  condition  of  his  hold  and  of  so  strong 
a  body  of  his  vassals,  Count  Emich  himself  had  retired 
from  observation,  to  one  of  the  quaint,  half-rude,  half- 
magnificent  saloons  of  the  place.  The  room  was  lighted  by 
twenty  tapers,  and  other  well-known  signs  indicated  the 
near  approach  of  guests.  He  paced  the  large  apartment 
with  a  heavy  and  armed  heel  ;  while  care,  or  at  least  se- 
vere thought,  contracted  the  muscles  around  a  hard  and 
iron  brow,  which  bore  evident  marks  of  familiar  acquaint- 
ince  with  the  casque.  Perhaps  this  is  the  only  country 
of  Christendom,  even  now,  in  which  the  profession  of  the 
law  is  a  pursuit  still  more  honorable  and  esteemed  than 
that  of  arms — the  best  proof  of  a  high  and  enviable  civili- 
zation— but  at  the  age  of  our  narrative,  the  gentleman  that 
was  not  of  the  Church,  the  calling  which  nearly  monopo- 
lized all  the  learning  of  the  times,  was  of  necessity  a  sol- 
dier. Emich  of  Leiningen  carried  arms  therefore  as  much 


72  THE  IIEIDENMAUER. 

in  course,  as  the  educated  man  of  this  century  reads  his 
Horace  or  Virgil  ;  and  as  nature  had  given  him  a  vigorous 
frame,  a  hardy  constitution,  and  a  mind  whose  indifference 
to  personal  suffering  amounted  at  times  to  ruthlessness,  he 
was  more  successful  in  his  trade  of  violence,  than  many 
a  pale  and  zealous  student  proves  in  the  cultivation  of 
letters. 

The  musing  Count  scarce  raised  his  looks  from  the  oaken 
floor  he  trod,  as  menial  after  menial  appeared,  moving  with 
light  step  in  the  presence  of  one  so  dreaded  and  yet  so 
singularly  loved.  At  length  a  female,  busy  in  some  of  the 
little  offices  of  her  sex,  glided  before  his  half-unconscious 
sight.  The  youth,  the  bloom,  the  playful  air,  the  neat  coif, 
the  tight  bodice,  and  the  ample  folds  of  the  falling  gar- 
ments, at  length  seemed  to  fill  his  eye  with  the  form  of  his 
companion. 

"Is  it  thou,  Gisela?"  he  said,  speaking  mildly,  as  one 
addresses  a  favored  dependant.  "  How  fareth  it  with  the 
honest  Karl  ?" 

"  I  thank  my  lord  the  Count,  his  aged  and  wounded 
servant  hath  less  of  pain  than  is  commonly  his  lot.  The 
limb  he  has  lost  in  the  service  of  the  House  of  Leinirig- 
en — 

"  No  matter  for  the  leg,  girl — thou  art  too  apt  to  dwell 
upon  that  mischance  of  thy  parent." 

"  Were  my  lord  the  Count  to  leave  a  limb  on  the  field,  it 
might  be  missed  when  he  was  hurried  !  " 

"  Thinkest,  thou,  child,  that  my  tongue  would  never  ad- 
dress the  Emperor  without  naming  the  defect  ?  Go  to,  Gise- 
la ;  thou  art  a  calculating  hussy,  and  rarely  permittest  oc- 
casion to  pass  without  allusion  to  this  growing  treasure  of 
thy  family.  Are  my  people  actively  on  the  watch,  with  or 
without  their  lirnbs  ?  " 

"  They  are  as  their  natures  and  humors  tend.  Blessed 
Saint  Ursula  knows  where  the  officers  of  the  country  have 
picked  up  so  ungainly  a  band,  as  these  that  now  inhabit 
Hartenburg !  One  drinketh,  from  the  time  his  eyes  open 
in  the  morn  until  they  shut  at  even ;  another  sweareth 
worse  than  the  northern  warriors  that  do  these  ravages  in 
the  Palatinate  ;  this  a  foul  dealer  in  ribaldry  :  that  a  glut- 
ton who  never  moveth  lip  but  to  swallow  ;  and  none,  nay, 
not  a  swaggerer  of  them  all,  hath  civil  word  for  a  maiden, 
though  she  be  known  as  one  esteemed  in  their  master's 
household." 


73 

"  They  are  my  vassals,  girl,  and  stouter  men  at  need  are 
not  mustered  in  Germany." 

"  Stout  in  speech,  and  insolent  of  look,  my  Lord  Count, 
but  most  odious  company  to  all,  of  modest  demeanor  and 
of  good  intentions,  in  the  hold." 

"Thou  hast  been  humored  by  thy  mistress,  girl,  until 
thou  sometimes  forgettest  discretion.  Go  and  look  my 
guests  are  informed  that  the  hour  of  the  banquet  is  at 
hand  ; — I  await  the  pleasure  of  their  presence." 

Gisela,  whose  natural  pertness  had  been  somewhat 
heightened  by  an  indulgent  mistress,  and  in  whom  con- 
sciousness of  more  beauty  than  ordinarily  falls  to  the 
share  of  females  of  her  condition  had  produced  freedom 
of  language  that  sometimes  amounted  to  temerity,  be- 
trayed her  discontent  in  a  manner  very  common  to  her 
sex,  when  it  is  undisciplined,  or  little  restrained  by  a 
wholesome  education.  She  pouted,  taking  care  however 
that  Emich's  eye  was  again  turned  to  the  floor,  tossed  her 
head  and  quitted  the  room.  Left  to  himself,  the  Count  re- 
lapsed into  his  reverie.  In  this  manner  did  several  minutes 
pass  unheeded. 

"  Dreaming,  as  usual,  noble  Emich,  of  escalades  and  ex- 
communication !  "  cried  a  gay  voice  at  his  elbow,  the  speaker 
having  entered  the  saloon  unseen — "  of  revengeful  priests, 
of  vassalage,  of  shaven  abbots,  the  confessional  and  pen- 
ance dire,  thy  rights  redressed,  the  frowning  conclave,  the 
Abbey  cellar,  thy  morion,  revenge,  and,  to  sum  up  all,  in 
a  word  that  covers  every  deadly  sin,  that  fallen  angel  the 
Devil ! " 

Emich  forced  a  grim  smile  at  this  unceremonious  and 
comprehensive  salutation,  accepting  the  offered  hand  of 
him  who  uttered  it,  however,  with  the  frank  freedom  of  a 
boon  companion. 

"  Thou  art  right  welcome,  Albrecht>"  he  replied,  "  for 
the  moment  is  near  when  my  ghostly  guests  should  arrive  ; 
and  to  deal  fairly  by  thee,  I  never  feel  myself  quite  equal 
to  a  single  combat  of  wits  with  the  pious  knaves  ;  but  thy 
support  will  be  enough,  though  the  whole  Abbey  commu- 
nity were  of  the  party." 

"  Aye,  we  are  akin,  we  sons  of  Saint  John  and  these  bas- 
tards of  Saint  Benedict.  Though  more  martial  than  your 
monks  of  the  hill,  we  of  the  island  are  sworn  to  quite  as 
many  virtues.  Let  me  see,"  he  added,  counting  on  his 
fingers  with  an  air  of  bold  licentiousness  ;  "  firstly  are  we 


74  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

vowed  to  celibacy,  and  your  Benedictine  is  no  less  so— * 
then  are  we  self-dedicated  to  chastity,  as  is  your  Limburg 
monk  ;  next  we  respect  our  oaths,  as  does  your  Father 
Bonifacius  ;  then  both  are  servants  of  the  holy  cross  ;"  by 
a  singular  influence  the  speaker  and  the  Count  made  the 
sacred  symbol  on  their  bosoms,  as  the  former  uttered  the 
word,  "and,  doubt  it  not,  I  shall  be  the  equal  of  the  rever- 
end brotherhood.  They  say  sin  can  match  sin,  and  saint 
should  surely  be  saint's  equal !  But,  Emich,  thou  art 
graver  than  becometh  a  hot  carousal,  like  this  we  medi- 
tate !  " 

"  And  thou  gay  as  if  about  to  gallant  the  dames  of 
Rhodes  to  one  of  thy  island  festivals  ! " 

The  Knight  of  Saint  John  regarded  his  attire  with  com- 
placency, strutting  by  the  side  of  his  host,  as  the  latter  re- 
sumed his  walk,  with  the  air  of  a  bird  of  admired  plumage. 
Nor  was  the  remark  of  the  Count  of  Hartenburg  misap- 
plied, since  his  kinsman  and  guest  had,  in  reality,  expend- 
ed more  labor  on  his  toilet  than  was  customary  in  the  ab- 
sence of  females,  and  in  that  rude  hold.  Unlike  the  stern 
and  masculine  Emich,  who  rarely  divested  himself  of  all 
his  warlike  gear,  the  sworn  defender  of  the  Cross  appeared 
entirely  in  a  peaceful  guise,  if  the  long  rapier  that  dangled 
at  his  side,  and  which  to  a  much  later  period  formed  an 
indispensable  accompaniment  of  one  of  gentle  condition, 
could  be  excepted  from  the  implements  of  war.  His  doub- 
let, fully  decorated  with  embroidery,  fringes,  and  loops, 
and  dotted  with  buttons,  was  of  a  pale  orange  stuff,  that 
was  puffed  and  distended  about  his  person,  in  the  liberal 
amplitude  of  the  prevailing  fashion.  The  nether  garment, 
which  scarce  appeared,  however,  essential  as  it  might  be, 
was  of  the  same  material,  and  cut  with  a  similar  expendi- 
ture of  cloth.  The  hose  were  pink,  and,  rolling  far  above 
the  knee,  gave  the  effect  of  a  rich  coloring  to  the  whole 
picture.  He  wore  shoes  whose  upper-leather  rose  high 
against  the  small  of  the  leg,  buckles  that  covered  the 
instep,  and  about  the  throat  and  wrists  there  was  a  lavish 
display  of  lace.  The  well-known  Maltese  cross  dangled  by 
a  red  ribbon,  at  a  button-hole  of  the  doublet  ;  not  above 
the  heart,  as  is  the  custom  at  present  among  the  chevaliers 
of  the  other  hemisphere,  but,  by  a  vagary  of  taste,  so  low 
as  to  demonstrate,  if  indeed,  there  is  any  allusion  intended 
by  the  accidental  position  of  these  jewels,  that  the  honora- 
ble badge  was  assumed  in  direct  reference  to  that  material 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  75 

portion  of  the  human  frame  which  is  believed  to  be  the 
repository  of  good  cheer  ;  an  interpretation  that,  in  the 
case  of  Albrecht  of  Viederbach,  the  knight  in  question, 
was  perhaps  much  nearer  to  the  truth  than  he  would  have 
been  willing  to  own.  After  poising  himself,  first  on  the 
point  of  one  shoe,  and  then  on  the  other,  smoothing  his 
ruffles,  shoving  the  rapier  more  aside,  and  otherwise  ad- 
justing his  attire  to  his  mind,  the  professed  soldier  of  Saint 
John  of  Jerusalem  pursued  the  discourse. 

"  I  am  decent,  kinsman,"  he  replied  ;  "  fit  to  be  a  guest 
at  thy  hospitable  board,  if  thou  wilt,  in  the  absence  of  its 
fair  mistress,  but  beyond  that  unworthy  to  be  named.  As 
for  the  dames  of  our  unhappy  and  violated  Rhodes,  dear 
cousin,  thou  knowest  little  of  their  humors,  if  thou  fanciest 
that  this  rude  guise  would  have  any  charm  in  their  refined 
eyes.  Our  knights  were  used  to  bring  into  the  island  the 
taste  and  improvements  of  every  distant  land  ;  and  small 
though  it  be,  there  are  few  portions  of  the  earth,  in  which 
the  human  arts,  for  so  I  call  the  decoration  of  the  human 
body,  flourished  more  than  in  our  circumscribed,  valiant, 
and  much-regretted  Rhodes.  Thirs  was  it,  at  least,  until 
the  fell  Ottoman  triumphed  !" 

"  'Fore  God,  I  had  thought  thee  sworn  to  all  sorts  of 
modesty,  in  speech,  life,  and  other  abstinences  !  " 

"  And  art  thou  not  sworn,  most  mutinous  Emich,  to 
obey  thy  liege  lords,  the  Emperor  and  the  Elector — nay, 
for  certain  of  thy  lands  and  privileges,  art  thou  not 
bound  to  knight's  service  and  obedience  to  the  holy  Abbot 
of  Limburg  ?" 

"  God's  curse  on  him  and  on  all  the  others  of  that  grasp- 
ing brotherhood  ! " 

"  Aye,  that  is  but  the  natural  consequence  of  thy  oath,  as 
this  doublet  is  of  mine.  If  the  rigid  performance  of  avow 
is  as  agreeable  to  the  body,  as  we  are  taught  it  may  be 
healthful  to  the  soul,  Count  of  Leiningen,  where  would  be 
the  merit  of  observance  ?  I  never  don  these  graceful  gar- 
ments, but  a  wholesome  remembrance  of  watchful  nights 
passed  on  the  ramparts,  of  painful  sieges  and  watery 
trenches,  or  of  sickly  cruises  against  the  Mussulmans,  do 
not  present  themselves  in  the  shape  of  past  penances.  In 
this  manner  do  we  sweeten  sin,  by^our  bodily  pains,  and  by 
the  memory  of  hours  of  virtuous  hardships  !  " 

"By  the 'three  sainted  Kings  of  Koeln,  and  the  eleven 
thousand  virgius  of  that  honored  city,  Master  Albrecht ! 


76  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

but  thou  wert  much  favored  in  thy  narrow  island,  if  it 
were  permitted  to  thee  to  sin  in  this  fashion,  with  the  cer- 
tainty of  tempering  punishment  with  so  light  service ! 
These  griping  monks  of  Limburg  make  much  of  their  fa- 
vors, and  he  who  would  go  with  a  safe  skin,  must  needs 
look  to  an  indulgence  had  and  well  paid  for,  in  advance. 
I  know  not  the  number  of  goodly  casks  of  the  purest 
Rhenish  that  little  sallies  of  humor  may  have  cost  me,  first 
and  last,  in  this  manner  of  princely  expenditure  ;  but  cer- 
tain am  I,  that  did  occasion  offer,  the  united  tributes  would 
leave  little  empty  space  in  Prince  Friedrich's  vaunted  Tun, 
in  his  ample  cellars  of  Heidelberg!  " 

"I  have  often  heard  of  that  royal  receptacle  of  generous 
liquor,  and  have  meditated  a  pilgrimage  in  honor  of  its 
capacity.  Does  the  Elector  receive  noble  travellers  with  a 
hospitality  suited  to  his  rank  and  means  ?  " 

"  That  doth  he,  and  right  willingly,  though  this  war 
presses  sorely,  and  giveth  him  other  employment.  Thy 
wayfaring  will  not  be  weary,  for  thou  mayst  see  the  towels 
of  Heidelberg  from  off  these  hills,  and  a  worthy  steed  might 
be  pricked  from  this  court  of  mine  into  that  of  Duke  Fried- 
rich  in  a  couple  of  hours  of  hard  riding." 

"  When  the  merits   of  thy  cellar  are   exhausted,  noble 
Ernich,  it  will  be  in  season  to  put  the  Tun  to  the   proof,' 
replied  the  Knight  of  Rhodes,  "  as  our  esteemed  friend 
here,  the  Abbe,  will   maintain,  in  the   face   of   all    the  re- 
formers with  which  our  Germany  is  infested." 

In  introducing  another  character,  we  claim  the  reader's 
patience  for  a  moment  of  digression.  Whatever  may  be 
said  of  the  merits  and  legality  of  the  Reformation,  effected 
chiefly  by  the  courage  of  Luther  (and  we  are  neither  sec- 
tarian nor  unbeliever,  to  deny  the  sacred  origin  of  the 
church  from  which  he  dissented,)  it  is  very  generally  ad- 
mitted, that  the  long  and  undisputed  sway  of  the  prevail- 
ing authority  of  that  age,  had  led  to  abuses,  which  called 
loudly  for  some  change  in  its  administration.  Thousands 
of  those  who  had  devoted  their  lives  to  the  administrations 
of  the  altar,  were  quite  as  worthy  of  the  sacred  office  as  it 
falls  to  man's  lot  to  become  ;  but  thousands  had  assumed 
the  tonsure,  the  cowl,  or  the  other  symbols  of  ecclesiastical 
duty,  merely  to  enjoy^  the  immunities  and  facilities  the 
character  conferred.  A  long  and  nearly  undisputed  mo- 
nopoly of  letters,  the  influence  obtained  by  the  unnatural 
union  between  secular  and  religious  power,  and  the  de- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  77 

pendent  condition  of  the  public  mind,  the  legitimate  con« 
sequence  of  both,  induced  all  who  aspired  to  moral  pre- 
eminence, to  take  this,  the  most  certain,  because  the  most 
beaten,  of  the  paths  that  led  to  this  species  of  ascendency. 
It  is  not  alone  to  the  religion  of  Christendom,  as  it  existed 
in  the  time  of  Luther,  that  we  are  to  look  for  an  example 
of  the  baneful  consequence  of  spiritual  and  temporal  au- 
thority, as  blended  in  human  institutions.  Christian  or 
Mahommedan,  Catholic  or  Protestant,  the  evil  comes  in 
every  case  from  the  besetting  infirmity  which  tempts  the 
strong  to  oppress  the  weak,  and  the  powerful  to  abuse  their 
trusts.  Against  this  failing  there  seems  to  be  no  security 
but  an  active  and  certain  responsibility.  So  long  as  the 
severe  morality  required  of  its  ministers,  by  the  Christian 
faith,  is  uncorrupted  by  any  gross  admixture  of  worldly 
advantage,  there  is  reason  to* believe  that  the  altar,  at  least, 
will  escape  serious  defilement ;  but  no  sooner  are  these 
fatal  enemies  admitted  to  the  sanctuary,  than  a  thousand 
spirits,  prompted  by  cupidity,  rush  rashly  into  the  temple, 
willing  to  bear  with  the  outward  exactions  of  the  faith,  in 
order  to  seek  its  present  and  visible  rewards. 

However  pure  may  be  a  social  system,  or  a  religion,  in 
the  commencement  of  its  power,  the  possession  of  an  un- 
disputed ascendency  lures  all  alike  into  excesses  fatal  to 
consistency,  to  justice,  and  to  truth.  This  is  a  consequence 
of  the  independent  exercise  of  human  volition,  that  seems 
nearly  inseparable  from  human  frailty.  We  gradually 
come  to  substitute  inclination  and  interest  for  right,  until 
the  moral  foundations  of  the  mind  are  sapped  by  indul- 
gence, and  what  was  once  regarded  with  the  aversion  that 
wrong  excites  in  the  innocent,  gets  to  be  not  only  familiar, 
but  justifiable  by  expediency  and  use.  There  is  no  more 
certain  symptom  of  the  decay  of  the  principles  requisite  to 
maintain  even  our  imperfect  standard  of  virtue,  than  when 
the  plea  of  necessity  is  urged  in  vindication  of  any  depart- 
ure from  its  mandate,  since  it  is  calling  in  the  aid  of  inge- 
nuity to  assist  the  passions,  a  coalition  that  rarely  fails  to 
lay  prostrate  the  feeble  defences  of  a  tottering  morality. 

It  is  no  wonder,  then,  that  the  world,  at  a  period  when 
religious  abuses  drove  even  churchmen  reluctantly  to  seek 
relief  in  insubordination,  should  exhibit  bold  instances  of 
the  flagrant  excesses  we  have  named.  Military  ambition, 
venality,  love  of  ease,  and  even  love  of  dissipation,  equally 
sought  the  mantle  of  religion  as  cloaks  to  their  several  ob- 


78  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

jects,  and  if  the  reckless  cavalier  was  willing  to  flesh  his 
sword  on  the  body  of  the  infidel,  in  order  that  he  might 
live  in  men's  estimation  as  a  hero  of  the  cross,  so  did  the 
trifler,  the  debauchee,  and  even  the  wit  of  the  capital,  con- 
sent to  obtain  circulation  by  receiving  an  impression  which 
gave  currency  to  all  coin,  whether  of  purer  or  of  baser 
metal,  since  it  bore  the  outward  stamp  of  the  Church  of 
God. 

"  Reformers,  or  rather  revilers,  for  that  is  the  term  they 
most  merit,"  returned  the  Abbe,  alluded  to  in  the  last 
speech  of  Albrecht  of  Veiderbach,  "  I  consign  without  re- 
morse to  the  devil.  As  for  this  pledge  of  our  brave  Knight 
of  Saint  John,  noble  Count  Emich,  so  far  as  I  am  con- 
cerned, it  shall  be  redeemed  :  for  I  am  certain  the  cellars 
of  Heidelberg  can  resist  a  heavier  inroad  than  any  that  is 
likely  to  invade  them  by  such" means.  But  I  am  late  from 
my  chamber,  and  I  had  hoped,  ere  this,  to  have  seen  our 
brethren  of  Limburg  !  I  hope  no  unnecessary  misunder- 
standing is  likely  to  deprive  us  of  the  satisfaction  of  their 
presence,  Lord  Count  ?  " 

"  Little  fear  of  that,  so  far  as  it  may  depend  on  any  dis- 
appointment in  a  feast.  If  ever  the  devil  tempted  these 
monks  of  the  hill,  it  has  been  in  the  shape  of  gluttony. 
Were  I  to  judge  by  the  experience  of  forty  years  passed 
in  their  neighborhood,  I  should  think  they  deem  absti- 
nence an  eighth  deadly  sin." 

"Your  Benedictine  is  privileged  to  consider  hospitality 
a  virtue,  and  the  Abbot  has  fair  license  for  the  indulgence 
of  some  little  cheer.  We  will  not  judge  them  harshly, 
therefore,  but  form  our  opinions  of  their  merits  by  their 
deeds.  Thou  hast  many  servitors  without,  to  do  them 
honor  to-night,  Lord  Emich." 

The  Count  of  Leiningen  frowned,  and,  ere  he  answered, 
his  eye  exchanged  a  glance  with  that  of  his  kinsman,  which 
the  Abbe  might  have  interpreted  into  a  hidden  meaning, 
had  it  attracted  his  observation. 

"My  people  gather  loyally  about  their  lord,  for  they 
have  heard  of  his  succor  sent  by  the  Elector  to  uphold  the 
lazy  Benedictines,"  was  the  reply.  "Four  hundred  mer- 
cenaries lie  within  the  Abbey  walls  this  night,  Master  La- 
touche,  and  it  should  not  cause  surprise  that  the  vassals  of 
Emich  of  Hartenburg  are  ready  with  hand  and  sword  to 
do  service  in  his  defence.  God's  mercy !  The  cunning 
priests  may  pretend  alarm,  but  if  any  here  hath  cause  to 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  79 

be  afraid,  truly  it  is  the  rightful  and  wronged  lord  of  the 
Jaegerthal  ! " 

"  Thy  situation,  Cousin  of  Hartenburg,"  observed  the 
wearer  of  the  cross  of  Saint  John,  "  is,  in  sooth,  one  of  mas- 
terly diplomacy.  Here  dost  thou  stand  at  sword's  point 
with  the  Abbot  of  Lhnburg,  ready  at  need  to  exchange 
deadly  thrusts,  and  to  put  this  long-disputed  supremacy 
on  the  issue  of  battle,  while  thou  callest  on  the  keeper  of 
thy  cellar  to  bring  forth  the  choicest  of  its  contents,  in  or- 
der to  do  hospitality  and  honor  to  thy  mortal  foe  !  This 
beateth,  in  all  niceties,  Monsieur  Latouche,  the  situation 
of  an  abbe  of  thy  quality,  who  is  scarce  churchman  enough 
to  merit  salvation,  nor  yet  deep  enough  in  sin  to  be  in- 
continently damned  in  the  general  mass  of  evil-doers." 

"  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  we  shall  share  the  common  lot 
of  mortals,  which  is  to  receive  more  grace  than  they  merit," 
returned  the  Abbe,  a  title  that  in  fact  scarce  denoted  one 
seriously  devoted  to  the  Church.  "  But  I  trust  this  pres- 
ent meeting  between  the  hostile  powers  may  prove  amica- 
ble ;  for,  not  to  conceal  the  |ruth,  unlike  our  friend  the 
Knight  here,  I  am  of  none  of  the  belligerent  orders." 

"  Hark  !  "  exclaimed  the  host,  lifting  a  finger  to  com- 
mand attention  :  "  Heard  ye  aught  ?  " 

"There  is  much  of  the  music  of  thy  growlers  in  the 
courts,  cousin,  and  some  oaths  in  a  German  that  needs  be 
translated  to  be  understood  ;  but  that  blessed  signal  the 
supper-bell  is  still  mute." 

**  Go  to  ! — 'Tis  the  Abbot  of  Limburg  and  his  brethren, 
Fathers  Siegfried  and  Cuno.  Let  us  to  the  portal,  to  do 
them  usual  honor." 

As  this  was  welcome  news  to  both  the  Knight  and  the 
Abbe,  they  manifested  a  suitable  desire  to  be  foremost  in 
paying  the  required  attention  to  a  personage,  as  important 
in  that  region  as  the  rich  and  powerful  chief  of  the  neigh- 
boring religious  establishment. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"Why  not? — The  deeper  sinner,  better  saint." — BYRON. 

A  WILD  and  plaintive  note  had  been  sounded  on  a  horn 
far  in  the  valley  towards  the  hill  of  Limburg.  This  melo- 
dious music  was  of  common  occurrence,  for  of  all  that 


So  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

dwell  in  Europe,  they  who  inhabit  the  banks  of  the  Rhine, 
the  Elbe,  the  Oder,  and  the  Danube,  with  their  tributaries, 
are  the  most  addicted  to  the  cultivation  of  sweet  sounds. 
We  hear  much  of  the  harshness  of  the  Teutonic  dialects, 
and  of  the  softness  of  those  of  Latin  origin  ;  but,  Venice 
and  the  regions  of  the  Alps  excepted,  nature  has  amply 
requited  for  the  inequality  that  exists  between  the  lan- 
guages, by  the  difference  in  the  organs  of  speech.  He 
who  journeys  in  those  distant  lands  must,  as  a  rule,  expect 
to  hear  German  warbled  and  Italian  in  a  grand  crash, 
though  exceptions  are  certainly  to  be  found  in  both  cases. 
But  music  is  far  more  common  on  the  vast  plain,s  of  Sax- 
ony than  on  the  Campagna  Felice,  and  it  is  no  uncommon 
occurrence  to  be  treated  by  a  fair-haired  postilion  of  the 
former  country,  as  he  slowly  mounts  a  hill,  with  airs  on 
the  horn  that  would  meet  with  favor  in  the  orchestra  of  a 
capital.  It  was  one  of  these  melancholy  and  peculiar 
strains  which  now  gave  the  signal  to  the  spies  of  Count 
Emich  that  his  clerical  guests  had  quitted  the  convent. 

"  Heard  ye  aught,  brothers  ? "  demanded  Father  Boni- 
facius  of  the  companions  who  rode  at  his  side,  nearly  at 
the  same  moment  that  the  Lord  of  Leiningen  put  the  same 
question  in  his  hold ;  "  that  horn  spoke  in  a  meaning 
strain  ! " 

"  We  may  be  defeated  in  our  wish  to  reach  the  castle 
suddenly,"  returned  the  monk,  already  known  to  the 
reader  as  Father  Siegfried  ;  "  but  though  we  fail  in  look- 
ing into  Count  Emich's  secret  with  our  own  eyes,  I  have 
engaged  one  to  do  that  office  for  us,  and  in  a  manner,  I 
trust,  that  shall  put  us  on  the  scent  of  his  designs.  Cour- 
age, most  holy  Abbot,  the  cause  of  God  is  not  likely  to 
fail  for  want  of  succor.  When  were  the  meek  and  right- 
eous ever  deserted  ? " 

The  Abbot  of  Limburg  ejaculated,  in  a  manner  to  ex- 
press little  faith  in  any  miraculous  interposition  in  behalf 
of  his  cure,  and  he  drew  about  him  the  mantle  that  served 
in  some  degree  to  conceal  his  person,  spurring  the  beast 
he  rode  only  the  quicker,  from  a  feverish  desire,  if  possi- 
ble, to  outstrip  the  sounds,  which  he.  intuitively  felt  were 
intended  to  announce  his  approach.  The  prelate  was  not 
deceived,  for  no  sooner  did  the  wild  notes  reach  the  castle, 
than  the  signal,  which  had  caught  the  attention  of  its 
owner,  was  communicated  to  those  within  the  walls. 

At  the  expected  summons  there  was  a  general  movement 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  8l 

among  the  idlers  of  the  courts.  Subordinate  officers  passed 
among  the  men,  hurrying  those  away  to  their  secret  lodging 
places  who  were  intractable  from  excess  of  liquor,  and  com- 
manding the  more  obedient  to  follow.  In  a  very  few  min- 
utes, and  long  before  the  monks,  who,  however,  pricked 
their  beasts  to  the  utmost,  had  time  to  get  near  the  ham- 
let even,  all  in  the  hold  was  reduced  to  a  state  of  tranquil 
repose  ;  the  castle  resembling  the  abode  of  any  other  pow- 
erful baron,  in  moments  of  profound  security.  Emich 
had  seen  to  this  disposition  of  his  people  in  person,  taking 
strict  caution  that  no  straggler  should  appear,  to  betray 
the  preparations  that  existed  within  his  walls.  When  this 
wise  precaution  was  observed,  he  proceeded,  with  his  two 
companions,  to  take  a  station  near  the  door  of  the  build- 
ing more  especially  appropriated  to  the  accommodation 
of  himself  and  his  friends,  in  order  to  await  the  arrival  of 
the  monks. 

The  moon  had  ascended  high  enough  to  illuminate  the 
mountain-side,  and  to  convert  the  brown  towers  and  ram- 
parts of  Hartenburg  into  picturesque  forms,  relieved  by 
gloomy  shadows.  The  signals  appeared  to  have  thrown 
all  who  dwelt  in  the  hamlet,  as  well  as  they  who  inhabited 
the  frowning  hold  which  overhung  that  secluded  spot, 
into  mute  attention.  For  a  few  minutes  the  quiet  was  so 
deep  and  general,  that  the  murmuring  of  the  rivulet  which 
meandered  through  the  meadows  was  audible.  Then  came 
the  swift  clattering  of  hoofs. 

"  Our  churchmen  are  in  haste  to  taste  thy  Rhenish, 
noble  Emich,"  said  Albrecht  of  Viederbach,  who  rarely 
thought ;  "or  is  it  a  party  of  their  sumpter  mules  that  I 
hear  in  the  valley  !  " 

"Were  the  Abbot  about  to  journey  to  some  other  con- 
vent of  his  order,  or  were  he  ready  to  visit  his  spiritual 
master  of  Spires,  there  is  no  doubt  that  many  such  cattle 
would  be  in  his  train  ;  for  of  all  lovers  of  fat  cheer,  Wilhelm 
of  Venloo,  who  has  been  styled  Bonifacius  in  his  baptism 
of  office,  is  he  that  most  worships  the  fruits  of  the  earth.  I 
would  he  and  all  his  brotherhood  were  spiritually  planted 
in  the  garden  of  Eden  !  They  should  be  well  watered 
with  my  tears  !  " 

"  The  wish  hath  a  saintly  odor,  but  may  not  be   accom- 
plished without  mortal  aid — unless  thou  hast  favor  with 
the  Prince  Elector  of  Koeln,  who  might  haply  do  thee  that 
service,  in  the  way  of  miracle." 
6 


82  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

"  Thou  triflest,  knight,  in  a  matter  of  great  gravity/ 
answered  Ernich  roughly,  for,  notwithstanding  his  inher« 
ited  and  deadly  dislike  of  the  particular  portion  of  the 
Church  which  interfered  with  his  own  power,  the  Count  of 
Hartenburg  had  all  the  dependence  on  superior  knowledge 
that  is  the  unavoidable  offspring  of  a  limited  education. 
"  The  Prince  Elector  hath  served  many  noble  families  in 
the  way  thou  namest,  and  he  might  do  honor  to  houses 
less  deserving  of  his  grace  than  that  of  Leiningen.  But 
here  cometh  the  Abbot  and  his  boon  associates.  God's 
curse  await  them  for  their  pride  and  avarice  ! " 

The  clattering  of  hoofs  had  been  gradually  increasing, 
and  was  now  heard  even  on  the  pavement  of  the  outer 
court ;  for  in  order  to  do  honor  to  his  guests,  the  count 
had  especially  ordered  there  should  be  no  delay  or  impedi- 
ment from  gate,  portcullis,  or  bridge. 

"Welcome,  and  reverence  for  thy  churchly  office,  right 
holy  Abbot !  "  cried  Emich,  from  whose  lips  had  just  part- 
ed the  malediction,  advancing  officiously  to  aid  the  prel- 
ate in  dismounting — "  Thou  art  welcome,  brothers  both; 
worthy  companions  of  thy  respected  and  honored  chief." 

The  churchmen  alighted,  assisted  by  the  menials  of 
Hartenburg,  with  much  show  of  honor  on  the  part  of  the 
Count  himself,  and  on  that  of  his  friends.  When  fairly 
on  their  feet,  they  courteously  returned  the  greetings. 

"Peace  be  with  thee,  son,  and  with  this  cavalier  and  ser- 
vitor of  the  Church  !  "  said  Father  Bonifacius,  signing  with 
the  rapid  manner  in  which  a  Catholic  priest  scatters  his 
benedictions.  "  St.  Benedict  and  the  Virgin  take  ye  all 
in  their  holy  keeping  !  I  trust,  noble  Emich,  we  have  not 
given  thee  cause  of  vexation,  by  some  little  delay  ? " 

"  Thou  never  comest  amiss,  father,  be  it  at  morn,  or  be 
it  at  even  ;  I  esteem  Hartenburg  more  than  honored,  when 
thy  reverend  head  passeth  beneath  its  portals." 

"We  had  every  desire  to  embrace  thee,  son,  but  certain 
offices  of  religion,  that  may  not  be  neglected,  kept  us  from 
the  pleasure.  But  let  us  within  ;  for  I  fear  the  evening 
air  may  do  injury  to  those  that  are  uncloaked." 

At  this  considerate  suggestion,  Emich,  with  much  show 
of  respect  to  his  guests,  ushered  them  into  the  apartment 
he  had  himself  so  lately  quitted.  Here  recommenced  the 
show  of  those  wily  courtesies  which,  in  that  semi-barbarous 
and  treacherous  age,  often  led  men  to  a  heartless  and  some- 
times to  a  blasphemous  trifling  with  the  most  sacred  obliga- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  83 

tions,  to  effect  their  purposes,  and  which,  in  our  times,  has 
degenerated  to  a  deception,  that  is  more  measured  perhaps, 
but  which  is  scarcely  less  sophisticated  and  vicious.  Much 
was  said  of  mutual  satisfaction  at  this  opportunity  of  com- 
mingling spirits,  and  the  blunt  professions  of  the  sturdy  but 
politic  baron  were  more  than  met  by  the  pretending  sanc- 
tity and  official  charity  of  the  priest. 

The  Abbot  of  Limburg  and  his  companions  had  come 
to  the  intended  feast  with  vestments  that  partially  con- 
cealed their  characters  ;  but  when  the  outer  cloaks  and  the 
other  garments  were  removed,  they  remained  in  the  usual 
attire  of  their  order,  the  prelate  being  distinguished  from 
his  inferiors  by  those  symbols  of  clerical  rank  which  it 
was  usual  for  one  of  his  authority  to  display  when  not  en- 
gaged in  the  ministrations  of  the  altar. 

When  the  guests  were  at  their  ease,  the  conversation 
took  a  less  personal  direction,  for  though  rude  and  unnur- 
tured as  his  own  war-horse,  as  regards  most  that  is  called 
cultivation  in  our  bookish  days,  Emich  of  Hartenburg 
wanted  for  none  of  the  courtesies  that  became  his  rank, 
more  especially  as  civilities  of  this  nature  were  held  to  be 
worthy  of  a  feudal  lord,  and  in  that  particular  region. 

"Tis  said,  reverend  Abbot,"  continued  the  host,  pushing 
the  discourse  to  a  point  that  might  favor  his  own  secret 
views,  "  that  our  common  master,  the  Prince  Elector,  is 
sorely  urged  by  his  enemies,  and  that  there  are  even  fears 
a  stranger  may  usurp  the  rule  in  the  noble  Castle  of 
Heidelberg.  Hast  thoti  heard  aught  of  his  late  distresses, 
or  of  the  necessities  that  bear  upon  his  house  ?" 

"  Masses  have  been  said  for  his  benefit  in  all  our  chapels, 
and  there  are  hourly  prayers  that  he  may  prevail  against 
his  enemies.  In  virtue  of  a  concession  made  to  the  abbey, 
by  our  common  father  at  Rome,  we  offer  liberal  indul- 
gences, too,  to  all  that  take  up  arms  in  this  behalf." 

"  Thou  art  much  united  in  love  with  Duke  Friedrich, 
holy  prelate  !  "  muttered  Emich. 

"  We  owe  him  such  respect  as  all  should  willingly  pay 
to  the  strong  temporal  arm  that  shields  them  ;  our  serious 
fealty  is  due  alone  to  heaven.  But  how  comes  it  that  so 
stout  a  baron,  one  so  much  esteemed  in  warlike  exercises, 
and  so  well  known  in  dangerous  enterprises,  rests  in  his 
doublet,  at  a  time  when  his  sovereign's  throne  is  tottering? 
We  had  heard  that  thou  wert  summoning  thy  people,  Herr 
Count,  and  thought  it  had  been  in  the  Elector's  interest." 


84  THE  HEIDENAIAUER. 

"  Friedrich  hath  not  of  late  given  me  cause  to  love  him. 
If  I  have  called  my  vassals  about  me,  'tis  because  the  times 
teach  every  noble  to  be  wary  of  his  rights.  I  have  con- 
sorted  so  much  of  late  with  my  cousin  of  Viederbach,  this 
self-denying  Knight  of  Rhodes,  that  martial  thoughts  will 
obtrude  even  on  the  brain  of  one,  peaceful  and  homebred 
as  thy  poor  neighbor  and  penitent." 

The  Abbot  bowed  and  smiled,  like  one  who  gave  full 
credit  to  the  speaker's  words,  while  a  by-play  arose  be- 
tween the  wandering  and  houseless  knight,  the  abbe,  and 
the  brothers  of  Limburg.  In  this  manner  did  a  few  min- 
utes wear  away,  when  a  flourish  of  trumpets  announced 
that  the  expected  banquet  awaited  its  guests.  Menials 
lighted  the  party  to  the  hall  in  which  the  board  was  spread, 
and  much  ceremonious  form  was  observed  in  assigning  to 
each  of  the  individuals  the  place  suited  to  his  rank  and 
character.  Count  Emich,  who  in  common  was  of  a  nature 
too  blunt  and  severe  to  waste  his  efforts  in  superfluous 
breeding,  now  showed  himself  earnest  to  please,  for  he  had 
at  heart  an  object  that  he  knew  was  in  danger  of  being 
baffled  by  the  more  practised  artifices  of  the  monks. 
During  the  preliminary  movements  of  the  feast,  which 
had  all  the  gross  and  all  the  profuse  hospitality  which  dis- 
tinguished such  entertainments,  he  neglected  no  custom- 
ary observance.  The  robust  and  sensual  Abbot  was  fre- 
quently plied  with  both  cup  and  dish,  while  the  inferior 
monks  received  the  same  agreeable  attentions  from  Al- 
brecht  of  Viederbach,  and  Monsieur  Latouche,  who,  not- 
withstanding it  suited  his  convenience  to  pass  through  life 
under  the  guise  of  a  churchman,  was  none  the  worse  at 
board  or  revel.  As  the  viands  and  the  generous  liquors 
began  to  operate  on  the  physical  functions  of  the  brothers, 
however,  they  insensibly  dropped  their  masks,  and  each 
discovered  more  of  those  natural  qualities  which  usually 
lay  concealed  from  casual  observation. 

It  was  a  rule  of  the  Benedictines  to  practise  hospitality. 
The  convent  door  was  never  closed  against  the  wayfarer, 
and  he  who  applied  for  shelter  and  food  was  certain  of  ob- 
taining both,  administered  more  or  less  in  a  manner  suited 
to  the  applicant's  ordinary  habits.  The  practice  of  a 
virtue  so  costly  was  a  sufficient  pretence  for  accumulating 
riches,  and  he  who  travels  at  this  day  in  Europe  will  find 
ample  proofs  that  the  means  of  carrying  into  effect  this 
law  of  the  order  were  abundantly  supplied.  Abbeys  of 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  85 

this  particular  class  of  monks  are  still  of  frequent  occur- 
rence  in  the  forest  cantons  of  Switzerland,  Germany,  and 
in  most  of  the  other  Catholic  states.  But  the  gradual  and 
healthful  transfer  of  political  power  from  clerical  to  laical 
hands,  has  long  since  shorn  them  of  their  temporal  lustre. 
Many  of  these  abbots  were  formerly  princes  of  the  empire, 
and  several  of  the  communities  exercised  sovereign  sway 
over  territories  that  have  since  taken  to  themselves  the 
character  of  independent  states. 

While  the  spiritual  charge  and  the  mortifications  believed 
to  characterize  a  brotherhood  of  Benedictines  were  more 
especially  left  to  a  subordinate  monk  termed  the  prior, 
the  abbot,  or  head  of  the  establishment,  was  expected  to 
preside  not  only  over  the  temporalities,  but  at  the  board. 
This  frequent  communication  with  the  vulgar  interests  of 
life,  and  the  constant  indulgence  in  its  grosser  gratifica- 
tions, were  but  ill  adapted  to  the  encouragement  of  the 
monastic  virtues.  We  have  already  remarked  that  the  in- 
timate connection  between  the  interests  of  life  and  those  of 
the  church  is  destructive  of  apostolical  character.  This 
blending  of  God  with  Mammon,  this  device  of  converting 
the  revealed  ordinances  of  the  Master  of  the  Universe 
into  a  species  of  buttress  to  uphold  temporal  sway,  though 
habit  has  so  long  rendered  it  familiar  to  the  inhabitants  of 
the  other  hemisphere,  and  even  to  a  large  portion  of  those 
who  dwell  in  this,  is,  in  our  American  eyes,  only  a  little  re- 
moved from  blasphemy  ;  but  the  triumphs  of  the  press, 
and  the  changes  made  by  the  steady  advances  of  public 
opinion,  have  long  since  done  away  with  a  multitude  of 
still  more  equivocal  usages,  that  were  as  familiar  to  those 
who  existed  three  centuries  ago,  as  our  own  customs  to  us 
at  this  hour.  When  prelates  were  seen  in  armor,  leading 
their  battalions  to  slaughter,  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that 
the  other  dignitaries  of  this  privileged  class  would  be 
more  tender  of  appearances  than  was  exacted  by  the  opin- 
ions of  the  age. 

Wilhelm  of  Venloo,  known  since  his  elevation  as  Boni- 
facius  of  Limburg,  was  not  possessed  of  all  that  temporal 
authority,  however,  which  tempted  so  many  of .  his  peers 
to  sin.  Still  he  was  the  head  of  a  rich,  powerful,  and  re- 
spected brotherhood,  that  had  many  allodial  rights  in  lands 
beyond  the  abbey  walls,  and  which  was  not  without  its 
claims  to  the  fealty  of  sundry  dependants.  Of  vigorous 
mind  and  body,  this  dignified  churchman  commanded 


86  THE   HKIDKXMAURR. 

much  influence  by  means  of  a  species  of  character  that 
often  crosses  us  in  life,  a  sturdy  independence  of  thought 
and  action  that  imposed  on  the  credulous  and  timid,  and 
which  sometimes  caused  the  bold  and  intelligent  to  hesitate. 
His  reputation  was  far  greater  for  learning  than  for  piety, 
and  his  besetting  sin  was  well  known  to  be  a  disposition  to 
encounter  the  shock  between  the  powers  of  mind  and  mat- 
ter, as  both  were  liable  to  be  affected  by  deep  potations 
and  gross  feeding — a  sort  of  degeneracy  to  which  all  are 
peculiarly  liable  who  place  an  unnatural  check  on  the  or- 
dinary and  healthful  propensities  of  nature — just  as  one 
sense  is  known  to  grow  in  acuteness  as  it  is  deprived  of  a 
fellow.  The  abbot  looseried  his  robe,  and  threw  his  cowl 
still  farther  from  his  neck,  while  Emich  pledged  him  in 
Rhenish,  cup  after  cup  ;  and  by  the  time  the  meats  were 
removed,  and  the  powers  of  digestion,  or  we  might  better 
say  of  retention,  would  endure  no  more,  his  heavy  cheeks  be- 
came flushed,  his  bright,  deeply-seated,  and  searching  gray 
eyes  flashed  with  a  species  of  ferocious  delight,  and  his  lip 
frequently  quivered,  as  the  clay  gave  eloquent  evidence  of 
its  enjoyment.  Still  his  voice,  though  it  had  lost  its  re- 
buked and  schooled  tones,  was  firm,  deep,  and  authoritative, 
and  ever  and  anon  he  threw  into  his  discourse  some  severe 
and  pointed  sarcasm,  bitingly  scornful.  His  subordinates, 
too,  gave  similar  proofs  of  the  gradual  lessening  of  their 
caution,  though  in  degrees  far  less  imposing,  we  had  almost 
said  less  grand,  than  that  which  rendered  the  sensual  excite- 
ment of  their  superior  so  remarkable.  Albrecht  and  the  abbe 
also  betrayed,  each  in  his  own  manner,  the  influence  of  the 
banquet,  and  all  became  garrulous,  disputative,  and  noisy. 

Not  so  with  Emich  of  Hartenburg.  He  had  eaten  in  a 
manner  to  do  justice  to  his  vast  frame  and  bodily  wants, 
and  he  drank  fairly  ;  but,  until  this  moment,  the  nicest 
observer  would  have  been  puzzled  to  detect  any  decrease 
of  his  powers.  The  blue  of  his  large  leaden  eyes  became 
brighter,  it  is  true,  but  their  expression  was  yet  in  com- 
mand, and  their  language  courteous. 

"Thou  dost  but  little  compliment  to  my  poor  fare,  most 
holy  Abbot,"  cried  the  host,  as  he  witnessed  a  lingering 
look  of  the  prelate,  whose  eye  followed  the  delicious  frag- 
ments of  a  wild  boar  from  the  hall — "  If  the  knaves  have 
stinted  thee  in  the  choice  of  morsels,  by  St.  Benedict !  but 
the  mountains  of  my  chase  can  still  furnish  other  animals 
of  the  kind — How  now " 


THE   HE1DENMAUER.  87 

"  I  pray  thee,  mercy,  noble  Emich  !  Thy  forester  hath 
done  thee  fair  justice  with  his  spear ;  more  savory  beast 
never  smoked  at  table." 

"  It  fell  by  the  hand  of  young  Berchthold,  the  Burgher 
of  Duerckheim's  orphan.  Tis  a  bold  youth  in  the  forest, 
and  I  doubt  not,  his  will  one  day  be  a  ready  hand  in  bat- 
tle. Thou  knowest  him  I  mean,  father,  for  he  is  often  at 
thy  abbey  confessionals." 

"  He  is  better  known  to  the  prior  than  to  one  so  busied 
with  worldly  cares  as  I.  Is  the  youth  at  hand  ?  I  would 
fain  render  him  thanks." 

"  Hear  ye  that,  varlet !  Bid  my  head  forester  appear. 
The  reverend  and  noble  Abbot  of  Limburg  owes  him 
grace." 

"  Didst  thou  say  the  youth  was  of  Duerckheim  ?  " 

"  Of  that  goodly  town,  reverend  priest ;  and,  though  re- 
duced by  evil  chances  to  be  the  ranger  of  my  woods,  a  lad 
of  mettle  in  the  chase,  and  of  no  bad  discourse  in  moments 
of  ease." 

"  Thou  claimest  hard  service,  Cousin  of  Hartenburg, 
of  these  peaceful  townsmen  !  Were  they  left  freely  to 
choose  between  the  ancient  duty  of  our  convent,  and  this 
stirring  life  thou  leadest  the  artisans,  we  should  have  more 
penitents  within  our  walls." 

K  .The  fealty  of  Duerckheim  was  a  long  mooted  point  be- 
tween the  corporation  of  Limburg  and  the  house  of  Lein- 
ingen,  and  the  allusion  of  the  monk  was  not  thrown  away 
upon  his  host.  Emich's  brow  clouded,  and  for  a  moment 
it  threatened  a  storm  ;  but,  recovering  his  self-command, 
he  answered  in  a  tone  of  hilarity,  though  with  sufficient 
coolness  : — 

"  Thy  words  remind  me  of  present  affairs,  reverend  Boni- 
facius,  and  I  thank  thee  that  thou  hast  put  a  sudden  check 
on  festivities  which  were  getting  warm  without  an  object." 
The  Count  arose,  and  filled  to  the  brim  a  cup  of  horn, 
elaborately  ornamented  with  gold,  drawing  the  attention 
of  all  at  table  to  himself  by  the  action.  "  Nobles  and  rev- 
erend servants  of  God,"  he  continued,  ''I  drink  to  the 
health  and  happiness  of  the  honored  Wilhelm  of  Venloo, 
the  holy  Abbot  of  Limburg,  and  my  loving  neighbor. 
May  his  brotherhood  never  know  a  worse  guide,  and  may 
the  lives  and  contentment  of  all  that  now  belong  to  it  be 
as  lasting  as  the  abbey  walls." 

Emich  concluded  the  potent  cup  at  a  single  draught. 


88  THE   HKIDENMAUER. 

In  order  to  do  honor  to  the  mitred  monk,  there  had  been 
placed  by  the  side  of  Bonifacius  a  vessel  of  agate  richly 
decorated  with  jewelry,  an  heir-loom  of  the  house  of  Lein- 
ingen.  While  his  host  was  speaking,  the  looks  of  the  lat- 
ter watched  every  expression  of  his  countenance,  through 
gray,  overhanging,  shaggy  brows,  that  shaded  the  upper 
part  of  his  face  like  a  screen  of  shrubbery  planted  to  shut 
out  prying  eyes  from  a  close  ;  and  he  paused  when  the 
health  was  given.  Then,  rising  in  his  turn,  he  quaffed  a 
compliment  in  return. 

"I  drink  of  this  pure  and  wholesome  liquor,"  he  said, 
"  to  the  noble  Emich  ol  Leiningen,  to  all  of  his  ancient 
and  illustrious  house,  to  his  and  their  present  hopes,  and 
to  their  final  deliverance.  May  this  goodly  hold,  and  tli-j 
happiness  of  its  lord,  endure  as  long  as  those  walls  of  Lim- 
burg  of  which  the  Count  has  spoken,  and  which,  were  his 
Moving  wishes  consulted,  would  doubtless  stand  for  ever." 

"  By  the  life  of  the  emperor,  learned  Bonifacius  !  "  ex- 
claimed Emich,  striking  his  fist  on  the  table  with  force, 
"you  as  much  exceed  one  of  my  narrow  wit  in  wishes,  afc 
in  godliness  and  other  excellences  !  But  I  pretend  not  to 
set  limits  to  my  desires  in  your  behalf,  and  throw  the  fault 
of  my  imperfect  speech  on  a  youth  that  had  more  to  do 
with  the  swrord  than  with  the  breviary.  And  now  let  us 
to  serious  concerns.  It  may  not  be  known  to  you,  Cousin 
of  Viederbach,  or  to  this  obliging  churchman  who  honors 
Hartenburg  with  his  presence,  that  there  has  been  subject 
of  amicable  dispute  between  the  brotherhood  of  Limburg 
and  my  unworthy  house,  touching  the  matter  of  certain 
wines,  that  are  believed  by  the  one  party  to  be  its  dues, 
and  by  the  other  to  be  a  mere  pious  grace  accorded  to  the 
Church— 

"Nay,  noble  Emich,"  interrupted  the  Abbot,  "  we  have 
never  held  the  point  tb  be  disputable  in  any  manner.  The 
lands  in  question  are  held  of  us  in  socage  ;  and,  in  lieu  of 
bodily  service,  we  have  long  since  commuted  for  the  prod 
uce  of  vines  that  might  be  named." 

"  I  cry  you  mercy  ;  if  there  be  dues  at  all,  they  come  of 
naught  else  than  knight's  service.  None  of  my  name  or 
lineage  ever  paid  less  to  mortal  ! " 

"Let  it  be  thus,"  Bonifacius  answered  more  mildly. 
"The  question  is  of  the  amount  of  liquor,  and  not  of  the 
tenure  whence  it  comes." 

"  Thou  sayest  right,  wise   Abbot,  and  I  cry  mercy  of 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  ,  89 

these  listeners.  State  them  the  matter,  reverend  Bonifa- 
cius,  that  our  friends  may  know  the  humor  on  which  we 
are  madly  bent." 

The  Count  of  Hartenburg  succeeded  in  swallowing  his 
rising  ire,  and  made  a  gesture  of  courtesy  towards  the  Ab- 
bot, as  he  concluded.  Father  Bonifacius  rose  again,  and 
notwithstanding  the  physical  ravages  that  excess  was  mak- 
ing within,  it  was  still  with  the  air  of  calmness  and  disci- 
pline that  became  his  calling. 

"As  our  upright  and  esteemed  friend  has  just  related," 
he  said,  "  there  is  truly  a  point,  of  a  light  but  unseemly  nat- 
ure to  exist  between  so  dear  neighbors,  open  between  him 
and  us  servants  of  God.  The  Counts  of  Leiningen  have 
long  considered  it  a  pleasure  to  do  favor  to  the  Church, 
and  in  this  just  and  commendable  spirit,  it  is  now  some  fifty 
years  that,  at  the  termination  of  each  vintage,  without  re- 
gard to  seasons  or  harvest,  without  stooping  to  change 
their  habits  at  every  change  of  weather,  they  have  paid  to 
our  brotherhood— 

"  Presented,  priest !  " 

"  Presented, — if  such  is  thy  will,  noble  Emich, — fifty 
casks  of  this  gentle  liquor  that  now  warms  our  hearts 
towards  each  other,  with  brotherly  and  praiseworthy  af- 
fection. Now,  it  has  been  settled  between  us.  to  avoid  all 
future  motive  of  controversy,  and  either  the  better  to  gar- 
nish our  cellars,  or  to  relieve  the  house  of  Hartenburg  al- 
together of  future  imposition,  that  it  shall  be  decided  this 
night,  whether  the  tribute  henceforth  shall  consist  of  one 
hundred  casks,  or  of  nothing." 

"  By' re  Lady  !  A  most  important  issue,  and  one  likely 
to  impoverish  or  to  enrich  !"  exclaimed  the  Knight  of 
Rhodes. 

"  As  such  we  deem  it,"  continued  the  monk,  (i  and  in  that 
view,  parchments  of  release,  with  all  due  appliances  and 
seals,  have  been  prepared  by  a  clerkly  scholar  of  Heidel- 
berg. This  indenture,  duly  executed,"  he  added,  drawing 
from  his  bosom  the  instruments  in  question,  "yieldeth 
to  Emich  all  the  Abbey's  rights  to  the  vines  in  dispute, 
and  this  wanteth  but  his  sign  of  arms  and  noble  name,  to 
double  their  present  duty." 

"  Hold  !  "  cried  the  Chevalier  of  the  Cross,  whose  facul- 
ties began  already  to  give  way,  though  it  was  only  in  the 
commencement  of  the  debauch  :  "  Here  is  matter  might 
puzzle  the  Grand  Turk,  who  sits  in  judgment  in  the  very 


90  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

seat  of  Solomon  !  If  thou  renderest  thy  claims,  and  my 
cousin  Emich  yieldeth  double  tribute-money,  both  parties 
will  be  the  worse,  and  neither  possessed  of  the  liquor !  " 

"  In  a  merry  mood,  it  hath  been  proposed  that  there  shall 
be  the  trial  of  love  and  not  of  battle,  between  us,  for  the 
vines.  The  question  is  of  liquor,  and  it  is  agreed, — St. 
Benedict  befriend  me,  if  there  be  sin  in  the  folly !  to  try 
on  whose  constitution  the  disputed  liquor  is  the  most  apt 
to  work  good  or  evil.  Let  the  Count  of  Hartenburg  give 
to  his  parchment  the  virtue  that  hath  already  been  given 
to  this  of  ours,  and  we  shall  leave  both  in  some  place  of 
observation  ; — then,  when  he  alone  is  able  to  rise  and  seize 
on  both,  let  him  give  the  victor's  cry  ;  but  should  he  fail 
of  that  power,  and  there  be  a  servant  of  the  Church  ready, 
and  able  to  grasp  the  instruments,  why  let  him  go,  and 
think  no  more  of  land  that  he  hath  right  merrily  lost." 

"  By  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  but  this  is  a  most  unequal 
contest — three  monks  against  one  poor  baron,  in  a  trial  of 
heads ! " 

"  Nay,  we  think  more  of  our  honor,  than  to  permit  this 
wrong.  The  Count  of  Hartenburg  hath  full  right  to  call 
in  equal  succor,  and  I  have  taken  thee,  gallant  cavalier  of 
Rhodes,  and  this  learned  Abbe,  to  be  his  chosen  backers  !  " 

"Let  it  be  so!"  cried  the  two  in  question, — "We  ask 
no  better  service  than  to  drain  Count  Emich's  cellars  to 
his  honor  and  profit  !  " 

But  the  lord  of  the  hold  had  taken  the  matter,  as  in- 
deed it  was  fully  understood  between  the  principals,  to  be 
a  question  on  which  depended  a  serious  amount  of  rev- 
enue, for  all  futurity.  The  wager  had  arisen,  in  one  of 
those  wild  contests  for  physical  and  gross  supremacy, 
which  characterize  ages  and  countries  of  imperfect  civili- 
zation ;  for  next  to  deeds  in  arms  and  other  manful  exer- 
cises, like  those  of  the  chase  and  saddle,  it  was  deemed 
honorable  to  be  able  to  undergo  the  trials  of  the  festive 
board  with  impunity.  Nor  should  it  occasion  surprise  to 
find  churchmen  engaged  in  these  encounters  ;  for,  inde- 
pendently of  our  writing  of  an  age  when  they  appeared  in 
the  field,  there  is  sufficient  evidence  that  our  own  times 
are  not  entirely  purified  from  so  coarse  abuses  of  the 
gown.  But  Bonifacius  of  Limburg,  though  a  man  of  ex- 
tensive learning  and  strong  intellectual  qualities,  had  a 
weakness  on  this  particular  point,  for  which  we  may  be 
driven  to  seek  an  explanation  in  his  peculiar  animal  con- 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  91 

struction.  He  was  of  a  powerful  frame  and  sluggish  tem- 
perament, both  of  which  required  strong  excitement  to  be 
wrought  up  to  the  highest  point  of  physical  enjoyment ; 
and  neither  the  examples  around  him,  nor  his  own  partic- 
ular opinions,  taught  him  to  avoid  a  species  of  indulgence 
that  he  found  so  agreeable  to  his  constitution.  With  these 
serious  views  of  a  contest,  to  which  neither  party  would 
probably  have  consented,  had  not  each  great  confidence  in 
himself  as  a  well-tried  champion,  both  Emich  and  the  Ab- 
bot required  that  the  instruments  should  be  openly  read. 
The  discharge  of  this  duty  was  assigned  to  Monsieur  La- 
touche,  who  forthwith  proceeded  to  wade  through  a  tor- 
rent of  unintelligible  terms,  that  were  generated  in  the  ob- 
scurity of  feudal  times  for  the  benefit  of  the  strong,  and 
which  are  continued  to  our  own  period  through  pride  of 
professional  knowledge,  a  little  quickened  by  a  view  to 
professional  gain.  On  the  subject  of  the  true  considera- 
tion of  the  respective  releases,  the  instruments  themselves 
were  silent,  though  nothing  material  was  wanting  to  give 
them  validity,  especially  when  supported  by  a  good  sword  ; 
or  the  power  of  the  Church,  to  which  the  parties  looked 
respectively  in  the  event  of  flaws. 

Count  Emich  listened  warily  as  his  guest  the  Abbe  re«d 
clause  after  clause  of  the  deed.  Occasionally  his  eye  wan- 
dered to  the  firm  countenance  of  the  Abbot,  betraying 
habitual  distrust  of  his  hereditary  and  powerful  enemy, 
but  it  was  quickly  riveted  again  on  the  heated  features  of 
the  reader. 

"This  is  well,"  he  said,  when  both  papers  had  been  ex- 
amined :  "  These  vines  are  to  remain  forever  with  me  and 
mine,  without  claim  from  any  grasping  churchman,  so  long 
as  grass  shall  grow  or  water  run,  or  henceforth  they  pay 
double  tribute,  a  tax  that  will  leave  little  for  the  cellar  of 
their  rightful  lord." 

"Such  are  our  terms,  noble  Emich.  But  to  confirm  the 
latter  condition,  thy  seal  and  name  are  wanting  to  the  in- 
strument." 

"Were  the  latter  to  be  written  by  a  good  sword,  none  could 
do  the  office  better  than  this  poor  arm,  reverend  Abbot  ; 
but  thou  knowest  well,  that  my  youth  was  too  much  given 
to  warlike  and  other  manly  exercises  befitting  my  rank,  to 
allow  much  time  for  acquiring  clerkly  skill.  By  the  holy 
Virgins  of  Koeln  !  It  were,  in  sooth,  a  shame  to  confess, 
that  one  of  my  class  in  these  stirring  times  had  leisure  for 


9  2  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

such  lady  games  !  Bring  hither  an  eagle's  feather— -hand 
of  mine  never  yet  touched  aught  from  meaner  wing — that 
I  may  do  justice  to  the  monks." 

The  necessary  implements  being  produced,  the  Count  of 
Hartenburg  proceeded  to  execute  the  instrument  on  his 
part.  The  wax  was  speedily  attached  and  duly  impressed 
with  the  bearings  of  Leiningen,  for  the  noble  wore  a  signet- 
ring  of  massive  size,  ready  at  all  times  to  give  this  token 
of  his  will.  But  when  it  became  necessary  to  subscribe 
the  name,  a  signal  was  made  to  a  domestic,  who  disap- 
peared in  quest  of  the  Count's  man  of  charge.  This 
individual  manifested  some  reluctance  to  perform  the 
customary  office,  but,  as  there  was  just  then  a  clamorous 
dialogue  among  the  party  at  table,  he  seized  the  moment 
to  examine  into  the  nature  of  the  document,  and  the  con- 
sideration that  was  to  decide  the  ownership  of  the  vineyard. 
Grinning  in  satisfaction,  at  a  species  of  payment  in  which 
he  held  it  to  be  impossible  Lord  Emich  could  fail  to  acquit 
himself  honorably,  the  dependant  took  the  hand  of  his 
master,  and,  accustomed  to  the  duty,  he  so  guided  it  as  to 
leave  a  very  legible  and  creditable  signature.  When  this 
had  been  done,  and  the  papers  were  properly  witnessed, 
the  Count  of  Hartenburg  glanced  suspiciously  from  the 
deed  in  his  hand  to  the  indomitable  face  of  the  Abbot,  as 
if  he  still  half  repented  of  the  act.  "  Look  you,  Bonifa- 
cius,"  he  said,  shaking  a  finger, — "  Should  there  be  flaw, 
or  doubt  of  any  intention  in  this  our  covenant,  sword  of 
mine  shall  cut  it !  " 

"  First  earn  the  right,  Count  of  Leiningen.  The  deeds 
are  of  equal  virtue,  and  he  who  would  lay  claim  to  their 
benefits  must  win  the  wager.  We  are  but  poor  brothers 
of  St.  Benedict,  and  little  worthy  to  be  named  with  war- 
like barons  and  devoted  followers  of  St.  John,  but  we  have 
an  humble  trust  in  our  patron." 

"  By  St.  Benedict,  it  shall  pass  for  a  miracle,  if  thou  pre- 
vailest ! "  shouted  Emich,  yielding  the  deed  in  a  burst  of 
delight.  "  Away  with  these  cups  of  agate  and  horn,  and 
bring  forth  vessels  of  glass,  that  all  may  see  we  deal  fairly 
by  each  other,  in  this  right  manly  encounter.  Look  to 
your  wits,  monks. — By  the  word  of  a  cavalier,  your  Latin 
-will  do  little  service  in  this  dispute." 

"  Our  trust  is  in  our  patron,"  answered  Father  Siegfried, 
who  had  already  done  so  much  honor  to  the  banquet,  as  to 
give  reason  to  believe,  that,  in  his  case,  the  fraternity 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  93 

leaned  upon  a  fragile   staff.       "  He  never  yet  deserted  his 
children,  when  fairly  enlisted  in  a  good  cause." 

"  You  are  cunning  in  reasons,  fathers,"  put  in  the  knight 
—"and  I  doubt  not  that  sufficient  excuses  would  be  forth- 
coming,  were  you  pushed  to  justify  service  to  the  devil." 

"We  suffer  for  the  church,"  was  the  Abbot's  answer, 
after  taking  a  bumper  in  obedience  to  a  signal  from  his 
host.  "  We  hold  it  to  be  commendable  to  struggle  with 
the  flesh,  that  our  altars  may  flourish." 

As  soon  as  executed,  the  two  deeds  had  been  placed  on 
a  high  and  curiously  wrought  vessel  of  silver,  that  con- 
tained cordials,  and  which  occupied  the  centre  of  the 
board,  and  more  fitting  cups  having  been  brought,  the 
combatants  were  compelled  to  swallow  draught  after 
draught,  at  signals  from  Emich,  who,  like  a  true  knight, 
saw  that  each  man  showed  loyalty.  But,  as  the  conflict 
was  between  men  of  great  experience  in  this  species  of 
contention,  and  as  it  endured  hours,  we  deem  it  unworthy 
of  the  theme  to  limit  its  description  to  a  single  chapter. 
Before  closing  the  page,  however,  we  shall  digress  for  a 
moment,  in  order  to  express  our  opinions  concerning  the 
great  human  properties  involved  in  this  sublime  strife. 

It  has  been  the  singular  fortune  of  America  to  be  the 
source  of  numberless  ingenious  theories,  that,  taking  their 
rise  in  the  other  hemisphere,  have  been  let  loose  upon  the 
world  to  answer  ends  that  we  shall  not  stop  to  investigate. 
The  dignified  and  beneficed  prelate  maintains  there  is  no 
worship  of  God  within  our  land,  probably  because  there 
are  no  dignified  and  beneficed  prelates  ;  a  sufficiently  logi- 
cal conclusion  for  all  who  believe  in  the  efficacy  of  that 
self-denying  class  of  Christians  ;  while  the  neophyte,  in 
some  lately  invented  religion,  denounces  us  all  in  -a  body, 
as  so  many  miserable  bigots  devoted  to  Christ !  In  this 
manner  is  a  pains-taking  and  plain-dealing  nation  of  near 
fourteen  millions  of  souls  kept,  as  it  were,  in  abeyance  in 
the  opinions  of  the  rest  of  mankind,  one  deeming  them  as 
much  beyond,  as  another  fancies  them  to  be  short  of,  truth. 
In  the  fearful  catalogue  of  our  deadly  sins,  is  included  a 
propensity  to  indulge  in  excesses  similar  to  that  it  is  now 
our  office  to  record.  As  we  are  confessedly  democrats, 
dram-drinking  in  particular  has  been  pronounced  to  be  a 
"democratic  vice." 

It  has  been  our  fortune  to  have  lived  in  familiarity  with 
a  greater  variety  of  men,  either  considered  in  reference  to 


94  77/7?    IfRIDENMAUER. 

their  characters  or  their  conditions,  than  ordinarily  falls  to 
the  lot  of  any  one  person.  We  have  visited  many  lands, 
not  in  the  capacity  of  a  courier,  but  staidly  and  soberly,  as 
becomes  a  grave  occupation,  setting  up  our  household 
gods,  and  abiding  long  enough  to  see  with  our  eyes  and  to 
hear  with  our  ears ;  and  we  feel  emboldened  to  presume 
on  these  facts,  in  order  to  express  a  different  opinion,  amid 
the  flood  of  assertions  that  has  been  made  by  those  who 
certainly  have  no  better  claim  to  be  heard.  And,  firstly, 
we  shall  here  say  that,  as  in  the  course  of  justice,  an  in- 
telligent, upright,  single-minded,  and  discriminating  wit- 
ness is,  perhaps,  the  rarest  of  all  desirable  instruments  in 
effecting  its  sacred  ends,  so  do  we  acknowledge  a  traveller, 
entitled  to  full  credit,  to  be  the  mortal  of  all  others  the 
least  likely  to  be  found. 

The  art  of  travelling,  we  apprehend,  is  far  more  prac- 
tised than  understood.  To  us  it  has  proved  a  laborious, 
harassing,  puzzling,  and  oftentimes  a  painful  pursuit.  To 
divest  one's  self  of  impressions  made  in  youth  ;  to  investi- 
gate facts  without  referring  their  merits  to  a  standard  bot- 
tomed on  a  foundation  no  better  than  habit ;  to  analyze, 
and  justly  to  compare  the  influence  of  institutions,  climate, 
natural  causes,  and  practice  ;  to  separate  what  is  merely 
exception  from  that  which  forms  the  rule  ;  or  even  to  ob- 
tain and  carry  away  accurate  notions  of  physical  things, 
and,  most  of  all,  to  possess  the  gift  of  imparting  these  re- 
sults comprehensively  and  with  graphical  truth,  requires 
a  combination  of  time,  occasion,  previous  knowledge,  and 
natural  ability,  that  rarely  falls  to  the  lot  of  a  single  in- 
dividual. One  assumes  the  task  prepared  by  acquaintance 
with  established  opinions,  which  are  commonly  no  more 
than  prejudices,  the  result  of  either  policy,  or  of  the  very 
difficulties  just  enumerated  ;  and  he  goes  on  his  way,  not 
only  ready  but  anxious  to  receive  the  proofs  of  what  he 
expects,  limiting  his  pleasure  to  the  sort  of  delight,  that 
dependent  minds  feel  in  following  the  course  pointed  out 
by  those  that  are  superior.  As  the  admitted  peculiarities 
of  every  people  are  sufficiently  apparent,  he  converts  self- 
evident  facts  into  collateral  testimony,  and  faithfully  be- 
lieves and  imagines  all  that  is  concealed  on  the  strength 
of  that  which  is  obvious.  For  such  a  traveller  time  wears 
away  men  and  things  in  vain  ;  he  accords  his  belief  to  the 
last  standard  opinion  of  his  sect,  wTith  a  devotion  to  con- 
vention that  might  purchase  salvation  in  a  better  cause. 


THE   HE1DENMAUER.  95 

To  him  Vesuvius  is  just  as  high,  produces  the  same  effect 
in  the  view,  and  has  exactly  the  same  outline  as  before  the 
crater  fell  ;  and  he  watches  the  workmen  disinterring  a 
house  at  its  base,  and  goes  away  rejoicing  at  having  wit- 
nessed the  resurrection  of  a  Roman  dwelling  after  eighteen 
hundred  years  of  interment,  simply  because  it  is  the  vul- 
gar account  that  Pompeii  was  lost  for  that  period.  If  he 
should  happen  to  be  a  scholar,  what  is  his  delight  in  fol- 
lowing a  cicerone  (a  title  assumed  by  some  wily  servitore 
di  Piazza]  to  the  little  garden  that  overlooks  the  Roman 
Forum,  and  in  fancying  that  he  stands  upon  the  Tarpeian 
Rock  !  His  faith  in  moral  qualities,  his  graduation  of 
national  virtue,  and  his  views  of  manners,  are  equally  the 
captives  of  the  last  popular  rumor.  A  Frenchman  may 
roll  incontinently  in  the  gras  de  Paris,  filled  with  an  alco- 
*hol  inflammable  as  gunpowder,  and  in  his  eyes  it  shall 
pass  for  pure  animal  light-heartedness,  since  it  is  out  of 
all  rule  for  a  Frenchman  to  be  intoxicated,  while  the 
veriest  tyro  knows  that  the  nation  dances  to  a  man  !  The 
gallant  general,  the  worshipful  alderman,  the  right  hon- 
orable adviser  of  the  king,  may  stammer  around  a  subject 
for  half  an  hour,  in  St.  Stephen's,  in  a  manner  to  confound 
all  conclusion,  and  generalize  so  completely  as  to  baffle 
particularity,  and  your  hearer  shall  go  away  convinced  of 
the  excellence  of  the  great  school  of  modern  eloquence, 
because  the  orator  has  been  brought  up  at  the  "feet  of 
Gamaliel."  When  one  thoroughly  imbued  with  this  pliant 
faculty,  gets  into  a  foreign  land,  with  what  a  diminished 
reverence  for  his  own  does  he  journey!  As  few  men  are 
endowed  with  sufficient  penetration  to  pierce  the  mists  of 
received  opinion,  fewer  still  are  they  that  are  so  strong  in 
right  as  to  be  able  to  stem  its  tide.  He  who  precedes  his 
age  is  much  less  likely  to  be  heard,  than  he  who  lingers  in 
its  rear  :  and  when  the  unwieldy  body  of  the  mass  reaches 
the  eminence  on  which  he  has  long  stood  the  object  of 
free  comment,  it  may  be  assumed  as  certain,  that  they  who 
were  his  bitterest  deriders  when  his  doctrine  was  new,  will 
be  foremost  in  claiming  the  honors  of  the  advance.  In 
short,  to  instruct  the  world,  it  is  necessary  to  watch  the 
current,  and  to  act  on  the  public  mind  like  the  unseen  rud- 
der, by  slight  and  imperceptible  variations,  avoiding,  as 
a  seaman  would  express  it,  any  very  rank  sheer,  lest  the 
vessel  should  refuse  to  mind  her  helm  and  go  down  with 
the  stream. 


g6  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

We  have  been  led  into  these  reflections,  by  frequent  op. 
portunities  of  witnessing  the  facility  with  which  opinions 
are  adopted  concerning  ourselves,  because  they  have  come 
from  the  pens  of  those  who  have  long  contributed  to  amuse 
and  instruct  us,  but  which  are  perfectly  valueless,  both 
from  the  unavoidable  ignorance  of  those  who  utter  them, 
and  from  the  hostile  motives  that  gave  them  birth.  To  that 
class  which  would  wish  to  put  in  a  claim  to  bon  ton,  by 
undervaluing  their  countrymen,  we  have  nothing  to  say, 
since  they  are  much  beyond  improvement,  and  are  quite 
unable  to  understand  all  the  high  and  glorious  conse- 
quences dependent  on  the  great  principles  of  which  this 
republic  is  the  guardian.  Their  fate  was  long  since  settled 
by  a  permanent  and  wise  provision  of  human  feeling  ;  but, 
presuming  on  the  opportunities  mentioned,  and  long  habits. 
of  earnest  observation  in  the  two  hemispheres,  we  shall 
conclude  this  digression  by  merely  adding,  that  it  is  the 
misfortune  of  man  to  abuse  the  gifts  of  God,  let  him  live 
in  what  country  or  under  what  institutions  he  may.  -  Ex- 
cess of  the  description  in  question  is  the  failing  of  every 
people,  nearly  in  proportion  to  their  means  ;  nor  are  there 
any  certain  preventives  against  a  vice  so  destructive,  but 
absolute  want,  or  a  high  cultivation  of  the  reasoning  facul- 
ties. 

He  who  has  accurately  ascertained  how  far  the  people 
of  this  republic  are  behind  or  before  the  inhabitants  of 
other  lands,  in  mental  improvement  and  moral  qualities, 
will  not  be  far  from  the  truth  in  assigning  to  them  a  cor- 
respondent place  in  the  scale  of  sobriety.  It  is  true  that 
many  foreigners  will  be  ready  enough  to  deny  this  position, 
but  we  have  had  abundant  opportunities  of  observing,  that 
all  those  who  visit  our  shores  do  not  come  sufficiently  pre- 
pared, by  observation  at  home,  to  make  just  comparisons, 
and  what  we  have  here  said  has  not  been  ventured  with- 
out years  of  close  and  honest  investigation.  We  shall 
gladly  hail  the  day  when  it  can  be  said,  that  not  an  Ameri- 
can exists,  so  lost  to  himself  as  to  trifle  with  the  noblest 
gift  of  the  Creator  ;  but  we  cannot  see  the  expediency  of 
attaining  an  end,  desirable  even  as  this,  by  the  concession 
of  premises  that  are  false. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  97 


CHAPTER  VII. 

''What  a  thrice-double  ass 
Was  I,  to  take  this  drunkard  for  a  god  !" — Caliban. 

PHYSICAL  qualities  are  always  prized  in  proportion  to  the 
value  that  is  attached  to  those  that  are  purely  intellectual. 
So  long  as  power  and  honor  depend  on  the  possession  of 
brute  force,  strength  and  agility  are  endowments  of  the 
last  importance,  on  the  same  principle  that  they  render  the 
tumbler  of  more  account  in  his  troop  ;  and  he  who  has 
ever  had  occasion  to  mingle  much  with  the  brave,  and  sub- 
ject to  a  qualification  that  will  readily  be  understood,  we 
might  add,  the  noble  savages  of  this  continent,  will  have 
remarked  that,  while  the  orators  are  in  general  a  class  who 
have  cultivated  their  art  for  want  of  qualifications  to  excel 
in  that  which  is  deemed  still  more  honorable,  the  first  re- 
quisite in  the  warrior  is  stature  and  muscle.  There  exists 
a  curious  document  to  prove  how  much  even  their  success- 
ors, a  people  in  no  degree  deficient  in  acuteness,  have  been 
subject  to  a  similar  influence.  We  allude  to  a  register  that 
was  made  of  the  thews  and  sinews  among  the  chiefs  of  the 
army  of  Washington,  during  the  moment  of  inaction  that 
preceded  the  recognition  of  Independence.  By  this  report 
it  would  seem,  that  the  animal  entered  somewhat  into  the 
ideas  of  our  fathers,  when  they  made  their  original  selec- 
tion of  leaders,  a  circumstance  that  we  attribute  to  the 
veneration  that  man  is  secretly  disposed  to  show  to  physi- 
cal perfection,  until  a  better  training  and  experience  have 
taught  him  there  is  still  a  superior  power.  Our  first  im- 
pressions are  almost  always  received  through  the  senses, 
and  the  connexion  between  martial  prowess  and  animal 
force  seems  so  natural,  that  we  ought  not  to  be  surprised 
that  a  people  so  peaceful  and  unpractised,  in  their  sim- 
plicity, betrayed  a  little  of  this  deference  to  appearances. 
Happily,  if  they  sometimes  put  matter  into  stations  which 
would  have  been  better  filled  by  mind,  the  honesty  and 
zeal  that  were  so  general  in  the  patriotic  ranks  carried  the 
country  through  in  triumph. 

It  was  a  consequence  of  the  high  favor  enjoyed  by  all 
manly  or  physical  qualities  in  the  sixteenth  century,  that 
men  were  even  prized  for  their  excesses.  Thus  he  who 


98  THE  HEIDRNMAUER. 

could  longest  resist  the  influence  of  liquor  was  deemed,  in 
a  more  limited  sense,  as  mucrTa  hero  as  he  who  swung  the 
heaviest  mace,  or  pointed  the  surest  cannon  in  battle.  The 
debauch  in  which  the  Abbot  of  Limburg  and  his  neighbor 
Emich  of  Leiningen,  were  now  engaged,  was  one  of  no 
unusual  nature  ;  for,  in  a  country  in  which  prelates  ap- 
peared in  so  many  other  doubtful  characters,  it  should  not 
excite  surprise  that  some  of  the  class  were  willing  to  en- 
gage in  a  strife  that  had  little  danger,  while  it  was  so 
highly  in  favor  with  the  noble  and  the  great. 

The  reader  will  have  seen  that  great  progress  had  been 
made  towards  the  issue  of  the  celebrated  encounter  it  is 
our  duty  to  relate,  even  before  its  precise  object  had  been 
formally  introduced  among  the  contending  parties.  But 
while  the  monks  came  to  the  struggle  apprized  of  its  mo- 
tive, and  prepared  at  all  points  to  maintain  the  reputation 
of  their  ancient  and  hospitable  brotherhood,  the  Count  of 
Leiningen,  with  a  sullen  reliance  on  his  own  powers,  that 
was  somewhat  increased  by  his  contempt  for  priestcraft, 
had  neglected  to  bestow  the  same  care  on  his  auxiliaries. 
It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  that  both  the  Abbe  and  the 
Knight  of  Rhodes  had  become  heated  to  garrulousness, 
before  they  perfectly  understood  the  nature  of  the  service 
that  was  expected  at  their  hands,  or,  we  ought  rather  to 
say,  of  their  heads.  With  this  explanation  we  shall  resume 
the  narrative,  taking  up  its  thread  some  two  hours  later 
than  the  moment  when  it  was  last  dropped. 

At  this  particular  juncture  of  the  strife,  Fathers  Sieg- 
fried and  Cuno  had  become  thoroughly  warmed  with  their 
endeavors,  and  habitual  and  profound  respect  for  the  Ab- 
bot was  gradually  giving  way  before  the  quickening  cur- 
rents of  their  blood.  The  eyes  of  the  former  glistened 
with  a  species  of  forensic  ferocity,  for  he  was  ardently  en- 
gaged on  a  controversial  point  with  Albrecht  of  Vieder- 
bach,  all  of  whose  faculties  appeared  to  be  rapidly  exhaling 
with  his  potations.  The  other  Benedictine  and  the  Abbe 
from  time  to  time  mingled  in  the  dispute,  in  the  character 
of  seconds,  while  the  two  most  interested  in  the  issue  sat, 
warily  collecting  their  powers,  and  sternly  regarding  each 
other,  like  men  who  knew  they  were  not  engaged  in  idle 
sport. 

"This  is  well,  with  thy  tales  of  LTsle  Adam,  and  the 
Ottoman  power,"  continued  Father  Siegfried,  pursuing  th* 
discourse  from  a  point,  beyond  which  we  consider  it  un 


THE   HEJDENMAUER.  99 

necessary  to  record  all  that  passed — "  This  will  do  to  re- 
peat to  the  dames  of  our  German  courts,  for  the  -journey 
between  these  Rhenish  plains  and  yonder  island  of  Rhodes 
is  far,  and  few  are  inclined  to  make  it,  in  order  to  convict 
thy  chiefs  of  neglect,  or  their  sworn  followers  of  forgetful- 
ness  of  their  vows." 

"  By  the  quality  of  my  order  !  reverend  Benedictine, 
thou  pushest  words  to  unseemliness !  Is  it  not  enough, 
that  the  chosen  and  the  gentlest  of  Europe  should  devote 
soul  and  body  to  services  that  would  better  become  thy 
lazy  order — that  all  that  is  noble  and  brave  should  aban- 
don the  green  fields  and  pleasant  rivers  of  their  native 
lands,  to  endure  hot  suns  and  sultry  winds  from  Africa,  in 
order  to  keep  the  unbeliever  in  his  limits,  but  they  must 
be  taunted  with  gibes  like  these  ?  Go,  count  the  graves 
and  number  the  living,  if  thou  wouldst  learn  the  manner 
in  which  our  illustrious  master  held  out  against  Solyman, 
or  wouldst  know  the  services  of  his  knights  !  " 

"  It  would  sound  ill  in  thy  ears,  were  I  to  bid  thee  enter 
purgatory,  to  inquire  into  the  fruits  of  our  masses  and 
prayers,  and  yet  one  and  the  other  are  equally  easy  to  per- 
form. Thou  knowest  well,  that  Rhodes  is  no  longer  a 
Christian  island,  and  that  none  bearing  the  cross  dare 
be  seen  on  its  shores.  Go  to,  Count  Albrecht,  thy  order  is 
fallen  into  disuse,  and  it  is  better  where  it  is,  hid  beneath 
the  snowy  mountains  of  the  country  of  Nice,  than  it  might 
be  in  the  front  ranks  of  Christendom.  There  is  not  a  crone 
in  Germany  that  does  not  bewail  the  backsliding  of  an  or- 
der so  esteemed  of  old,  or  a  maiden  that  does  not  speak 
lightly  of  its  deeds  !  " 

"  Heavenly  patience  !  hearest  thou  this,  Monsieur  La- 
touche  ?  and  from  the  mouth  of  a  chanting  Benedictine, 
who  passeth  his  days  between  safe  walls  of  stone,  here  in 
the  heart  of  the  Palatinate,  and  his  nights  on  a  warm  pallet, 
beyond  sound  even  of  the  rushing  winds,  unless,  in  sooth, 
he  be  not  sent  on  offices  of  midnight  charity  among  the 
believing  wives  of  the  faithful !  " 

"  Boy"!  dost  presume  to  scandalize  the  Church,  and  dare 
its  anger  ?"  demanded  Bonifacius,  in  a  voice  of  thunder. 

"  Reverend  Abbot,"  answered  Albrecht,  crossing  him- 
self, for  habit  and  policy  equally  held  him  subject  to  the 
predominant  authority  of  the  age,  "  the  little  I  say  is  more 
directed  to  the  man  than  to  his  cloth." 

"  Let  him  give  utterance  to  all  he  fancies,"  interrupted 


loo  THE  HE  IDE  NM ALTER. 

the  wily  Siegfried.  "  Is  not  a  knight  of  Rhodes  immacu- 
late, and  shall  we  refuse  him  right  of  speech  ?" 

"  It  is  held  at  the  court  of  the  chivalrous  Valois,"  ob- 
served the  Abbe,  who  perceived  it  was  necessary  to  inter- 
fere, in  order  to  preserve  the  peace,  "  that  the  defence  of 
Rhodes  was  of  exceeding  valor,  and  few  survived  it,  who 
did  not  meet  with  high  honors  from  Christian  hands.  We 
have  seen  numberless  of  the  brave  knights  among  us,  in 
the  most  esteemed  houses  of  Paris,  and  at  the  merry  castle 
of  Fontainebleau,  and  believe  me,  none  were  more  sought 
or  better  honored.  The  scars  of  even  Marignano  and  of 
Pavia  are  less  prized  than  those  given  by  the  hands  of  the 
infidel." 

"  Thou  dost  well,  my  learned  and  self-denying  brother," 
answered  Siegfried,  with  a  sneer,  "  to  remind  us  of  the 
fight  of  Pavia,  and  of  thy  great  master's  present  abode ! 
Are  these  tidings  of  late  from  the  Castiles,  or  is  it  not 
permitted  to  thy  prince  to  dispatch  couriers  to  his  own 
capital  ? " 

"  Nay,  reverend  monk,  thou  pressest  with  unkind  allu- 
sions, and  forgettest  that,  like  thee,  we  are  both  servitors 
of  the  Church." 

"  We  count  thee  not— one  nor  the  other.  Martyred  St. 
Peter  !  what  would  become  of  thy  keys  were  they  intrust- 
ed to  the  keeping  of  such  hands! — Go,  doff  thy  vanities — 
lay  aside  that  attire  of  velvet,  if  though  wouldst  be  known 
as  of  the  flock." 

"  Master  Latouche,"  exclaimed  Emich,  who  was  boiling 
with  indignation,  but  who  preserved  his  self-command  in 
order  to  circulate  the  cups,  and  to  see  that  each  man  did 
true  service  in  the  prescribed  contest,  "tell  him  of  his 
brother  of  Wittenberg,  and  of  these  late  doings  in  the 
hive.  Stick  that  thorn  into  his  side,  and  thou  shalt  see 
him  shrink  like  a  jaded  and  galled  steed  under  a  pointed 
spur!  Who  art  thou,  and  why  dost  thou  disturb  my 
pleasures  ? " 

This  sudden  interruption  of  himself  was  addressed  by 
the  baron  to  a  youth,  in  neat  but  modest  attire,  who  had 
just  entered  the  banqueting-room,  and  who,  passing  by  the 
menial  that  filled  the  glasses  at  the  beck  of  his  master's 
hand,  now  stood,  with  a  firm  but  respectful  mien,  at  the 
elbow  of  the  speaker. 

"'Tis  Berchthold,  my  lord's  forester.  They  bid  me  come 
to  do  your  pleasure,  noble  Count," 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  101 

"  Thou  art  seasonably  arrived  to  keep  the  peace  between 
a  sworn  knight  of  Rhodes  and  a  garrulous  monk  of  Lim- 
burg.  This  reverend  Abbot  would  do  thee  favor,  boy." 

Berchthold  bowed  respectfully,  and  turned  towards  the 
prelate. 

"  Thou  art  the  orphan  of  our  ancient  liegeman,  he  who 
bore  thy  name,  and  was  well  esteemed  among  the  towns- 
men of  Duerckheim  ?" 

"  I  am  the  son  of  him  your  reverence  means,  but  that 
he  was  liegeman  of  any  of  Limburg,  I  deny." 

"  Bravely  answered,  boy  !  "  shouted  Emich,  striking  his 
fist  on  the  table  so  hard  as  to  threaten  destruction  to  all  it 
held  :  "  Aye,  and  as  becomes  thy  master's  follower!  Hast 
enough,  Father  Bonifacius,  or  wilt  dip  deeper  into  the 
youth's  catechism  ?" 

"  The  young  man  has  been  tutored  to  respect  his  pres- 
ent ease,"  returned  the  Abbot,  affecting  indifference 
equally  to  the  exultation  of  the  Count  and  to  the  disre- 
spect of  his  forester.  "  When  he  next  comes  to  our  con- 
fessionals, there  will  be  occasion  to  give  him  other  school- 
ing." 

" God's  truth!  that  hour  may  never  happen.  We  are 
half  disposed  to  live  on  in  our  sins,  and  to  take  soldier's  fort- 
une, in  these  stirring  times,  which  is  ever  the  chance  of 
sudden  death,  without  the  Church's  passport.  We  are  fast 
getting  of  this  mind — are  we  not,  brave  Berchthold  ?  " 

The  youth  bowed  respectfully,  but  without  answering, 
for  he  saw  by  the  inflamed  countenances  and  swimming 
eyes  of  all  at  the  table,  that  the  moment  was  one  in  which 
explanations  would  be  useless.  Had  it  been  possible  to 
doubt  the  cause  of  the  scene  he  witnessed,  the  manner  in 
which  glass  after  glass  was  swallowed,  at  the  will  of  the 
cup-bearer,  would  have  explained  its  nature.  But,  far  ad- 
vanced as  Father  Bonifacius  had  now  become  in  inebriety, 
in  common  with  the  other  guests,  he  retained  enough  of 
his  faculties,  to  see  that  the  words  of  Emich  contained  an 
allusion  of  a  dangerously  heretical  character. 

"  Thou  art  resolved  to  despise  our  counsel  and  our  warn- 
ings ! "  he  exclaimed,  glancing  fiercely  at  one  and  the 
other.  "  'Twere  better  to  say  at  once,  that  thy  wish  is  to 
see  the  walls  of  Limburg  Abbey  lying  on  the  side  of  Lim- 
burg hill." 

"  Nay,  reverend  and  honored  priest,  thou  pushest  a  few 
hasty  words  beyond  their  meaning.  What  is  it  to  a  Count 


102  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

of  the  noble  house  of  Leiningen,  that  a  few  monks  find 
shelter  for  their  heads,  and  ease  for  their  souls,  beneath  a 
consecrated  roof  within  cannon-shot  of  his  own  towers.  If 
thy  walls  do  not  tumble  until  hand  of  mine  helps  to  unset- 
tle them,  they  may  stand  till  the  fallen  Angel  that  set  them 
up,  shall  aid  in  their  overthrow.  Truly,  Father  Bonifacius, 
for  a  godly  community,  this  tale  of  thy  sanctuary's  origin 
makes  it  of  none  of  the  best  parentage  !  " 

"  Hear  ye  that ! "  sputtered  Albrecht  of  Viederbach, 
who,  though  his  tongue  had  continued  to  sound  a  sort  of 
irregular  accompaniment  to  his  cousin's  speeches,  was 
no  longer  able  to  articulate  clearly — "  Hear  ye  that!  imp 
of  St.  Benedict !  The  devil  set  ye  up,  and  the  devil  will 
be  your  downfall.  LTsle  Adam  is  a  saint  to  thy  holiest ; 
and  his— good — sword — 

At  this  word,  the  Knight  of  Rhodes  succumbed,  losing 
his  balance  in  an  animated  effort  to  gesticulate,  and  fairly 
falling  under  the  table.  A  sarcastic  smile  crossed  the  Ab- 
bot's face,  at  this  overthrow  of  one  of  his  adversaries,  while 
Emich  scowled  in  disdain  at  the  ignoble  exhibition  made 
by  his  kinsman  ;  who,  finding  it  impossible  to  rise,  re- 
signed himself  to  sleep  on  the  spot  where  he  had  fallen. 

"  Swallow  thy  Rhenish,  monk,  and  count  not  on  the  slight 
advantage  thou  hast  got  in  the  overthrow  of  that  prating 
fool,"  said  the  host,  whose  tones  grew  less  and  less  ami- 
cable, as  the  plot  thickened — "  But  to  a  more  fitting  sub- 
ject ;  Berchthold  is  worthy  of  his  lord,  and  is  a  youth  that 
thinks  of  things  as  things  appear.  We  may  quit  thy  con- 
fessionals for  divers  reasons,  as  thou  knowest.  Here  is  the 
Monk  of  Erfurth  !  Ha  !  what  think  you  of  his  new  teach- 
ing, and  of  the  manner  in  which  he  advises  the  faithful  to 
come  to  the  altar  ?  You  have  had  him  at  Rome,  and  at 
Worms,  and  among  ye  in  many  councils,  yet  the  honest 
man  stands  fast  in  all  reasonable  opinions.  Thou  hast  heard 
of  Luther,  is  it  not  so,  young  Berchthold  ? " 

"  'Tis  certain,  my  Lord  Count,  that  few  in  the  Jaerger- 
thal  escape  the  tidings  of  his  name." 

"  Then  are  they  in  danger  of  a  most  damnable  heresy  ! " 
interrupted  Bonifacius,  in  a  voice  of  thunder.  "  Why  tell 
me  of  this  driveller  of  Erfurth,  Lord  Emich,  if  thou  art 
not  in  secret  praying  that  his  rebellious  wishes  may  pros- 
per at  the  Church's  cost!  But  we  mark  thee,  irreverent 
Count,  and  hard  and  griping  penance  may  yet  purge  thee 
of  these  prurient  fancies —  Here  the  Abbot,  inflamed  ae 


THE   If  E  IDE  A- MA  UER. 


103 


he  was  with  wine  and  resentment,  paused  ;  for  the  silent 
monk,  Father  Cuno,  fell  from  his  seat  like  a  soldier  shot 
in  battle  ;  the  simple  inferior  having  entered  into  the  trial 
of  heads,  more  with  a  relish  for  the  liquor  than  with  any 
thought  of  victory,  and  having,  in  consequence,  done  so 
much  honor  to  the  potations,  as  to  become  an  easy  sacri- 
fice to  the  common  enemy.  The  Abbot  looked  at  his  pros- 
trate follower  with  grim  indifference,  showing  by  his  hard, 
scowling,  and  angry  eye,  that  he  deemed  the  loss  of  little 
moment  to  the  main  result.  "  What  matters  the  impo- 
tency  of  a  fool  !  "  he  muttered,  turning  away  to  his  princi- 
pal and  only  dangerous  opponent,  with  a  full  return  of  all 
his  angry  feelings  : — "  That  the  devils  are  suffered  to  gain 
a  momentary  and  specious  triumph,  we  are  well  aware, 
Baron  of  Hartenburg — 

1  'By  my  father's  bones,  proud  priest,  but  them  strangely 
forgettest  thyself!  Am  I  not  a  prince  of  Leiningen,  that 
one  of  the  cowl  should  please  to  call  me  less  ? " 

"  I  should  have  said  the  Summer  Landgrave  !  "  answered 
Bonifacius  sneeringly,  for  long-smothered  hatred  was 
beginning  to  break  through  the  feeble  barriers  that  their 
reeling  faculties  still  preserved.  "  I  crave  pardon  of  your 
highness  ;  but  a  short  reign  leaves  brief  recollections. 
Even  thy  subjects,  illustrious  Emich,  may  be  forgiven,  that 
they  know  not  their  sovereign's  title.  The  coronet  that  is 
worn  from  June  to  September  scarce  gets  the  fit  of  the 
head !  " 

"  It  was  worn  longer,  Abbot,  than  ever  head  of  thine  will 
wear  a  saintly  crown.  But  I  forget  my  ancient  house,  and 
the  forbearance  due  to  a  guest,  in  honest  anger  at  an  artful 
and  malignant  monk  !" 

Bonifacius  bowed  with  seeming  composure,  and  while 
each  appeared  to  recover  his  moderation,  in  a  misty  recol- 
lection of  the  true  affair  in  hand,  the  dialogue  between  the 
Abbe  and  Father  Siegfried,  which  had  been  drowned  by 
the  stentorian  lungs  of  the  principal  disputants,  broke  out 
in  the  momentary  pause. 

"  Thou  sayest  true,  reverend  father,"  said  the  former, 
"  but  were  our  fair  and  sprightly  dames  of  France  to  per- 
form these  pilgrimages  to  distant  shrines,  of  which  thou 
speakest,  rude  treatment  in  the  wayfaring,  evil  company, 
and,  haply,  designing  confessors,  might  tarnish  the  present 
lustre  of  their  graces,  and  leave  them  less  ornaments  to 
our  brilliant  and  gallant  court  than  they  at  present  prove. 


io4  THE   TTRJDRNMAUER. 

No,  I  espouse  no  such  dangerous  opinions,  but  endeavor, 
by  gentle  persuasion  and  courtly  arguments,  to  lead  their 
precious  souls  nearer  to  the  heaven  they  so  well  merit, 
and  which  it  were  scarce  impious  to  say  they  will  so  rarely 
become." 

"This  may  be  well  for  the  towering  fancies  of  thy 
.French  imaginations,  but  our  slower  German  minds  must 
be  dealt  with  differently.  By  the  mass!  I  would  give  little 
for  the  success  of  the  confessor,  that  should  deal  only  in 
persuasive  and  gentle  discourse  !  Here,  we  throw  our 
manifold  hints  of  damnation,  in  plainer  speech." 

"  I  condemn  no  usage  on  speculation,  Benedictine  ;  but 
truly  this  directness  of  condemnation  would  be  thought 
indecorous  in  our  more  refined  presences.  As  yet,  thou 
wilt  acknowledge,  we  are  less  tainted  with  heresies  than 
thy  northern  courts." 

Here  the  deep  voice  of  Emich,  who  had  recovered  a 
little  self-command,  again  drowned  the  by-play  of  the 
subordinates. 

"  We  are  not  children,  most  reverend  Bonifacius,"  he  re- 
sumed, "  to  irritate  ourselves  with  names.  That  I  have  been 
denied  the  honors  and  rights  of  my  birth  and  line,  for  one 
come  of  no  direct  descent,  is  admitted  ;  but  let  it  be  for- 
gotten. Thou  art  welcome  to  my  board,  and  there  is  no 
dignitary  of  the  church,  or  of  thy  brotherhood,  that  I  es- 
teem more  than  thee  and  thine,  within  a  hard  ride  of  these 
towers.  Let  us  be  friends,  holy  Abbot,  and  drink  to  our 
loving  graces." 

*'  Count  Emich,  I  pledge  thee,  and  pray  for  thee,  as  thou 
meritest.  If  there  have  been  misunderstandings  between 
our  convent  and  thy  house,  they  have  come  of  the  mis- 
guiding of  the  devil.  We  are  a  peaceful  community,  and 
one  given  more  to  prayer  and  a  just  hospitality  than  to 
any  grasping  desire  to  enrich  OUF  coffers." 

"  On  these  points  we  will  not  dwell,  father,  for  it  is  not 
easy  for  baron  and  abbot,  layman  and  priest,  to  see  at  all 
times  with  the  same  eyes.  I  would  that  this  question  of 
authority  in  Duerckheim  were  fairly  disposed  of,  that  there 
might  always  be  good  neighborhood  in  the  valley.  Our 
hills  shut  in  no  wide  plain,  like  yon  of  the  river,  that  we 
must  needs  turn  the  little  level  land  we  have  into  a  battle- 
ground. By  the  mass,  most  holy  Abbot,  but  thou  wouldst 
do  well  to  dismiss  the  Elector's  troops,  and  trust  this  mat- 
ter between  us  to  gentle  and  friendly  argument." 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  10$ 

"  If  it  were  the  last  prayer  I  uttered  before  passing  into 
the  fruition  of  a  self-denying  and  holy  life,  princely  Enrich, 
thy  wish  should  not  want  support !  Have  we  not  often 
professed  a  willingness  to  refer  the  question  to  the  Holy 
Father,  or  any  other  high  church  authority,  that  can  fit- 
tingly take  cognizance  of  so  knotty  a  point.  Less  than 
this  arbitration  would  scarce  become  our  apostolic  mis- 
sion." 

"  God's  truth  !  mein  Herr  Wilhelm,  but  ye  are  too 
grasping  for  those  who  mortify  the  flesh  !  Is  it  meet,  I 
ask  ye,  that  a  goodly  number  of  valiant  and  pains-taking 
burghers  should  be  led  by  shaven  crowns  in  the  day  of 
strife,  in  fair  and  foul,  evil  and  good,  like  so  many  worth- 
less women,  who,  having  lived  in  the  idleness  and  vanities 
of  gossip  and  backbiting,  are  fain  to  hope  that  their  sex's 
sins  may  be  hid  beneath  a  monk's  frock  ?  Give  me  up, 
therefore,  this  question  of  Duerckheim,  and  certain  other 
rights  that  might  be  fairly  written  out,  and  the  saints  in 
Paradise  shall  not  live  in  more  harmony  than  we  of  the 
Jaegerthal." 

"Truly,  Lord  Emich,  the  means  of  fitting  us  for  the 
heavenly  state  thou  namest  have  not  been  forgotten,  since 
thou  hast  made  a  purgatory  of  the  valley  these  many  years 


"  By  the  mass,  priest,  thou  again  pushest  thy  remarks 
beyond  discreet  speech  !  In  what  manner  have  I  done 
aught  to  bring  this  scandal  on  the  neighborhood,  beyond 
a  mere  forethought  to  mine  own  interest.  Hast  thou  not 
opened  thy  abbey-gates  to  receive  armed  and  irreligious 
men  ? — are  not  thy  ears  hourly  wounded  by  rude  oaths, 
and  thy  eyes  affronted  by  sights  that  should  be  thought 
unseemly  in  a  sanctuary  ? — Nay,  that  thou  mayest  not 
suppose  I  am  ignorant  of  thy  hidden  intentions,  do  not  the 
armed  bands  of  Duke  Friedrich  lie  at  watch,  this  very  mo- 
ment, within  thy  cloisters?" 

"  We  have  a  just  caution  of  our  rights  and  of  the  church's 
honor,"  answered  Bonifacius,  who  scarce  endeavored  to 
conceal  the  contemptuous  smile  the  question  excited. 

"  Believe  me,  Abbot  of  Limburg,  so  far  from  being  the 
enemy  of  our  holy  religion,  I  am  its  sworn  friend  ;  else 
should  I  long  since  have  joined  the  proselytes  of  this 
brother  Luther,  and  have  done  thee  harm  openly." 

"  Twere  better  than  to  pray  at  our  altars  by  day,  and  to 
plot  their  fall  at  night." 


io6  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

"  I  swear  by  the  life  of  the  Emperor  that  thou  urgest 
me  too  far,  haughty  priest  !  " 

The  clamor  created  by  the  Abbe  and  Father  Siegfried 
here  caused  the  two  principal  speakers  to  direct  their  at- 
tention, for  the  moment,  to  the  secondary  combatants. 
From  a  courtly  dispute,  the  argument  had  got  to  be  so  con- 
fused and  warm,  between  the  latter,  that  each  raised  his 
voice  in  a  vain  endeavor  to  drown  that  of  his  adversary. 
It  was  but  an  instant  before  the  whirling  senses  of  M. 
Latouche,  who  had  only  maintained  his  present  place  in 
the  debauch  by  fraud,  gave  way  to  so  rude  an  assault,  and 
he  staggered  to  a  settee,where,  gesticulating  wildly,  he  soon 
sunk  at  his  length,  unable  to  lift  his  head.  Father  Siegfried 
witnessed  the  retreat  of  his  mercurial  foe  with  a  grin  of 
exultation  ;  then  he  raised  a  ferocious  shout,  which,  coming 
from  lungs  that  had  so  lately  chanted  to  the  honor  of  God, 
caused  the  young  Berchthold  to  shudder  with  horror.  But 
the  giazed  eyes  of  the  monk,  and  his  failing  countenance, 
betrayed  an  inability  to  endure  more.  After  staring  wild- 
ly about  him,  with  the  unmeaning  idiocy  of  a  drunkard, 
he  settled  himself  in  his  chair,  and  closed  his  eyes  in  the 
heavy  sleep  that  nature  unwillingly  furnishes  to  those  who 
abuse  fter  gifts. 

The  Abbot  and  the  Count  witnessed  the  manner  in 
which  dieir  respective  seconds  were  thus  put  hors  de  combat, 
in  sullen  silence.  Their  growing  warmth,  and  the  feelings 
excited  by  the  mention  of  their  several  grievances,  had  in- 
sensibly drawn  their  attention  from  the  progress  of  the 
contest,  but  each  now  regained  a  certain  glimpse  of  its 
nature  and  of  its  results  ;  the  recollection  served  to  recall 
the  temper  of  both,  for  they  were  too  well  practised  in 
these  scenes  not  to  understand  the  value  of  presence  of 
mind  in  maintaining  the  command  of  their  faculties. 

"  Our  brother  Siegfried  hath  yielded  to  the  frailties  of 
nature,  noble  Emich,"  resumed  Boniface,  smiling  as  plac- 
idly on  his  remaining  companion,  as  flushed  features  and 
a  heated  eye  would  permit.  "  The  flesh  of  priest  can  en- 
dure no  more  than  that  of  layman,  else  would  he  have  seen 
thy  flasks  drained  of  the  last  drop,  for  better  intention 
never  filled  grateful  heart,  in  doing  honor  to  the  gifts  of 
Providence." 

"  Aye,  thou  passest  thy  debauches  to  the  account  of  this 
subtilty,  while  we  of  the  sword,  Master  Abbot,  sin  to-night, 
and  ask  forgiveness  to-morrow,  without  other  pretence 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  ioj 

than  our  pleasures.  But  the  hood  of  a  monk  is  a  mask, 
and  he  who  wears  it  thinks  he  hath  a  right  to  the  benefit  of 
the  disguise.  I  would  I  knew,  to  a  bodice,  the  number  of 
burghers'  wives  thou  hast  shrived  since  Corpus  Domini !  " 

"Jest  not  with  the  secrets  of  the  confessional,  Count 
Emich  ;  the  subject  is  too  sacred  for  profane  tongues. 
There  has  been  bitter  penance  for  greater  than  thou  !  " 

"  Nay,  mistake  me  not,  holy  Abbot,"  returned  the  baron, 
hurriedly  crossing  himself;  "but  your  bold  talkers' say 
there  is  discontent  in  Duerckheim  on  this  point,  and  I 
deem  it  friendly  to  communicate  the  accusations  of  the 
enemy.  This  is  a  moment  in  which  our  German  monks 
are  in  danger  ;  for,  in  sooth,  thy  brother  of  Erfurth  is  no 
driveller  in  his  cry  against  Rome." 

The  eye  of  FatherBoniface  flashed  fire,  for  none  are  so 
quick  to  meet,  or  so  violent  to  resent  attacks,  on  what  they 
consider  their  rights,  as  those  who  have  long  been  per- 
mitted to  enjoy  monopolies,  however  frail  or  unjust  may 
be  the  tenure  of  their  possession. 

"  In  thy  heart,  rude  Emich,  thou  clingest  to  the 
heresy  ! "  he  said  ;  "  Beware,  in  what  manner  thou  castest 
the  weight  of  thy  example  and  name  into  the  scale  against 
the  commands  of  God  and  the  authority  of  the  Church  ! 
As  for  this  Luther,  a  backsliding  wretch,  that  unquiet 
ambition  and  love  for  a  professed  but  misguided  nun, 
having  urged  to  rebellion,  the  devils  are  rejoicing  in  his 
iniquity,  and  imps  of  darkness  stand  ready  to  riot  in  his 
final  and  irretrievable  fall." 

"  By  the  mass  !  Father,  to  a  plain  soldier  it  seemeth  bet- 
ter to  wive  the  sister  honestly,  than  to  give  all  this  scandal 
in  Duerckheim,  and  otherwise  to  do  violence  to  the  peace 
of  families  on  the  fair  plains  of  the  Palatinate.  If  Brother 
Luther  hath  done  no  more  than  thou  sayest  here,  he  hath 
fairly  cheated  Satan,  which  is  what  thy  community  did  of 
old,  when  it  got  the  evil  spirit  to  aid  in  raising  thy  chapel, 
and  then,  with  no  great  regard  to  a  debtor's  obligations, 
sent  him  away  penniless." 

"  Were  the  truth  known,  Emich,  I  fear  it  would  be  found 
that  thou  hast  faith  in  this  silly  legend  ! " 

"  If  thou  hast  not  outwitted  the  devil,  priest,  it  hath 
been  that  his  prudence  hath  kept  him  from  bargaining 
with  those  he  knows  to  be  his  betters  in  cunning.  By  the 
rood  !  'twas  a  bold  spirit  that  would  grapple,  wit  to  wit, 
with  the  monks  of  Limburg  !  " 


lo8  THE   HE1DENMAUER. 

Disdain  kept  the  Abbot  from  answering,  for  he  was  too 
superior  to  vulgar  tradition  to  feel  even  resentment  at  an 
imputation  of  this  kind.  His  host  perceived  that  he 
was  losing  ground,  and  he  began  to  see,  by  the  manner  in 
which  his  senses  were  slowly  receding,  that  he  was  in  im- 
minent danger  of  forfeiting  the  important  stake  that  now 
depended  wholly  on  his  powers  of  endurance.  The  Abbot 
had  a  well-earned  reputation  of  having  the  strongest  head 
of  all  the  churchmen  of  the  Palatinate,  and  Count  Emich, 
who  was  nowise  wanting  in  physical  excellence  of  this 
sort,  began  to  feel  that  species  of  failing  which  is  com- 
monly the  forerunner,  as  it  is  often  the  cause,  of  defeat. 
He  swallowed  bumper  after  bumper,  with  a  reckless  de- 
sire to  overwhelm  his  antagonist,  without  thought  of  the 
inroads  that  he  was  producing  on  his  own  faculties.  Boni- 
facius,  who  saw  and  felt  his  superiority,  willingly  in- 
dulged his  antagonist  in  this  feverish  desire  to  drive  the 
struggle  to  a  premature  issue,  and  several  glasses  were 
taken  in  a  sort  of  sullen  defiance,  without  a  syllable  issu- 
ing from  the  lips  of  either.  In  this  strait,  the  Count 
turned  his  swimming  eyes  towards  the  attendants,  in  a 
vague  hope  that  they  who  served  him  so  faithfully  on 
ordinary  occasions,  might  aid  him  in  the  present  desperate 
emergency. 

Young  Berchthold  Hintermayer  stood  near  his  lord,  in 
respectful  attendance  on  his  pleasure,  for  habit  prevented 
him  from  withdrawing  without  an  order.  Enough  had 
fallen  from  the  parties  in  this  singular  contest  to  let  him 
into  the  secret  of  its  object.  He  appeared  to  understand 
the  appeal,  and  advancing  to  do  the  office  of  cup-bearer,  a 
duty  that  in  truth  required  some  such  interference,  for  he 
who  should  have  discharged  it  had  been  too  diligently 
imitating  those  at  the  board  to  be  able  any  longer  to 
acquit  himself  with  propriety  of  his  functions. 

"  If  my  Lord  Abbot  would  but  relieve  the  passing 
time,"  said  Berchthold,  as  he  poured  out  the  wine,  "  by 
descanting  more  at  large  on  this  heresy,  he  might  be  the 
instrument  of  saving  a  doubting  soul  ;  I  freely  confess, 
that  for  one,  I  find  much  reason  to  distrust  the  faith  of  my 
fathers." 

This  was  attacking  the  Abbot  on  his  weakest,  not  to  say 
his  only  vulnerable,  point. 

"  Thou  shalt  smart  for  this,  bold  boy !  "  he  cried,  striking 
the  table  with  a  clenched  fist.  "  Thou  harborest  heresies, 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  109 

unfledged  and  paltry  reasoner  on  apostolic  missions  !  Tis 
well — 'tis  well — the  impudent  avowal  is  noted  !  " 

Emich  made  a  sign  of  gratitude,  for  in  his  rage  the  priest 
took  a  heavy  draught,  unconscious  of  what  he  was  about 

"  Nay,  my  lord,  the  most  reverend  Abbot  will  pardon 
imprudent  speech  in  one  little  gifted  in  knowledge  of  this 
sort.  Were  it  to  strike  a  wild  boar,  or  to  stop  a  roebuck, 
or  haply  to  do  harm  to  my  master's  enemies,  this  hand 
might  prove  of  some  account  ;  but  is  it  matter  of  fair  sur- 
prise that  we  of  simple  wit  should  be  confounded,  when 
the  most  learned  of  Germany  are  at  a  loss  what  to  believe  ? 
I  have  heard  it  said,  that  Master  Luther  made  noble  answers 
in  all  the  councils,  and  wise  bodies,  in  which  he  hath  of 
late  appeared." 

"He  spoke  with  the  tongue  of  Lucifer!"  roared  the 
Abbot,  fairly  frothing  with  the  violence  of  ungovernable 
rage.  "Whence  cometh  this  new  and  late-discovered  re- 
ligion ?  Of  what  stock  and  root  is  it  ?  Why  hath  it  been 
so  long  hid,  and  where  is  its  early  history  ?  Doth  it  mount 
to  Peter  and  Paul,  or  is  it  the  invention  of  modern  arro- 
gance and  rank  conceit  ?  " 

"  Nay,  father,  the  same  might  be  asked  of  Rome  itself, 
before  Rome  knew  an  apostle.  The  tree  is  not  less  a  tree 
after  it  hath  been  trimmed  of  its  decayed  branches,  though 
it  may  be  more  comely." 

Father  Bonifacius  was  both  acute  and  learned,  and,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  even  the  monk  of  Wittenberg 
might  have  found  him  a  stubborn  and  subtle  casuist ;  but 
in  his  actual  condition,  the  most  sophistical  remark,  if  it 
had  but  the  aspect  of  reason,  was  likely  to  inflame  him. 
Thus  assailed,  therefore,  he  exhibited  an  awful  picture  of 
the  ferocity  of  human  passions  when  brutalized  by  indul- 
gence. His  eyes  seemed  starting  from  his  head,  his  lips 
quivered,  and  his  tongue  refused  its  functions.  He  was 
now  in  the  predicament  in  which  the  Count  had  so  lately 
stood  ;  and,  though  he  foresaw"  the  consequences,  writh  the 
desperation  of  an  inebriated  man,  he  sought  the  renewal 
of  his  forces  in  the  very  agent  which  had  undermined  them. 
Count  Emich  himself  was  past  intelligible  utterance,  but 
eloquence  not  being  his  strongest  arm,  he  still  maintained 
sufficient  command  of  his  physical  powers  to  continue  the 
conflict.  He  flourished  his  hand  in  defiance,  and  muttered 
words  that  seemed  to  breathe  hatred  and  scorn.  In  this 
manner  did  a  noble  of  an  illustrious  and  princely  house, 


no  THE  HE1BEXMAUER. 

and  a  mitred  prelate  of  the  church,  stand  at  bay,  with  little 
other  consciousness  of  the  existence  of  the  nobler  faculties 
of  their  being  than  that  connected  with  the  common  mer- 
cenary object  which  had  induced  this  trial  of  endurance. 

"  The  Church's  malediction  on  ye  all  !  "  Boniface  at 
length  succeeded  in  uttering  : — then  falling  back  in  his  el- 
bowed and  well-cushioned  chair,  he  yielded  his  faculties  to 
the  sinister  influence  of  the  liquor  he  had  swallowed. 

When  Emich  of  Leiningen  witnessed  the  overthrow  of 
his  last  antagonist,  a  gleam  of  intelligence  and  triumph 
shot  from  beneath  his  shaggy  brows.  By  a  desperate 
effort  he  raised  himself,  and  stretching  forth  an  arm,  he 
gained  possession  of  the«deed  by  which  the  community  ot 
Limburg  formally  released  its  claims  upon  the  products  of 
the  disputed  vineyards.  Arising,  with  the  air  of  one  ac- 
customed to  command  even  in  his  cups,  he  signed  for  his 
forester  to  approach,  and  aided  by  his  young  and  nervous 
arm,  he  tottered  from  the  room,  leaving  the  banqueting 
hall,  like  a  deserted  field,  a  revolting  picture  of  human  in- 
firmity in  its  degradation  and  neglect. 

As  the  Count  fell  heavily  upon  his  couch,  clad  as  he  had 
been  at  table,  he  shook  the  parchment  towards  his  young 
attendant,  till  the  folds  rattled.  Then  closing  his  eyes,  his 
deep  and  troubled  breathing  soon  announced  that  the  victor 
of  this  debauch  lay  like  the  vanquished,  unconscious,  fever- 
ish, and  unmanned. 

Thus  terminated  the  well-known  debauch  of  Harten- 
burg,  a  feat  of  physical  endurance  on  the  part  of  the  stout 
baron  who  prevailed,  that  gained  him  little  less  renown 
among  the  boon  companions  of  the  Palatinate  than  he 
would  have  reaped  from  a  victory  in  the  field ;  and  which, 
strange  as  it  may  now  appear,  derogated  but  little  from 
any  of  the  qualities  of  the  vanquished. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"And  from  the  latticed  gallery  came  a  chant 
Of  psalms,  most  saint-like,  most  angelical, 
Verse  after  verse  sung  out  most  holily." — ROGERS. 

THE  succeeding  day  was  the  Sabbath.  The  morning  of 
the  weekly  festival  was  always  announced  to  the  peasants 
of  the  Jaegerthal  with  the  usual  summons  to  devotioa 


THE   HRIDRNMAUER.  m 

The  matin  bell  had  been  heard  on  the  abbey  walls,  even 
before  the  light  penetrated  to  the  bottom  of  the  deep  vale  ; 
and  all  the  pious  had  bent,  in  common,  wherever  the 
sounds  happened  to  reach  their  ears,  in  praise  and  thanks- 
giving. But  as  the  hours  wore  on,  a  more  elevated  display 
of  Roman  worship  was  prepared  in  the  high  mass,  a  cere- 
mony addressed  equally  to  the  feelings  and  the  senses. 

The  sun  was  fairly  above  the  hills,  and  the  season  bland 
to  seduction.  The  domestic  cattle,  relieved  from  their 
weekly  toil,  basked  against  the  hill-side,  ruminating  in  con- 
tentment, and  filled  with  the  quiet  pleasures  of  their  in- 
stinct. Children  gambolled  before  the  cottage  doors  ;  the 
husbandman  loitered,  in  the  habiliments  that  had  borne 
the  fashions  of  the  Haard  through  many  generations,  re- 
garding the  silent  growth  of  his  crops,  and  the  housewife 
hurried  from  place  to  place,  in  the  excitement  of  simple  do- 
mestic enjoyment.  The  month  was  the  most  grateful  of  the 
twelve,  and  well  filled  with  hopes.  The  grass  had  reached 
its  height,  and  was  throwing  out  its  exuberance,  the  corn 
was  filling  fast,  and  the  vine  began  to  give  forth  its  clus- 
ters. 

In  the  midst  of  this  scene  of  rural  tranquillity,  the  deep- 
toned  bells  of  the  abbey  called  the  flock  to  its  usual  fold. 
Long  practice  had  made  the  brotherhood  of  Limburg  ex- 
pert in  all  the  duties  that  were  necessary  to  the  earthly 
administration  of  their  functions.  Even  the  peals  of  the 
bells  were  regulated  and  skilful.  Note  mournfully  suc- 
ceeded note,  and  there  was  not  a  silent  dell,  for  miles,  into 
which  the  solemn  call  did  not  penetrate.  Bells  were  heard 
too  from  Duerckheim,  and  even  from  the  wide  plains  be- 
yond ;  but  none  rose  fuller  upon  the  air.  or  came  so  sweet 
and  melancholy  to  the  ear,  as  those  which  hung  in  the  ab- 
bey towers. 

Obedient  to  the  summons,  there  was  a  gathering  of  all 
in  the  valley  towards  the  gate  of  Limburg.  A  crowd  ap- 
peared also  in  the  direction  of  the  gorge,  for  devotion, 
superstition,  or  curiosity,  never  failed  to  attract  a  multi- 
tude on  these  occasions,  to  witness  mass  in  that  celebrated 
conventual  chapel.  Among  the  latter  came  equally  the 
skeptical  and  the  believing,  the  young  and  the  old,  the  fair 
and  her  who  deemed  it  prudent  to  shade  a  matronly  coun- 
tenance with  the  veil,  the  idle,  the  half-converted  follower 
of  Luther,  and  the  lover  of  music.  It  was  customary  for 
one  of  the  brothers  to  preach,  when  mass  was  ended  ;  and 


H2  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

Limburg  had  many  monks  that  were  skilled  in  the  subtle- 
ties of  the  times,  and  some  even  who  had  names  for  elo« 
quence. 

With  a  management  and  coquetry  that  enter  into  most 
human  devices  that  are  intended  to  act  on  our  feelings,  es- 
pecially in  matters  that  it  is  not  thought  safe  to  confide 
too  much  to  naked  reason,  the  peals  of  the  bells  were  con- 
tinued long,  with  a  view  to  effect.  As  group  after  group 
arrived,  the  court  of  the  abbey  slowly  filled,  until  there 
appeared  a  congregation  sufficiently  numerous  to  gratify 
the  self-love  of  even  a  clerical  star  of  our  own  times. 
There  was  much  grave  salutation  among  the  different  dig- 
nitaries that  were  here  assembled,  for  of  all  those  who  doff 
the  cap  in  courtesy,  perhaps  the  German  is  the  most 
punctilious  and  respectful.  As  the  neighboring  city  was 
fully  represented  in  this  assembly  of  the  religious  and  cu- 
rious, there  was  also  a  profitable  display  of  the  duties  that 
are  due  to  station.  A  herald  might  have  obtained  many 
useful  hints,  had  he  been  there  to  note  the  different  de- 
grees of  simple  homage  that  were  paid,  from  the  Burgo- 
master to  the  Bailiff.  Among  the  variety  of  idle  and  ill 
digested  remarks  that  are  lavished  on  the  American  people 
and  their  institutions,  it  is  a  received  pleasantry  to  joke  on 
their  attachment  to  official  dignities.  But  he  who  has  not 
only  seen,  but  observed  both  his  own  countrymen  and 
strangers,  will  have  had  numberless  occasions  to  remark 
that  this,  like  most  similar  strictures,  is  liable  to  the  im- 
putation of  vapidity,  and  of  being  proof  of  a  narrow  obser- 
vation. The  functionary  that  is  literally  a  servant  of  the 
people,  whatever  may  be  his  dispositions,  can  'never  tri- 
umph over  his  masters  ;  and,  though  it  be  an  honest  and 
commendable  ambition  to  wish  to  be  so  distinguished,  we 
need  only  examine  the  institutions  to  see  that  in  this,  as 
in  most  other  similar  circumstances,  there  is  no  strict  an- 
alogy between  ourselves  and  European  nations.  The  re- 
mark has  probably  been  made,  because  a  respect  for  official 
authority  has  been  found  among  us,  when  there  was  the 
expectation,  and  possibly  the  wish,  to  find  anarchy. 

At  the  high  mass  of  Limburg  there  was  more  ceremony 
observed  in  ushering  the  meanest  village  dignitary  to  his 
place  in  the  church  than  would  be  observed  in  conducting 
the  head  of  this  great  republic  to  the  high  station  he 
occupies  ;  and  care  was  had,  by  an  agent  of  the  convent, 
to  see  that  no  one  should  approach  the  altar  of  the  Lord 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  113 

of  the  Universe,  without  his  receiving  the  deference  he 
might  claim  in  virtue  of  his  temporal  rank  !  Here,  where 
all  appear  in  the  temple  as  they  must  appear  in  their 
graves,  equals  in  dependence  on  divine  support  as  they 
are  equals  in  frailty,  it  will  not  be  easy  to  understand  the 
hardihood  of  sophistry  which  thus  teaches  humility  and 
penitence  with  the  tongue,  and  invites  to  pride  and  pre- 
sumption in  the  practice  ;  and  which,  when  driven  to  a 
reason  for  its  conduct,  defends  itself  against  the  accusation 
of  inconsistency  by  recriminating  the  charge  of  envy  ! 

There  had  been  a  suitable  display  of  ceremony  when 
several  functionaries  of  Duerckheim  appeared,  but  the 
strongest  manifestation  of  respect  was  reserved  for  a  burgh- 
er, who  did  not  enter  the  gates  until  the  people  were 
assembled  in  the  body  of  the  church.  This  personage,  a 
man  whose  hair  was  just  beginning  to  be  gray,  and  whose 
solid,  vigorous  frame  denoted  full  health  and  an  easy  life, 
came  in  the  saddle  ;  for  at  the  period  of  which  we  write, 
there  was  a  bridle  path  to  the  portal  of  Limburg.  He  was 
accompanied  by  a  female,  seemingly  his  spouse,  who  rode 
an  ambling  nag,  Bearing  on  the  crupper  a  crone  that  clung 
to  her  well-formed  waist,  with  easy,  domestic  familiarity, 
but  like  one  unused  to  her  seat.  A  fair-haired,  rosy  girl 
sat  the  pillion  of  the  father,  and  a  serving-man,  in  a  spe- 
cies of  official  livery,  closed  the  cavalcade. 

Sundry  of  the  more  substantial  citizens  of  Duerckheim 
hastened  to  the  reception  of  this  little  party,  for  it  was 
Heinrich  Frey,  with  Meta,  her  mother,  and  Use,  that  came 
unexpectedly  to  the  mass  of  Limburg.  The  affluent  and 
flourishing  citizen  was  ushered  to  the  part  of  the  church 
or  chapel,  where  especial  chairs  were  reserved  for  such 
casual  visits  of  the  neighboring  functionaries,  or  for  any 
noble  that  devotion,  or  accident,  might  lead  to  worship  at 
the  abbey's  altars. 

Heinrich  Frey  was  a  stout,  hale,  obstinate,  sturdy  burgh- 
er, in  whom  prosperity  had  a  little  cooled  benevolence, 
but  who,  had  he  escaped  the  allurements  of  office  and  the 
recollection  of  his  own  success,  might  have  passed  through 
life  as  one  that  was  wanting  in  neither  modesty  nor  hu- 
manity. He  was,  in  short,  on  a  diminished  scale,  one  of 
those  examples  of  desertion  from  the  ranks  of  mankind 
to  the  corps  d'elite  of  the  lucky,  that  we  constantly  wit- 
ness among  the  worldly  and  fortunate.  While  a  youth,  he 
had  been  sufficiently  considerate  for  the  burdens  and 
8 


U4  THE  HEIDEXMAUER. 

difficulties  of  the  unhappy  ;  but  a  marriage  with  a  small 
heiress,  and  subsequent  successes,  had  gradually  brought 
him  to  a  view  of  things  that  was  more  in  unison  with  his 
own  particular  interests,  than  it  was  either  philosophical 
or  Christian-like.  He  was  a  firm  believer  in  that  dictum 
which  says  none  but  the  wealthy  have  sufficient  interest  in 
society  to  be  intrusted  with  its  control,  though  his  own  in- 
stinct might  have  detected  the  sophistry,  since  he  was  daily 
vacillating  between  opposing  principles,  just  as  they  hap- 
pened to  affect  his  own  particular  concerns.  Heinrich 
Frey  gave  freely  to  the  mendicant,  and  to  the  industrious  ; 
but  when  it  came  to  be  a  question  of  any  serious  meliora- 
tion of  the  lot  of  either,  he  shook  his  head,  in  a  manner 
to  imply  a  mysterious  political  economy,  and  uttered 
shrewd  remarks  on  the  bases  of  society,  and  of  things  as 
they  were  established.  In  short,  he  lived  in  an  age  when 
Germany,  and  indeed  all  Christendom,  was  much  agitated 
by  a  question  that  was  likely  to  unsettle  not  only  the  re- 
ligion of  the  day,  but  divers  other  vested  interests  ;  and 
he  might  have  been  termed  the  chief  of  the  conservative 
party,  in  his  own  particular  circle.  These  qualities,  united 
to  his  known  wealth  ;  a  reputation  for  high  probity,  which 
was  founded  on  the  belief  that  he  was  fully  able  to  repair 
any  pecuniary  wrong  he  might  happen  to  commit ;  a  sturdy 
maintenance  of  his  own  opinions,  that  passed  with  the 
multitude  for  the  consistency  of  rectitude  ;  and  a  perfect 
fearlessness  in  deciding  against  all  those  who  had  not  the 
means  of  disputing  his  decrees,  had  procured  for  him  the 
honor  of  being  the  first  Burgomaster  of  Duerckheim. 

Were  the  countenance  a  certain  index  of  the  qualities 
of  the  mind,  a  physiognomist  might  have  been  at  a  loss  to 
discover  the  motives  which  had  induced  Ulricka  Hailtzin- 
ger,  not  only  the  fairest  but  the  wealthiest  maiden  of  the 
town,  to  unite  herself  in  marriage  with  the  man  we  have 
just  delineated.  A  mild,  melancholy,  blue  eye,  that  re- 
tained its  lustre  in  despite  of  forty  years,  a  better  outline 
of  features  than  is  common  to  the  region  in  which  she 
dwelt,  and  a  symmetry  of  arm  and  bust  that,  on  the  other 
hand,  is  rather  peculiar  to  the  natives  of  Germany,  still 
furnished  sufficient  evidence  of  the  beauty  for  which  she 
must  have  been  distinguished  in  early  life.  In  addition 
to  these  obvious  and  more  vulgar  attractions,  the  matronly 
partner  of  Heinrich  had  an  expression  of  feminine  delica- 
cy and  intelligence,  of  elevated  views,  and  even  of  mys- 


THE   HE1DENMAUER.  1 15 

» 

terious  aspirations,  which  rendered  her  a  woman  that  a 
nice  observer  of  nature  might  have  loved  to  study — and 
have  studied  to  love. 

In  personal  appearance,  Meta  was  a  copy  of  her  mother, 
engrafted  on  the  more  ruddy  health  and  less  abstracted 
habits  of  the  father.  Her  character  will  be  sufficiently 
developed  as  we  proceed  in  the  tale.  We  commit  Use  to 
the  reader's  imagination,  which  will  readily  conceive  the 
sort  of  attendant  that  has  been  introduced. 

The  Herr  Heinrich  did  not  take  possession  of  his  cus- 
tomary post  before  the  high  altar,  without  causing  the  stir 
and  excitement  among  the  simple  peasants  of  the  Jaeger- 
thai,  and  the  truant  Duerckheimers  who  were  present,  that 
became  his  condition  in  life.  But  even  city  importance 
cannot  predominate  for  ever  in  the  house  of  God,  and  the 
bustle  gradually  subsiding,  expectation  began  to  take  pre- 
cedency of  civic  rank. 

The  Abbey  of  Limburg  stood  high  among  the  religious 
communities  of  the  Rhine,  for  its  internal  decorations,  its 
wealth,  and  its  hospitality.  The  chapel  was  justly  deemed 
a  rare  specimen  of  monastic  taste,  nor  was  it  wanting  in 
most  of  those  ornaments  and  decorations  that  render  the 
superior  buildings,  devoted  to  the  service  of  the  Church  of 
Rome,  so  imposing  to  the  senses,  and  so  pleasing  to  the 
admirers  of  solemn  effect.  The  building  was  vast,  and,  as 
prevailed  throughout  that  region  and  in  the  century  of 
which  we  write,  sombre.  It  had  numerous  altars,  rich  in 
marbles  and  pictures,  each  celebrated  in  the  Palatinate  for 
the  kind  mediation  of  the  particular  saint  to  whom  it  was 
dedicated,  and  each  loaded  with  the  votive  offerings  of  the 
suppliant,  or  of  the  grateful.  The  walls  and  the  nave  were 
painted  al  fresco,  not  indeed  with  the  pencil  of  Raphael, 
or  Buonorotti,  but  creditably,  and  in  a  manner  to  heighten 
the  beauty  of  the  place.  The  choir  was  carved  in  high 
relief,  after  a  fashion  much  esteemed,  and  that  was  admi- 
rably executed  in  the  middle  states  of  Europe,  no  less  than 
in  Italy,  and  whole  flocks  of  cherubs  were  seen  poising  on 
the  wing  around  the  organ,  the  altar,  and  the  tombs.  The 
latter  were  numerous,  and  indicated,  by  their  magnificence, 
that  the  bodies  of  those  who  had  enjoyed  the  world's  ad- 
vantages slept  within  the  hallowed  precincts. 

At  length  a  door,  communicating  with  the  cloisters, 
opened,  and  the  monks  appeared,  walking  in  procession. 
At  their  head  came  the  Abbot,  wearing  his  mitre,  and 


ll6  THE  HE1DENMAUER, 

adorned  with  the  gorgeous  robes  of  his  ecclesiastical  office. 
Two  priests,  decorated  for  the  duties  of  the  altar,  followed, 
and  then  succeeded  the  professed  and  the  assistants,  in 
pairs.  The  whole  procession  swept  through  the  aisles  in 
stately  silence  ;  and,  after  making  the  tour  of  most  of  the 
church,  paying  homage  and  offering  prayers  at  several  of 
the  most  honored  altars,  it  passed  into  the  choir.  Father 
Bonifacius  was  seated  on  his  episcopal  throne,  and  the  rest 
of  the  brotherhood  occupied  the  glossy  stalls  reserved  for 
such  occasions.  During  the  march  of  the  monks,  the  organ 
breathed  a  low  accompaniment,  and,  as  they  became  sta- 
tionary, its  last  strain  died  in  the  vaulted  roof.  At  this 
moment  the  clattering  of  horses'  hoofs  was  audible  with- 
out, causing  the  startled  and  uneasy  priests  to  suspend  the 
mass.  The  rattling  of  steel  came  next,  and  then  the  heavy 
tread  of  armed  heels  was  heard  on  the  pavement  of  the 
church  itself. 

Emich  of  Hartenburg  came  up  the  principal  aisle,  with 
the  steady  front  of  one  confident  of  his  power,  and  claim- 
ing deference.  He  was  accompanied  by  his  guests,  the 
Knight  of  Rhodes  and  Monsieur  Latouche,  while  young 
Berchthold  Hintermayer  kept  at  his  elbow,  like  one  accus- 
tomed to  be  in  close  attendance.  A  small  train  of  un- 
armed dependents  brought  up  the  rear.  There  was  a  seat 
of  honor,  in  the  choir  itself,  and  near  the  master  altar,  to 
which  it  was  usual  to  admit  princes  and  nobles  of  high 
consideration.  Passing  through  the  crowd  that  had  col- 
lected at  the  railing  of  the  choir,  the  Count  inclined 
towards  one  of  the  lateral  aisles,  and  was  soon  face  to  face 
with  the  Abbot.  The  latter  arose,  and  slightly  recognized 
the  presence  of  his  guest,  while  the  whole  brotherhood 
imitated  his  example,  though  with  greater  respect ;  for,  as 
we  have  said,  it  was  usual  to  pay  this  homage  to  worldly 
rank,  even  in  the  temple.  Emich  seated  himself,  with  a 
scowl  on  his  visage,  while  his  two  noble  associates  found 
seats  of  honor  near.  Berchthold  stood  at  hand. 

An  inexperienced  eye  could  have  detected  no  outward 
signs  of  his  recent  defeat,  in  the  exterior  of  Wilhelm  of 
Venloo.  His  muscles  had  already  regained  their  tone,  and 
his  entire  countenance  its  usual  expression  of  severe  au- 
thority, a  quality  for  which  it  was  more  remarkable  than 
for  any  lines  of  mortification  or  of  thought.  He  glanced 
at  the  victor,  and  then,  by  a  secret  sign,  communicated 
with  a  lay  brother.  At  this  moment  the  mass  commenced 


THE  HEIDENMAUKR.  117 

Of  all  the  nations  of  Christendom,  this,  compared  with 
its  numbers,  is  the  least  connected  with  the  Church  of 
Rome.  The  peculiar  religious  origin  of  the  people,  their 
habits  of  examination  and  mental  independence,  and  their 
prejudices  (for  the  Protestant  is  no  more  free  from  this 
failing  than  the  Catholic)  are  likely  to  keep  them  long 
separated  from  any  policy,  whether  of  Church  or  State, 
that  exacts  faith  without  investigation,  or  obedience  with- 
out the  right  to  remonstrate.  An  opinion  is  sedulously 
disseminated  in  the  other  hemisphere  that  busy  agents  are 
rapidly  working  changes  in  this  respect,  and  a  powerful 
party  is  anxiously  anticipating  great  ecclesiastical  and  po- 
litical results  from  the  return  of  the  American  nation  to 
the  opinions  of  their  ancestors  of  the  middle  ages.  Were 
the  fact  so,  it  would  give  us  little  concern,  for  we  do  not 
believe  salvation  to  be  the  peculiar  province  of  sects  ;  but, 
had  we  any  apprehensions  of  the  consequences  of  such  a 
conversion,  they  would  not  be  excited  by  the  accidental 
accumulations  of  emigrants  in  towns,  or  on  the  public 
works  in  which  the  country  is  so  actively  engaged.  We 
believe  that  where  one  native  Protestant  becomes  a  Cath- 
olic in  America,  ten  emigrant  Catholics  drop  quietly  into 
the  ranks  of  the  prevailing  sects  ;  and,  without  at  all  agi- 
tating the  point  of  which  is  the  gainer  or  the  loser  by  the 
change,  we  shall  proceed  to  describe  the  manner  of  the 
mass,  as  a  ceremony,  that  ninety-nine  in  a  hundred  of  our 
readers  have  never  had,  nor  probably  ever  will  have,  an 
opportunity  of  witnessing. 

There  is  no  appeal  to  the  feelings  of  man  which  has 
given  rise  to  opinions  so  decidedly  at  variance  as  those 
which  are  entertained  of  the  Roman  ritual.  To  one  de- 
scription of  Christians  these  ceremonies  appear  to  be  vain 
mummeries,  invented  to  delude,  and  practised  for  unjusti- 
fiable ends  ;  while  to  another  they  contain  all  that  is  sub- 
lime and  imposing  in  human  worship.  As  is  usual  in  most 
cases  of  extreme  opinions,  the  truth  would  seem  to  lie  be- 
tween the  two.  The  most  zealous  Catholic  errs  when  he 
would  maintain  the  infallibility  of  all  who  minister  at  the 
altar,  or  when  he  overlooks  the  slovenly  and  irreverent 
manner  in  which  the  most  holy  offices  are  so  frequently 
performed  ;  and,  surely,  the  Protestant  who  quits  the  tem- 
ple, in  which  justice  has  been  done  to  the  formula  of  this 
Church,  without  perceiving  that  there  is  deep  and  sublime 
devotion  in  its  rites,  has  steeled  his  feelings  against  the  ad- 


n  8  THE  HE  IDE  NM  AVER. 

mission  of  every  sentiment  in  favor  of  a  sect  that  he  is  will- 
ing to  proscribe.  We  belong  to  neither  class,  and  shall, 
therefore,  endeavor  to  represent  things  as  they  have  been 
seen,  not  disguising  or  affecting  a  single  emotion  because 
our  fathers  happened  to  take  refuge  in  this  western  world 
to  set  up  altars  of  a  different  shade  of  faith. 

The  interior  of  the  Abbey-church  of  Limburg,  as  has 
just  been  stated,  was  renowned  in  Germany  for  its  mag- 
nificence. Its  vaulted  roof  was  supported  by  many  mas- 
sive pillars,  and  ornamented  with  scriptural  stories,  by  the 
best  pencils  of  that  region.  The  grand  altar  was  of  marble, 
richly  embellished  with  agate,  containing  as  usual  a  la- 
bored representation  of  the  blessed  Mary  and  her  deified 
child.  A  railing  of  exquisite  workmanship  and  richly 
gilded,  excluded  profane  feet  from  this  sanctified  spot, 
which,  in  addition  to  its  fixtures,  was  now  glittering  with 
vessels  of  gold  and  precious  stones,  being  decorated  for 
the  approaching  mass.  The  officiating  priests  wore  vest- 
ments stiffened  with  golden  embroidery,  while  the  inferior 
attendants  were  as  usual  clad  in  white,  and  bound  with 
scarfs  of  purple. 

Upon  this  scene  of  gorgeous  and  elaborate  splendor,  in 
which  the  noble  architecture  united  with  the  minute  prep- 
arations of  the  service  to  lead  the  spirit  to  lofty  contem- 
plations, the  chant  of  the  monks,  and  the  tones  of  the  or- 
gan, broke  in  a  deep  and  startling  appeal  to  the  soul.  Lives 
dedicated  to  the  practices  of  their  community,  had  drilled 
the  brotherhood  into  perfection,  and  scarce  a  note  issued 
among  the  vaults  that  was  not  attuned  to  the  desired  ef- 
fect. Trombones,  serpents,  and  viols,  lent  their  aid  to  in- 
crease the  solemn  melody  of  powerful  masculine  voices, 
which  were  so  blended  with  the  wind  instrument  as  to 
comprise  but  one  deep,  grand,  and  grave  sound  of  praise. 
Count  Emich  turned  on  his  seat,  clenching  the  handle  of 
his  sword,  as  if  the  clamor  of  the  trumpet  were  in  his  ears  : 
then  his  unquiet  glance  met  that  of  the  Abbot,  and  his 
chin  fell  upon  a  hand.  As  the  service  proceeded,  the  zeal 
of  the  brotherhood  seemed  to  increase,  and,  as  it  was  after- 
wards remarked,  on  no  occasion  had  the  mass  of  Limburg, 
at  all  times  known  for  its  power  in  music,  been  so  remark- 
able for  its  strong  and  stirring  influence.  Voice  rolled 
above  voice,  in  a  manner  that  must  be  heard  to  be  under- 
stood, and  there  were  moments  when  the  tones  of  the  in- 
struments, full  and  united  as  they  were,  appeared  drowned 


THE   ITETDEN-MAUER.  119 

in  the  blending  of  a  hundred  human  aspirations.  From 
the  deepest  of  one  of  these  solemn  peals  there  arose  a 
strain,  at  whose  first  tone  all  other  music  was  hushed.  It 
was  a  single  human  voice,  of  that  admixture  of  the  male 
and  female  tones  which  seems  nearest  allied  to  the  super- 
natural, being  in  truth,  a  contralto  of  great  compass, 
roundness,  and  sweetness.  Count  Emich  started,  for,  when 
these  heavenly  strains  broke  upon  his  ear,  they  seemed  to 
float  in  the  vault  above  the  choir;  nor  could  he,  as  the 
singer  was  concealed,  assure  himself  of  the  delusion,  while 
the  solo  lasted.  He  dropped  his  sword,  and  gazed  about 
him,  for  the  first  time  that  morning,  with  an  expression  of 
human  charity.  The  lips  of  young  Berchthold  parted  in 
admiration,  and  as  he  just  then  met  the  blue  eye  of  Meta, 
there  was  an  exchange  of  gentle  feeling  in  that  quiet  and 
secret  glance.  In  the  meantime,  the  chant  proceeded. 
The  single  unearthly  voice  that  had  so  stirred  the  spirits 
of  the  listeners  ceased,  and  a  full  chorus  of  the  choir  con- 
cluded the  hymn. 

The  Count  of  Leiningen  drew  a  breath  so  heavy  that  it 
was  audible  to  Bonifacius.  The  latter  suffered  his  counte- 
nance to  unbend,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  the  youthful  pair, 
the  spirit  of  concord  appeared  to  soothe  the  tempers  of 
these  fierce  rivals.  But  here  commenced  the  ritual  of  the 
mass.  The  rapid  utterance  of  the  officiating  priest,  ges- 
ticulations which  lost  their  significance  by  being  blended 
and  indistinct,  and  prayers  in  a  tongue  that  defeated  their 
object  by  involving  instead  of  rendering  the  medium  of 
thought  noble  and  clear,  united  to  weaken  the  effect  pro- 
duced by  the  music.  Worship  lost  its  character  of  inspi- 
ration, by  assuming  that  of  business,  neither  attracting  the 
imagination,  influencing  the  feelings,  nor  yet  sufficiently 
convincing  the  reason.  Abandoning  all  these  persuasive 
means,  too  much  was  left  to  the  convictions  of  a  naked 
and  settled  belief. 

Emich  of  Hartenburg  gradually  resumed  his  repulsive 
mien,  and  the  effect  of  all  that  he  had  so  lately  felt  was 
lost  in  cold  indifference  to  words  that  he  did  not  compre- 
hend. Even  young  Berchthold  sought  the  eye  of  Meta 
less  anxiously,  and  both  the  Knight  of  Rhodes  and  Mon- 
sieur Latouche  gazed  listlessly  towards  the  throng  grouped 
before  the  railing  of  the  choir.  In  this  manner  did  the 
service  commence  and  terminate.  There  was  another 
hymn,  and  a  second  exhibition  of  the  power  of  music, 


120  THE   HE1DENMAUER. 

though  with  an  effect  less  marked  than  that  which  had 
been  produced  when  the  listeners  were  taken  by  surprise. 

Against  a  column,  near  the  centre  of  the  church,  was 
erected  a  pulpit.  A  monk  rose  from  his  stall,  at  the  close 
of  the  worship,  and,  passing  through  the  crowd,  ascended 
its  stairs  like  one  about  to  preach.  It  was  Father  Johan,  a 
brother  known  for  the  devotedness  of  his  faith  and  the 
severity  of  his  opinions.  The  low  receding  forehead,  the 
quiet  but  glassy  eye,  and  the  fixedness  of  the  inferior 
members  of  the  face,  might  readily  have  persuaded  a 
physiognomist  that  he  beheld  a  heavy  enthusiast.  The 
language  and  opinions  of  the  preacher  did  not  deny  the 
expectations  excited  by  his  exterior.  He  painted,  in  strong 
and  ominous  language,  the  dangers  of  the  sinner,  nar- 
rowed the  fold  of  the  saved  within  metaphysical  and  ques- 
tionable limits,  and  made  frequent  appeals  to  the  fears  and 
to  the  less  noble  passions  of  his  audience.  While  the 
greater  number  in  the  church  kept  aloof,  listening  indif 
ferently,  or  gazing  at  the  monuments  and  other  rich  deco- 
rations of  the  place,  a  knot  of  kindred  spirits  clustered 
around  the  pillar  that  supported  the  preacher's  desk, 
deeply  sympathizing  in  all  his  pictures  of  pain  and  deso- 
lation. 

The  sharp,  angry,  and  denunciatory  address  of  Father 
Johan  was  soon  ended  ;  and,  as  he  re-entered  the  choir, 
the  Abbot  rose  and  retired  to  the  cloisters,  followed  by 
most  of  the  brotherhood.  But  neither  the  Count  of  Har- 
tenburg,  nor  any  of  his  train,  seemed  disposed  to  quit  the 
church  so  soon/  An  air  of  expectation  appeared,  also,  to 
detain  most  of  those  in  the  body  of  the  building.  A  monk, 
towards  whom  many  longing  eyes  had  been  cast,  yielded 
to  the  general  and  touching  appeal,  and  quitting  his  stall, 
one  of  high  honor,  he  took  the  place  just  vacated  by 
Father  Johan. 

The  movement  was  no  sooner  made,  than  the  name  of 
Father  Arnolph,  the  Prior,  or  the  immediate  spiritual  gov- 
ernor of  the  community,  was  buzzed  among  the  people. 
Emich  arose,  and,  accompanied  by  his  friends,  took  a  sta- 
tion near  the  pulpit,  while  the  dense  mass  of  uplifted  and 
interested  faces,  that  filled  the  middle  aisle,  proclaimed 
the  interest  of  the  congregation.  There  was  that  in  the 
countenance  and  air  of  Father  Arnolph  to  justify  this 
plain  demonstration  of  sympathy.  His  eye  was  mild  and 
benevolent,  his  forehead  full,  placid  and  even,  and  the 


THE  HEIDENMA17ER.  121 

whole  character  of  his  face  was  that  of  winning  philan- 
thropy. To  the  influence  of  this  general  and  benevolent 
expression,  must  be  added  evident  signs  of  discipline, 
much  thought,  and  meek  hope. 

The  spiritual  part  of  such  a  man  was  not  likely  to  belie 
the  exterior.  His  doctrine,  like  that  of  the  divine  being 
he  served,  was  charitable  and  full  of  love.  Though  he 
spoke  of  the  terrors  of  judgment,  it  was  with  grief  rather 
than  with  menace  ;  and  it  was  when  dwelling  on  the  per- 
suasive and  attractive  character  of  faith,  that  he  was  most 
earnest  and  eloquent.  Again  Emich  found  his  secret  in- 
tentions shaken,  and  his  frown  relaxed  to  gleamings  of 
sympathy  and  interest.  The  eye  of  the  preacher  met  that 
of  the  stern  baron,  and,  without  making  an  alarming 
change  of  manner,  he  continued,  as  it  were,  by  a  natural 
course  of  thought — "  Such  is  the  Church  in  its  purity,  my 
hearers,  let  the  errors,  the  passions,  or  the  designs  of  man 
pervert  it  in  what  manner  they  may.  The  faith  I  preach 
is  of  God,  and  it  partakes  of  the  godlike  qualities  of  His 
divine  essence.  He  who  would  impute  the  sins  of  its  mis- 
taken performance  to  aught  but  his  erring  creatures,  casts 
odium  on  that  which  is  instituted  for  his  own  good  ;  and 
he  who  would  do  violence  to  its  altars,  lifts  a  hand  against 
a  work  of  omnipotence  !  " 

With  these  words  in  his  ears,  Emich  of  Hartenburg 
turned  away,  and  passed  musingly  up  the  church. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"  Japhet,  I  cannot  answer  thee." — BYRON. 

THE  Abbey  of  Limburg  owed  its  existence  and  its  rich 
endowments  chiefly  to  the  favor  of  an  emperor  of  Ger- 
many. In  honor  of  this  great  patron,  an  especial  altar, 
and  a  gorgeous  and  elaborate  tomb,  had  been  erected. 
Similar  honors  had  been  also  paid  to  the  Counts  of  Lein- 
ingen,  and  to  certain  other  noble  families  of  the  vicinity 
These  several  altars  were  in  black  marble,  relieved  by  or- 
naments  of  white,  and  the  tombs  were  decorated  with  such 
heraldic  devices  as  marked  the  particular  races  of  the  dif- 
ferent individuals.  They  stood  apart  from  those  already 
described  in  the  principal  church,  in  a  sort  of  crypt,  or 


i2i  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

semi-subterranean  chapel,  beneath  the  choir.  Thither 
Count  Emich  held  his  way,  when  he  quitted  the  -column 
against  which  he  had  leaned  while  listening  to  the  sermqn 
of  Father  Arnolph. 

The  light  of  the  upper  church  had  that  soft  and  melan- 
choly tint  which  is  so  peculiar  and  so  ornamental  to  a 
Gothic  edifice.  It  entered  through  high,  narrow  windows 
of  painted  glass,  coloring  all  within  with  a  hue  that  it  was 
not  difficult  for  the  imagination  to  conceive  had  some  se- 
cret connection  with  the  holy  character  of  the  place.  The 
depth  and  the  secluded  position  of  the  chapel  rendered 
this  light  still  more  gloomy  and  touching  in  the  crypt. 
When  the  Count  reached  the  pavement,  he  felt  its  influence 
deeply,  for  few  descended  into  that  solemn  and  hallowed 
vault  without  becoming  sensible  to  the  religious  awe  that 
reigned  around.  Emich  crossed  himself,  and,  as  he  passed 
before  the  altar  reared  by  his  race,  he  bent  a  knee  to  the 
mild  and  lovely  female  countenance  that  was  there  to  rep- 
resent the  Mother  of  Christ.  He  thought  himself  alone, 
and  he  uttered  a  prayer ;  for,  though  Emich  of  Leiningen 
was  a  man  that  rarely  communed  seriously  with  God  when 
exposed  to  worldly  and  deriding  eyes,  he  had  in  his  heart 
deep  reverence  for  his  power.  As  he  arose,  a  movement 
at  his  elbow  attracted  a  look  aside. 

"  Ha ! — Thou  here,  Herr  Prior  !  "  he  exclaimed,  sup- 
pressing as  much  of  his  surprise  as  self-command  enabled 
him  to  do  with  success  ;  "  Thou  art  swift  in  thy  passage 
from  the  stall  to  the  pulpit,  and  swifter  from  the  pulpit  to 
the  chapel ! " 

"  We  that  are  vowed  to  lives  of  monkish  devotion,  need 
to  be  often  at  all.  Thou  wert  kneeling,  Emich,  before  the 
altar  of  thy  race  ? " 

"  By  St.  Benedict,  thy  patron  !  but  thou  hast,  in  good 
sooth,  found  me  in  some  such  act,  holy  father.  A  weak- 
ness came  over  me,  on  entering  into  this  gloomy  place, 
and  I  would  fain  do  reverence  to  the  spirits  of  those  who 
have  gone  before  me." 

"  Callest  thou  the  desire  to  pray  a  weakness  ?  At  what 
shrine  could  one  of  thy  name  worship  more  fittingly  than  at 
this,  which  has  been  reared  and  enriched  by  the  devout  of 
his  own  kindred  ;  or  in  what  better  mood  canst  thou  look 
into  thyself,  and  call  upon  divine  aid,  than  in  that  thou 
hast  mentioned  ? " 

"  Herr  Prior,  thou  overlookest  the  occasion  of  my  visit, 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  123 

which  is  to  hear  the  Abbey  mass,  and  not  to  confess  and 
be  shrived." 

"  It  is  long  since  thou  hast  had  the  benefit  of  these  sacred 
offices,  Emich  !  " 

"  Thou  hast  done  well  in  thy  way,  father,  at  the  desk  ; 
and  I  question  not  that  the  burghers  of  Duerckheim  and 
their  gossips  will  do  thee  credit  in  their  private  discourses. 
Thy  fame  as  a  preacher  is  not  of  mean  degree  even  now, 
and  this  effort  of  to-day  would  well-nigh  gain  thee  a 
bishopric,  were  the  women  of  our  valley  in  the  way  of 
moving  Rome.  How  fareth  it  with  the  most  holy  Abbot 
this  morning,  and  with  those  two  pillars  of  the  community, 
the  Fathers  Siegfried  and  Cuno  ? " 

"  Thou  sawest  them  in  their  places  at  the  most  holy 
mass." 

"'Fore  heaven  !  but  they  are  worthy  companions  !  Be- 
lieve me,  father,  more  honest  boon  associates  do  not  dwell 
in  our  merry  Palatinate,  nor  men  that  I  love  in  a  better 
fashion,  according  to  their  merits  !  Did'st  hear,  reverend 
Prior,  of  their  visit  to  Hartenburg,  and  of  their  deeds  in 
the  flesh  ? "  ^ 

"The  humor  of  thy  mind  is  quickly  changed,  Herr 
Count,  and  pity  'tis  'twere  thus.  I  came  not  here  to  listen 
to  tales  of  excesses  in  thy  hold,  nor  of  any  forgetfulness 
of  those  who,  having  sworn  to  better  things,  have  betrayed 
that  they  are  merely  men." 

"Aye,  and  stout  men,  if  any  such  dwell  in  the  empire  ! 
I  prize  my  good  name  as  another,  or  I  would  tell  thee  the 
number  of  vessels  that  my  keeper  of  the  cellar  sweareth 
are  no  better  than  so  many  men-at-arms  fallen  in  a  rally  or 
an  onset." 

"  This  love  of  wine  is  the  curse  of  our  region  and  of  the 
times.  I  would  that  none  of  the  treacherous  liquor  should 
again  enter  the  gates  of  Limburg !  " 

"  God's  justice  !  reverend  Prior,  thou  wilt  in  sooth  find 
some  decrease  of  quantity  in  future,"  returned  Emich, 
laughing,  "for  the  disputed  vineyards  have  at  last  found 
a  single,  and,  though  it  might  better  come  from  thee,  as 
one  that  hath  often  looked  into  my  interior,  as  it  were,  by 
confession,  a  worthy  master.  I  pledge  thee  the  honor  of 
a  noble,  that  not  a  flask  of  that  which  thou  so  contemnest 
shall  ever  again  do  violence  to  thy  taste." 

The  Count  cast  a  triumphant  glance  at  the  monk,  in  the 
expectation,  and  possibly  in  the  hope,  that,  notwithstand- 


124  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

ing  his  professions  of  moderation,  some  lurking  signs  of 
regret  might  betray  themselves  at  this  announcement  of 
the  convent's  loss.  But  Father  Arnolph  was  what  he 
seemed,  a  roan  devoted  to  the  holy  office  he  had  assumed, 
and  one  but  little  influenced  by  worldly  interests. 

"  I  understand  thee,  Emich,"  he  said  mildly,  but  un- 
moved. "This  scandal  was  not  wanting  at  such  a  moment 
to  bring  obloquy  upon  a  reverend  and  holy  Church,  against 
which  its  enemies  have  been  permitted  to  make  rude  war- 
fare, for  reasons  that  are  concealed  in  the  inscrutable 
mysteries  of  him  who  founded  it." 

u  Thou  speakest  in  reason,  monk,  for,  to  say  truth,  yon 
fellow  of  Saxony,  and  his  followers,  who  are  anything  but 
few  or  weak,  begin  to  move  many  in  this  quarter  to  doubts 
and  disobedience.  Thou  must  most  stoutly  hate  this 
brother  Luther  in  thy  heart,  father !  " 

For  the  first  time  that  day,  the  countenance  of  the  Prior 
lost  its  even  expression  of  benevolence.  But  the  change 
was  so  imperceptible  to  a  vulgar  eye,  as  to  escape  the 
scrutiny  of  the  Count  ;  and  the  feeling,  a  lingering  rem- 
nant of  humanity,  was  quickly  mastered  by  one  so  accus- 
tomed to  hold  the  passions  in  subjection. 

"  The  name  of  the  schismatic  hath  troubled  me  ! "  re- 
turned the  Prior,  smiling  mournfully  at  the  consciousness 
of  his  own  weakness  ;  "  I  hope  it  has  not  been  with  a  feel- 
ing of  personal  dislike.  He  stands  on  a  frightful  preci- 
pice, and  from  my  soul  do  I  pray,  that  not  only  he,  but  all 
the  deluded  that  follow  in  his  dangerous  track,  may  see 
their  peril  in  time\to  retire  unharmed  !" 

"  Father,  thou  speakest  like  one  that  wishest  good  to  the 
Saxon  rather  than  harm  !  " 

"  I  think  I  may  say,  the  words  do  not  belie  the  thoughts." 

"Nay,  thou  forgettest  the  damnable  heresies  he  prac- 
tiseth,  and  overlooketh  his  motive  !  Surely  one  that  can 
thus  sell  soul  and  body  for  love  of  a  wanton  nun,  hath 
little  claim  to  thy  charity  !  " 

There  was  a  slight  glow  on  the  temples  of  Father 
Arnolph. 

"They  have  attributed  to  him  this  craven  passion,"  he 
answered,  "  and  they  have  tried  to  prove,  that  a  mean  wish 
to  partake  of  the  pleasures  of  the  world,  lies  at  the  bottom 
of  his  rebellion  ;  but  I  believe  it  not,  and  I  say  it  not." 

"  God's  truth  !  thou  art  worthy  of  thy  holy  office,  Herr 
Prior,  and  I  honor  thy  moderation.  Were  there  more  like 


THE   HEIDRXMA  UER. 


I25 


thee  among  us,  we  should  have  a  better  neighborhood,  and 
less  meddling  with  the  concerns  of  others.  With  thee,  I 
see  myself  no  such  necessity  of  his  openly  wiving  the  nun, 
for  it  is  very  possible  to  enjoy  the  gifts  of  life  even  under 
a  cowl,  should  it  be  our  fortune  to  wear  it." 

The  monk  made  no  answer,  for  he  perceived  he  had  to  do 
with  one  unequal  to  understanding  his  own  character. 

"  Of  this  we  will  say  no  more,"  he  rejoined,  after  a  brief 
and  painful  pause  ;  "let  us  look  rather  to  thine  own  wel- 
fare. It  is  said,  Count  Emich,  that  thou  meditatest  evil  to 
this  holy  shrine  ;  that  ambition,  and  the  longings  of  cu- 
pidity, have  tempted  thee  to  plot  our  abbey's  fall,  in  order 
that  none  may  stand  between  thine  own  baronial  power 
and  the  throne  of  the  Elector  ! " 

"Thou  art  less  unwilling  to  form  unkind  opinions  of  thy 
nearest  neighbor,  than  of  that  mortal  enemy  of  the  Church, 
Luther,  it  would  appear,  Herr  Prior.  What  hast  thou 
seen  in  me,  that  can  embolden  one  of  thy  charity  to  hazard 
this  accusation  ? " 

4  "  I  do  but  hazard  what  all  in  our  convent  think  and 
dread.  Hast  thou  reflected  well,  Emich,  of  this  sacrilegious 
enterprise,  and  of  what  may  be  its  fruits  ?  Dost  thou  re- 
call the  objects  for  which  these  holy  altars  were  reared,  or 
the  hand  that  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  edifice  thou 
wouldst  so  profanely  overthrow  ? " 

"  Look  you,  good  Father  Arnolph,  there  are  two  man- 
ners of  viewing  the  erection  of  thy  convent,  and  more  es- 
pecially of  this  identical  church  in  which  we  stand.  One 
of  our  traditions  sayeth  that  the  arch-knave  himself  had 
his  trowel  in  thy  masonry." 

"  Thou  art  of  too  high  lineage,  of  blood  too  noble,  and 
of  intelligence  too  ripe,  to  credit  the  tale." 

"  These  are  points  in  which  I  pretend  not  to  dip  too 
deeply.  I  am  no  scholar  of  Prague  or  Wittenberg,  that 
thou  shouldst  put  these  questions  so  closely  to  me.  It 
were  well  that  the  brotherhood  had  bethought  itself  of  this 
imputation  in  season,  that  the  question  might  have  been 
settled,  for  or  against,  as  justice  needed,'  when  the  learned 
and  great  among  our  fathers  were  met  at  Constance,  in 
grave  and  general  council." 

Father  Arnolph  regarded  his  companion  in  serious  con- 
cern. He  too  well  knew  the  deplorable  ignorance,  and 
the  consequent  superstition,  in  which  the  great  of  his  time 
were  involved,  to  manifest  surprise ;  but  he  also  knew  the 


126  THE   HEIDKXMAl'ER. 

power  the  other  wielded  sufficiently  to  foresee  the  evils  of 
such  a  union  between  force  and  ignorance.  Still  it  was 
not  his  present  object  to  combat  opinions  that  were  only  to 
be  removed  by  time  and  study,  if  indeed  they  can  ever  be 
eradicated,  when  fairly  rooted  in  the  human  mind.  He 
pursued  his  immediate  design,  therefore,  avoiding  a  dis- 
cussion, which,  at  that  moment,  might  prove  worse  than 
useless. 

"  That  the  finger  of  evil  mingles  more  or  less  with  all 
things  that  come  of  human  agency,  may  be  true,"  he  con- 
tinued, taking  care  that  the  expression  of  his  eye  should 
neither  awaken  the  pride,  nor  arouse  the  obstinacy  of  the 
noble — "  but  when  altars  have  been  reared,  and  when  the 
worship  of  the  Most  High  God  hath  continued  for  ages, 
we  have  reason  to  hope  that  His  holy  spirit  presideth  in 
majesty  and  love  around  the  shrines.  Such  hath  been  the 
case  with  Limburg,  Count  Emich  ;  and  doubt  it  not,  we 
who  stand  here,  holding  this  discourse,  stand  also  in  the 
immediate  presence  of  that  dread  Being  who  created 
heaven  and  earth,  who  guideth  our  lives,  and  who  will 
judge  us  in  death  !  " 

"  God  help  us,  Herr  Prior  !  Thou  hast  already  done 
thy  office  in  the  desk  this  day,  and  I  see  no  occasion  that 
thou  shouldst  doubly  perform  a  function,  that  was  so  well 
acquitted  at  first.  I  like  not  the  manner  of  being  usher- 
ed, as  it  were  unannounced,  into  so  dread  a  presence  as 
this  thou  hast  just  proclaimed.  Were  it  but  the  Elector 
Friedrich,  Emich  of  Leiningen  could  not  presume  to 
this  familiarity,  without  some  consultation  as  to  its  fit- 
ness." 

"In  the  eyes  of  the  Being  we  mean,  Electors  and  Em- 
perors are  equally  indifferent.  He  loveth  the  meek,  and 
the  merciful,  and  the  just,  while  he  scourgeth  them  who 
deny  his  authority.  But  thou  hast  named  thy  feudal  prince, 
and  I  will  question  thee  in  a  manner  suited  to  thy  habits. 
Thou  art,  in  truth,  Emich  of  Leiningen,  a  noble  of  name 
in  the  Palatinate,  and  one  known  to  be  of  long-established 
authority  in  these  regions.  Still  art  thou  second,  or  even 
third,  in  worldly  command,  in  this  thy  very  country.  The 
Elector  and  the  Emperor  both  hold  thee  in  check,  and 
either  is  strong  enough  to  destroy  thee  at  pleasure,  in  thy 
vaunted  hold  of  Hartenburg." 

"To  the  last  I  yield  the  means,  if  thou  wilt,  worthy 
Prior" — interrupted  the  Count — "  but  for  the  first,  he  must 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  127 

needs  dispose  of  his  own  pressing  enemies,  before  he 
achieves  this  victory  !" 

Father  Arnolph  understood  the  other's  meaning,  for  it 
was  no  secret  that  Friedrich  was,  just  then,  so  pressed  as 
to  sit  on  a  tottering  throne  ;  a  circumstance  that  was 
known  to  have  encouraged  the  long  meditated  designs  of 
the  Count  of  Hartenburg  to  get  rid  of  a  community,  thai 
thwarted  his  views,  and  diminished  his  local  authority. 

"Forgetting  the  Elector,we  will  turn  only  to  the  Emperor, 
then,"  rejoined  the  Prior.  "Thou  believest  him  to  be  in 
his  palace,  and  remote  from  thy  country,  and  certainly  he 
hath  here  no  visible  force  to  restrain  thy  rebellious  hand. 
We  will  imagine  that  a  family  he  protected — nay,  that  he 
loved — stood  in  the  way  of  some  of  thy  greedy  projects, 
and  that  the  tempter  had  persuaded  thee  it  would  be  well 
to  remove  it,  or  to  destroy  it  with  the  strong  hand.  Art 
thou  weak  enough,  Count  Emich,  to  listen  to  such  advice, 
when  thou  knowest  that  the  arm  of  Charles  is  long  enough 
to  reach  from  his  distant  Madrid  to  the  most  remote  cor- 
ner of  Germany,  and  that  his  vengeance  would  be  as  sure 
as  it  would  be  fearful  ! " 

"It  would  be  a  bold  warfare,  Herr  Prior,  that  of  Emich 
of  Leiningen  against  Charles  Quintus  !  Left  to  mine  own 
humor,  holy  monk,  I  would  rather  choose  another  enemy." 

"  And  yet  thou  wotildst  war  with  one  mightier  than  he  ! 
Thou  raisest  thy  impotent  arm,  and  thy  audacious  will, 
against  thy  God  !  Thou  wouldst  despise  His  promises,  pro- 
fane His  altars,  nay,  thou  wouldst  fain  throw  down  the 
tabernacle  that  He  hath  reared !  Dost  thou  think  that 
Omnipotence  will  be  a  nerveless  witness  of  this  sin  ;  or 
that  an  eternal  and  benign  wisdom  will  forget  to  punish  ?" 

"  By  St.  Paul  !  thou  puttest  the  matter  altogether  in  thine 
own  interest,  Father  Arnolph,  for  there  is  yet  no  proof 
that  this  Abbey  of  Limburg  hath  any  such  origin,  or,  if  it 
had,  that  it  hath  not  fallen  into  disfavor,  by  the  excesses 
of  its  own  professed.  Twere  well  to  send  for  the  right 
reverend  Abbot,  and  those  pillars  of  sanctity,  the  Fathers 
Cuno  and  Siegfried,  to  bear  witness  in  thy  behalf.  God's 
wisdom  !  I  reason  better  with  those  worthies,  in  such  a 
matter,  than  with  thee  !  " 

Emich  laughed,  the  sound  echoing  in  that  vaulted  chapel 
to  the  ears  of  the  monk,  like  the  scoffing  of  a  demon.  Still, 
the  natural  equity  of  Father  Arnolph  told  him  that  there 
was  too  much  to  justify  the  taunt  of  the  noble,  for  he  had 


128  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

long  and  bitterly  mourned  the  depravity  of  many  of  the 
brotherhood. 

"  I  am  not  here  to  sit  in  judgment  on  those  who  err,  but 
to  defend  the  shrines  at  which  I  worship,  and  to  warn  thee 
from  a  fatal  sin.  If  thy  hand  is  ever  lifted  against  these 
walls,  it  is  raised  against  that  which  God  hath  blessed,  and 
which  God  will  avenge.  But  thou  art  of  human  feeling, 
Emich  of  Hartenburg  ;  and,  though  doubting  of  the  sacred 
character  of  that  which  thou  wouldst  fain  destroy,  thou 
canst  not  deceive  thyself  concerning  these  tombs  — In  this 
holy  chapel  have  prayers  been  often  raised,  and  masses 
said,  for  the  souls  of  thine  own  line  ! " 

The  Count  of  Leiningen  looked  steadily  at  the  speaker. 
Father  Arnolph  had  placed  himself,  without  design,  near 
the  opening  which  communicated  between  that  sombre 
chapel  and  the  superior  church.  Rays  of  bright  light  shot 
through  the  eastern  window,  and  fell  upon  the  pavement 
at  his  feet,  throwing  around  his  form  the  mild  and  solemn 
lustre  which  comes  from  the  stained  glass  of  the  Gothic 
ages.  The  services  of  the  morning  had  also  spread  through- 
out the  entire  building,  that  soothing  atmosphere  which  is 
usually  the  attendant  of  Roman  worship.  The  incense  had 
penetrated  to  the  crypt,  and  unconsciously  the  warlike 
noble  had  felt  its  influence  quieting  his  nerves  and  lulling 
the  passions.  All  who  have  entered  the  principal  Basilica 
of  modern  Rome,  have  been  subject  to  a  combination  of 
moral  and  physical  causes  that  produce  the  result  we  mean, 
and  which,  though  more  striking  in  that  vast  and  glorious 
pile,  resembling  a  world  with  attributes  and  an  atmosphere 
of  its  own,  is  also  felt  in  every  Catholic  temple  of  conse- 
quence in  a  lessened  degree. 

"Here  lie  my  fathers,  Arnolph,"  answered  the  Count, 
huskily  ;  "  and  here,  as  thou  sayest,  have  masses  been  said 
for  their  souls  !  " 

"  And  thou  contemnest  their  graves — thou  wouldst  vio- 
late even  their  bones  !  " 

"  'Twere  not  an  act  for  a  Christian  ! " 

"Look  hither,  Count.  This  is  the  monument  of  the 
good  Emich,  thy  ancestor.  He  honored  his  God,  and  did 
not  scruple  to  worship  at  our  altars." 

"  Thou  knowest,  holy  Prior,  that  I  have  often  bared  my 
soul  at  thy  knees." 

"  Thou  hast  confessed,  and  hast  been  shrived  ;  that 
thou  didst  not  lay  up  future  griefs " 


THE  HEWENMAUER.  129 

"  Say  rather  damnation" — interrupted  one  behind,  whose 
voice,  issuing  suddenly  from  that  sepulchral  chapel, 
seemed  to  come  from  the  tombs  themselves — "  Thou  triflest, 
reverend  Prior,  with  our  holy  mission,  to  deal  thus  tenderly 
with  so  sore  a  sinner." 

The  Count  of  Leiningen  had  started,  and  even  quailed, 
at  the  first  words  of  interruption  ;  but  looking  around,  he 
beheld  the  receding  front,  the  sunken  eye,  and  the  bend- 
ing person  of  Father  Johan. 

"  Monks,  I  leave  you,"  said  Emich,  firmly.  "It  is  good 
for  ye  to  pray,  and  to  frequent  these  gloomy  altars  ;  but  I, 
who  am  a  soldier,  cannot  waste  further  time  in  your  vaults. 
Herr  Prior,  farewell.  Thou  hast  a  guardian  that  will  pro- 
tect the  good." 

Before  the  Prior  could  recover  his  voice,  for  he  too  had 
been  taken  by  surprise,  the  Count  stalked,  with  a  heavy 
footstep,  up  the  marble  stairs,  and  the  tread  of  his  armed 
heel  was  soon  heard  on  the  flags  above. 


CHAPTER  X. 

"The  way  is  but  short ;  away — "  Armado. 

WHILE  all  must  be  conscious  of  the  fearful  infirmities 
that  beset  human  nature,  there  are  none  so  base  as  not  to 
know  that  their  being  contains  the  seeds  of  that  godlike 
principle  which  still  likens  them  to  their  divine  Creator. 
Virtue  commands  the  respect  of  man,  in  whatever  acciden- 
tal stage  of  civilization,  or  of  mental  improvement,  he  may 
happen  to  exist ;  and  he  who  practises  its  precepts  is  cer- 
tain of  the  respect,  though  he  may  not  always  secure  the 
protection,  of  his  contemporaries. 

As  the  Count  of  Leiningen  walked  down  the  rich  and 
vast  aisle  of  the  Abbey-church,  his  thoughts  vacillated  be- 
tween tfre  impressions  produced  by  the  Prior,  and  his  la- 
tent, but  still  predominant,  intentions.  He  might  have 
been  likened  to  one  who  listened  to  the  counsels  of  a  good 
and  of  an  evil  genius  ;  that  exhorting  to  forbearance  and 
mercy,  and  this  tempting  to  violence  by  the  usual  array  of 
flattery  and  hopes.  While  he  brooded  over  the  exactions 
of  the  community,  which  were  founded  on  a  legal  superior- 
ity that  was  alike  hurtful  to  his  power  and  galling  to  his 

9 


1 3o  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

pride,  its  manner  of  thwarting  his  views,  and  its  constant 
opposition  to  his  supremacy  in  the  valley,  motives  of 
enmity  that  were  justly  heightened  by  the  dissolute  and 
audacious  deportment  of  too  many  of  its  members,  the 
effect  of  all  was  secretly  opposed  by  the  image  of  Father 
Arnolph,  surrounded  by  the  mild  and  noble  characteristics 
of  Christian  virtue.  Emich  could  not,  though  he  fain 
would,  chase  from  his  imagination  the  impression  of  meek- 
ness, charity,  and  of  self-denial,  that  a  long  acquaintance 
with  the  monk  had  made,  and  which  the  recent  interview 
had  served  both  to  freshen  and  to  render  more  deep.  But 
a  spectacle  was  prepared  to  meet  his  eyes  in  the  court  of 
the  convent,  that  did  as  much  towards  weakening  this 
happy  influence  of  the  Prior,  by  setting  the  pride  of  the 
noble  in  opposition  to  his  better  feelings,  as  could  have 
been  wished  by  the  bitterest  enemy  of  Limburg. 

It  has  been  said  that  the  outer  wall  of  the  Abbey  encir- 
cled the  entire  brow  of  the  hill,  or  mountain,  on  which  the 
convent  stood.  Though  the  buildings  were  spacious  and 
numerous,  the  size  of  the  little  plain  on  the  summit  left 
ample  space  for  exercise  and  air.  Besides  the  cloisters, 
which  were  vast,  though  possessing  the  character  of  monk- 
ish seclusion,  there  were  gardens  in  the  rear  of  the  Abbot's 
abode,  and  a  court  of  considerable  extent,  immediately  in 
front  of  the  church.  Athwart  this  court,  in  which  sundry 
groups  of  the  late  congregation  yet  lingered,  was  drawn 
up,  in  military  order,  a  band  of  soldiers,  wearing  the  col- 
ors, and  acknowledging  the  authority,  of  the  Elector 
Friedrich.  The  secret  signal  given  by  Father  Bonifacius, 
when  the  Count  entered  the  choir,  had  prepared  this  un- 
welcome sight  for  his  neighbor. 

While  the  men-at-arms  leaned  on  their  arquebuses,  in 
grave  attention  to  discipline,  the  Knight  of  Rhodes  and 
the  Abbe  were  occupied  in  paying  their  court  to  the  fair 
wife  of  the  Burgomaster  of  Duerckheim,  and  to  her  scarce 
fairer  daughter.  Young  Berchthold  stood  aloof  ;  watching 
the  interview  with  feelings  allied  equally  to  envy  and  jeal- 
ousy. 

"  A  fair  morning  and  a  comfortable  mass  to  you,  high- 
born Emich  ! "  cried  the  husband  and  father  heartily,  but 
lifting  his  cap,  as  the  noble  approached  the  spot  where  the 
burgher  stood,  waiting  for  this  meeting  ere  he  put  foot 
into  the  stirrup  ;  "  I  had  thought  the  sight  of  your  fathers' 
altar  was  like  to  cheat  me  of  this  honor,  and  to  send  me 


THE  IIEIDENMAUER.  131 

away  without  a  word  from  your  friendly  and  much-prized 
grace." 

"  Between  thee  and  me,  Heinrich,  this  slight  could  not 
happen,"  answered  the  Count,  grasping  the  hand  of  the 
Burgomaster,  which  he  squeezed  with  the  cordiality  and 
vigor  of  a  soldier.  "  How  fareth  it  with  all  in  Duerckheim, 
that  town  of  my  affection,  not  to  say  of  my  right  ?  " 

"  As  you  could  wish,  noble  Count,  and  well-disposed  to 
the  house  of  Leiningen.  In  all  that  pertaineth  to  love  of 
your  name  and  race,  we  lack  nothing." 

"  This  is  well,  honest  Heinrich  ;  it  may  yet  be  better — 
But  thou  wilt  do  me  grace  this  summer  morning  ? " 

"  Nay,  it  is  for  your  grace  to  command  in  this  particular, 
and  for  one  like  me  to  obey." 

"  Herr  Heinrich,  hast  looked  well  at  these  knaves  of 
Friedrich  ?  Ha!  are  they  not  melancholy  and  ill-disposed 
at  being  cooped  with  Benedictines,  when  there  are  stirring 
times  in  the  Palatinate,  and  when  their  master  hath  as  much 
as  he  can  do  to  hold  his  court  in  Heidelberg !  Seest  thou 
aught  of  this  ?  " 

Ernich  had  dropped  his  voice,  and  the  burgher  was  not 
a  man  to  express  more  in  answer  than  the  circumstances 
actually  required.  He  looked  eloquently,  however,  and  the 
exchange  of  glances  between  him  and  the  Count  betrayed 
the  nature  of  the  undertaking  that  connected  the  castle 
and  the  city. 

"  You  spoke  of  commanding  my  duty,  mein  Herr  Graf, 
and  it  is  fitting  I  should  know  in  what  manner  to  do  you 
pfeasure." 

"  Nay,  'tis  no  pain-giving  penance  I  ask.  Turn  my 
horse's  head  towards  Hartenburg,  and  share  of  my  poor 
fare,  with  a  loving  welcome,  for  an  hour  or  so." 

"  I  would  it  were  within  compass,  my  Lord  Count,"  re- 
turned Heinrich,  casting  a  doubting  look  towards  Meta 
and  his  wife — "  but  these  Sunday  masses  are  matters  in 
which  the  women  love  to  deal ;  and  from  the  first  sound  of 
the  matin  bell,  till  we  shut  the  gates  at  even,  I  scarce  call 
myself  master  of  a  thought." 

"By  the  Virgin  !  Twould  seem  ill  indeed,  did  not  Har- 
tenburg contain  a  roof  to  shelter  all  of  thy  name  and  love." 

"  There  are  noble  gentlemen  already  on  your  hospital- 
ity, and  I  would  not  fain — 

"  Name  them  not.  This  in  the  gay  doublet,  that  wear- 
eth  the  white  cross,  is  but  a  houseless  Knight  of  Rhodes, 


I32  THE  IIEIDENMAUER. 

one  that  wandereth  like  the  dove  from  the  ark,  uncertain 
where  to  place  his  foot ;  and  he  of  black  vestments,  an  idle 
Abbe  from  among  the  French,  who  doth  little  else  but  prate 
with  the  women.  Leave  thy  female  gender  in  their  hands, 
for  they  are  much  accustomed  to  these  gallantries." 

"Zum  Henker !  most  nobly  born  eccellenz,  I  never 
doubted  their  handiness  in  all  idlenesses,  but  my  wife  hath 
little  humor  for  vain  attentions  of  this  nature,  and  not  to 
conceal  from  my  lord  any  of  our  humors,  I  will  confess  it 
is  as  little  to  my  pleasure  to  witness  so  much  ceremony 
with  a  woman.  Were  the  well-born  Ermengarde,  your  no- 
ble consort,  in  the  castle,  my  female  charge  might  be  glad 
to  pay  their  court  to  her,  but  in  her  absence  I  doubt  that 
they  will  cause  more  encumbrance  than  they  will  afford 
satisfaction." 

"  Name  it  not,  honest  Heinrich,  but  leave  the  matter  to 
me.  As  for  these  idlers,  I  will  find  them  occupation  when 
fairly  out  of  the  saddle  ;  so  will  I  not  excuse  the  youngest 
of  thy  name." 

The  warm,  frank  manner  of  the  noble  prevailed,  though 
the  arrangement  wras  not  altogether  agreeable  to  the 
Burgomaster  ;  but  in  that  age  hospitality  was  always  of  so 
direct  a  character  as  seldom  to  admit  of  denial  without 
sufficient  excuse.  Emich  now  paid  his  court  to  the  females. 
Smoothing  his  moustache  and  beard,  he  saluted  the  cheeks 
of  Ulricke,  with  affectionate  freedom,  and  then,  presum- 
ing on  his  years  and  rank,  he  pressed  a  kiss  on  the  ruby 
lipsofMeta.  The  girl  blushed  and  laughed,  and  in  her 
confusion  courtesied,  as  if  in  acknowledgment  of  the  gra£e 
from  one  of  so  high  quality.  Heinrich  himself,  though  he 
so  little  liked  the  coquetry  of  the  strangers,  witnessed  these 
liberties  not  only  without  alarm  but  with  evident  content- 
ment. 

"  Many  thanks,  noble  Emich,  for  this  honor  to  my 
women,"  he  cried,  lifting  his  bonnet  again.  "  Meta  is  not 
used  to  these  compliments,  and  she  scarce  knoweth  rightly 
how  to  acknowledge  the  grace,  for  to  say  truth,  it  is 
not  often  that  her  cheek  feeleth  the  tickling  of  a  beard.  I 
am  .no  saluter  of  her  sex,  and  there  are  none  in  Duerck- 
heim  that  may  so  presume." 

"  St.  Denis  defend  me  ! "  exclaimed  the  Abbe  ;  "in  what 
shameful  negligence  have  we  fallen  !  "  saluting  the  mild 
Ulricke  on  the  instant,  and  repeating  the  same  ceremony 
with  the  daughter,  so  suddenly,  as  to  leave  none  present 


THE   HE1DENMAUER.  133 

time  to  recover  from  their  surprise.  "  Sir  Knight  of 
Rhodes,  we  appear  in  this  affair  as  but  of  indifferent 
breeding  !  " 

"  Hold,  cousin  of  Viederbach,"  said  Emich,  laughing, 
while  he  placed  a  hand  before  his  kinsman — "  We  forget, 
all  this  time,  that  we  are  in  the  court  of  Limburg,  and 
that  salutations  which  savor  so  much  of  earth  may  scan- 
dalize the  holy  Benedictines.  We  will  to  horse,  and  keep 
our  gallantries  for  a  better  season." 

The  forward,  impatient  movement  of  young  Berchthold 
was  self-checked,  and,  swallowing  his  discontent,  he  turned 
aside  to  conceal  his  vexation. 

In  the  meantime,  the  whole  party  prepared  to  mount. 
Although  repulsed  in  his  effort  to  obtain  a  salute  from  the 
fair  girl,  who  had  so  passively  received  these  liberties  from 
his  kinsman  and  the  Abbe,  the  Knight  of  Rhodes  busied 
himself  in  assisting  the  damsel  upon  the  crupper  of  her 
father's  saddle.  A  similar  office  was  performed  for  Ul- 
ricke  by  the  Count  of  Leiningen  himself,  and  then  the 
noble  threw  his  own  booted  and  heavy  leg  across  the  large 
and  strong-jointed  war-horse  that  was  pawing  the  pavement 
of  the  court.  The  others  imitated  his  example,  even  to 
the  mounted  servitors,  who  were  numerous;  when,  doing- 
stately  reverence  to  the  large  crucifix  that  stood  before 
them,  the  whole  cavalcade  ambled  from  the  court. 

There  were  many  curious  spectators  around  the  outer 
gate,  among  whom  were  sundry  of  the  more  humble  de- 
pendants of  Hartenburg,  purposely  collected  there,  by  an 
order  of  their  lord,  in  the  event  of  any  sudden  violence 
arising  from  his  visit  to  the  Abbey,  together  with  a  crowd 
of  mendicants. 

"Alms,  great  Emich!  Alms,  worthy  and  wealthy  Bur- 
gomaster !  God's  blessing  on  ye  both,  and  holy  St.  Bene- 
dict heed  ye  in  his  prayers !  We  are  a-hungered  and 
a-cold,  and  we  crave  alms  at  your  honorable  hands!" 

"  Give  the  rogues  a  silver  pence,"  said  the  Count  to  the 
purse-bearer,  who  rode  in  his  train.  "  They  have  a  starv- 
ing look,  in  sooth.  These  godly  Benedictines  have,  of 
late,  been  so  busied  between  their  garrison  and  their 
masses,  that  they  have  forgotten  to  feed  the  poor.  Come 
nearer,  friend  ;  art  thou  of  the  Jaegerthal? " 

"  No,  noble  Count.  I  come  from  a  pilgrimage  to  a  dis- 
tant shrine,  but  want  and  suffering  have  befallen  me  by 
the  way," 


134 


THE   HEIDENMAL'ER. 


"  Hast  pressed  the  monks  for  charity  ?  or  dost  thou  find 
them  too  much  engaged  in  godliness  to  remember  human 
suffering? " 

"  Great  Count,  they  give  freely ;  but  where  there  are 
many  mouths  to  feed,  there  needs  be  much  gold.  I  say 
naught  against  the  holy  community  of  Limburg,  which  is 
godly  in  charity,  as  in  grace." 

"  Give  the  knave  a  kreutzer,"  growled  Heinrich  Frey  ; 
"hast  thou  aught  to  show  in  the  way  of  authority  for  un- 
dertaking this  pilgrimage,  and  for  assailing  the  Elector's 
subjects  and  servitors  in  a  public  horse-path  ?" 

"Naught  but  this,  illustrious  Burgomaster," — Heinrich 
wore  his  chain  of  office — "  naught  but  the  commands  of 
my  confessor,  and  this  pass  of  our  own  chief  men." 

"  Callest  this  naught  ?  Thou  speakest  of  a  legal  instru- 
ment of  high  quality,  an'  it  were  but  a  copy  of  silly 
rhymes  !  Hold!  thou  must  not  be  led  into  temptation  by 
too  much  want.  Meta,  wench,  hast  a  kreutzer?" 

"  Here  is  a  silver  pence,  that  may  better  suit  the  pil- 
grim's necessities,  father." 

"  God  keep  thee,  child  !  Dost  expect  to  escape  want 
thyself,  with  such  prodigality?  But  stay — there  are  many 
of  them,  and  the  piece  justly  distributed  might  do  good. 
Come  nearer,  friends.  Here  is  a  silver  zwanziger,  which 
you  will  divide  honestly  into  twenty  parts,  of  which  two 
are  for  the  stranger,  for  to  him  are  we  most  indebted  by 
the  commands  of  God,  and  one  for  each  inhabitant  of  the 
valley,  not  forgetting  the  poor  woman  that,  in  your  haste, 
and  by  reason  of  her  years,  you  have  prevented  from 
drawing  near.  For  this  boon,  I  ask  prayers  of  you  in  be- 
half of  the  Elector,  the  city  of  Duerckheim,  and  the  fam- 
ily of  Frey." 

So  saying,  the  Burgomaster  pushed  ahead,  and  was  soon 
at  the  foot  of  the  mountain  of  Limburg.  The  train  of 
footmen,  who  had  lingered  to  witness  the  largess  of  the 
magistrate,  and  who  had  considered  the  indifference  of 
Ernich  as  what  was  no  more  than  natural  in  one  placed  by 
Providence  in  a  situation  so  far  removed  from  vulgar  wants, 
was  about  to  follow,  when  a  lay-brother  of  the  convent 
touched  one  of  the  party  on  the  arm,  signing  for  him  to 
re-enter  the  court. 

"Thou  art  needed  further,  friend,"  whispered  the  lay- 
brother.  "  Amuse  thyself  with  these  men-at-arms  till  they 
retire  ;  then  seek  the  cloisters." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  135 

A  nod  sufficed  to  tell  the  lay-brother  that  he  was  under- 
stood, and  he  immediately  disappeared.  The  follower  of 
Count  Emich  did  as  commanded,  loitering  in  the  court 
until  the  object  of  the  Abbot  was  accomplished,  that  of  ex- 
hibiting the  protection  of  the  Elector  to  his  dangerous 
neighbor,  and  the  arquebusiers  marched  to  their  quarters. 
The  road  was  no  sooner  clear,  than  the  peasant  who  had 
been  detained  proceeded  to  do  as  he  had  been  ordered. 

In  each  conventual  edifice  of  the  other  hemisphere,  there 
is  an  inner  court  surrounded  by  low  and  contemplative 
arcades  called  the  cloisters.  The  term  which  is  given  to 
the  seclusion  of  monastic  life  in  general,  and  to  the  ob- 
jects of  the  institution  itself,  in  an  architectural  sense,  is 
limited  to  the  secluded  and  sombre  piazzas  just  mentioned. 
When  this  part  of  the  building  is  decorated,  as  often  hap- 
pens, with  the  elaborate  ornaments  of  the  Gothic  style,  it 
is  not  easy  to  conceive  a  situation  more  happily  imagined 
for  the  purposes  of  reflection,  self-examination,  and  relig- 
ious calm.  To  us  the  cloisters  have  ever  appeared  preg- 
nant with  the  poetry  of  monkish  existence,  and,  Protest- 
ant as  we  are,  we  never  yet  entered  one  without  feeling 
the  influence  of  that  holy  and  omnipotent  power  that  is 
thought  to  be  propitiated  by  conventual  seclusion.  In 
Italy,  the  land  of  vivid  thought  and  of  glorious  realities,  the 
pencils  of  the  greatest  masters  have  been  put  in  requisition 
to  give  the  cloisters  a  mild  attraction,  blended  with  lessons 
of  instruction,  that  are  in  strict  consonance  with  their  uses. 
Here  are  found  some  of  the  finest  remains" of  Raphael,  of 
Domenichino,  and  of  Andrea  del  Sarto  ;  and  the  traveller 
now  enters  vaulted  galleries,  that  the  monk  so  long  paced 
in  religious  hope  or  learned  abstraction,  to  visit  the  most 
prized  relics  of  art. 

The  dependant  of  Count  Emich  had  no  difficulty  in  find- 
ing his  way  to  the  place  in  question,  for,  as  usual,  there 
was  a  direct  communication  between  the  cloisters  of  Lim- 
burg  and  the  church.  By  entering  the  latter  and  taking  a 
lateral  door,  which  was  known  to  lead  to  the  sacristy,  he 
found  himself  beneath  the  arcades,  in  the  midst  of  the 
touching  seclusion  described.  Against  the  walls  were  tab- 
lets with  Latin  inscriptions,  in  honor  of  different  brothers 
who  had  been  distinguished  by  piety  and  knowledge  ;  and 
here  and  there  was  visible,  in  ivory  or  stone,  that  constant 
monitor  of  Catholic  worship,  the  crucifix. 

The  stranger  paused,  for  a  single   monk    paced  the    ar- 


136  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

cades,  and  his  mien  was  not  inviting  for  one  who  doubted 
of  his  reception.  At  least  so  thought  the  dependant  of 
Emich,  who  might  easily  have  mistaken  the  chastened  ex. 
pression  of  Father  Arnolph's  features,  clouded  as  they 
now  were  with  care,  for  severity. 

"  What  wouldst  thou  ? "  demanded  the  Prior,  when  a 
turn  brought  him  face  to  face  with  the  intruder. 

"  Reverend  monk,  thy  much-prized  blessing." 

"  Kneel,  and  receive  it,  son.  Thou  art  doubly  blest ; 
in  seeking  consolation  from  the  Church,  and  in  avoiding 
the  fatal  heresies  of  the  times." 

The  Prior  repeated  the  benediction,  made  the  usual  sign 
of  grace,  and  motioned  for  the  other  to  rise. 

"  Wouldst  thou  aught  else  ? "  he  asked,  observing  that 
the  peasant  did  not  retire,  as  was  usual  for  those  who  re- 
ceived this  favor. 

"Naught — unless  yonder  brother  hath  occasion  for 
me." 

The  face  of  Siegfried  was  thrust  through  a  door  which 
led  to  the  cells.  The  countenace  of  the  Prior  changed 
like  that  of  one  who  had  lost  all  confidence  in  the  inten- 
tions of  his  companion,  and  he  pursued  his  way  along  the 
arcade.  The  other  glided  past,  and  disappeared  by  the 
door  which  he  had  been  covertly  invited  to  enter. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  the  Benedictine  is  an  order 
of  hospitality.  A  principal  building  of  the  hill  was  es- 
pecially devoted  to  the  comforts  of  the  Abbot,  and  to 
those  of  the  travellers  it  was  always  his  duty,  and  in  the 
case  of  Father  Bonifacius  scarcely  less  often  his  pleasure, 
to  entertain.  Here  were  seen  some  signs  of  the  great 
wealth  of  the  monastery,  though  it  was  wealth  chastened 
by  forms,  and  restricted  by  opinion  ;  still  there  was  little 
of  self-denial,  or  indeed  of  any  of  that  self-mortification 
which  is  commonly  thought  to  be  the  inseparable  attend- 
ant of  the  cell.  The  rooms  were  wainscoted  writh  dark 
oak  ;  emblems,  of  religious  faith,  in  costly  materials, 
abounded  ;  nor  was  there  any  want  of  velvet  and  other 
stuffs,  all  however  of  sober  colors,  though  of  intrinsic 
value.  Father  Siegfried  ushered  the  peasant  into  one  of 
the  most  comfortable  of  these  rooms.  It  was  the  cabinet 
of  the  Abbot,  who,  having  thrown  aside  the  robes  of  office 
in  which  he  so  lately  appeared  in  the  choir,  and,  ungirt 
and  divested  of  all  the  churchly  pomp  in  which  he  had 
just  shown  himself  to  the  people,  was  now  taking  his  ease, 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  137 

With  the  indolence  of  a  student,  and  with  some  of  the 
negligence  of  a  debauchee. 

"  Here  is  the  youth  I  have  named  to  you,  holy  Abbot," 
said  Father  Siegfried,  motioning  his  companion  to  advance. 

Bonifacius  laid  down  a  parchment-covered  and  illu- 
minated volume,  one  but  lately  issued  from  the  press, 
rubbing  his  eyes  like  a  man  suddenly  roused  from  a 
dreamy  abstraction. 

"Truly,  Brother  Siegfried,  these  knaves  of  Leipzig  have 
done  wonders  with  their  art !  Not  a  word  can  I  find 
astray,  or  a  thought  concealed.  God  knows  to  what  pass 
of  information  this  excess  of  knowledge,  so  long  sacred  to 
the  learned,  may  yet  lead  us  !  The  office  of  a  librarian  will 
no  longer  be  of  rare  advantages,  or  scarcely  of  repute." 

"  Have  we  not  proofs  of  the  evil  in  the  growing  in- 
fidelity, and  in  the  manifest  insubordination  of  the  times  ? " 

"It  were  better  for^all  their  souls,  and  their  present  re- 
pose, that  fewer  did  the  thinking  in  this  troublesome  world 
— Thou  art  named  Johan,  son  ?  " 

"  Gottlob,  most  reverend  Abbot,  by  your  leave,  and 
with  the  Church's  favor." 

"  Tis  a  pious  appellation,  and  I  trust  thou  dost  not 
forget  to  obey  the  duty  of  which  it  should  hourly  remind 
thee." 

•"In  that  particular  I  can  say  that  I  praise  God,  father, 
for  all  the  benefits  I  receive,  and  were  they  double  what 
they  are,  I  feel  that  within  me  which  says  I  could  go  on 
rendering  thanks  forever,  for  gracious  gifts." 

The  answer  of  Gottlob  caused  the  Abbot  to  turn  his 
head.  After  studying  the  demure  expression  of  the  young 
man's  face  intently  he  continued  — 

"  This  is  well  ;  thou  art  a  huntsman  in  Count  Emich's 
household  ?" 

"  His  cow-herd,  holy  Abbot,  and  a  huntsman  in  the 
bargain  ;  for  a  more  scampering,  self-losing  trouble- 
giving  family  is  not  to  be  found  in  the  Palatinate,  than 
this  of  mine  !  " 

"  I  remember  it  was  a  cow-herd  ;  thou  dealt  a  little 
lightly  with  my  brother  Siegfried  here,  in  pretending  thou 
wert  of  Duerckheim,  and  not  of  the  castle." 

"  To  speak  fairly  to  your  reverence,  there  was  some 
business  between  us;  for  be  it  known  to  you,  holy  Abbot, 
a  cow-herd  is  made  to  suffer  for  all  the  frolics  of  his  beasts, 
ana  so  I  preferred  to  do  penance  simply  for  my  own  back- 


138  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

slidings,  without  white-washing  the  conscience  of  all  Lard 
Emich's  cattle  in  the  bargain." 

The  Abbot  turned  again,  and  this  time  his  look  was  still 
longer  and  more  scrutinizing  than  before. 

"  Hast  thou  heard  of  Luther  ? " 

"  Does  your  reverence  mean  the  drunken  cobbler  of 
Duerckheim." 

"  I  mean  the  monk  of  Wittenberg,  knave  :  though,  by  St. 
Benedict !  thou  hast  not  unaptly  named  the  rebel  ;  for 
truly  doth  he  cobble  that  would  fain  mend  the  offices  or 
discipline  of  Holy  Church  !  I  ask  if  thou  hast  sullied  thy 
understanding  and  weakened  thy  faith,  by  lending  ear  to 
this  damnable  heresy,  that  is  abroad  in  our  Germany  ? " 

"St.  Benedict  and  the  blessed  Maria  keep  your  rever- 
ence in  mind,  according  to  your  deserts?  What  hath  a 
poor  cow-herd  to  do  with  questions  that  trouble  the  souls 
of  the  learned,  and  cause  even  the  peaceably  disposed  to 
become  quarrelsome  and  warlike  ?" 

"  Thou  hast  received  a  schooling  above  thy  fortune — 
Art  of  the  Jaegerthal  ? "  <, 

"  Born  and  nurtured,  holy  Abbot.  We  are  of  long  stand- 
ing in  the  valley,  and  few  families  are  better  known  for 
skill  in  rearing  beeves,  or  for  dealing  cunningly  with  a  herd, 
than  that  of  which  I  come,  humble  and  poor  as  I  may 
seem  to  your  reverence." 

"  I  doubt  but  there  is  as  much  seeming  as  reality  in  this 
indifferent  opinion  of  thyself.  But  thou  hast  had  an  ex- 
planation with  Brother  Siegfried,  and  we  count  on  thy 
services.  Thou  knowest  the  power  of  the  Church,  son, 
and  cannot  be  ignorant  of  its  disposition  to  deal  merci- 
fully with  those  that  do  it  homage,  nor  of  its  displeasure 
when  justly  angered.  We  are  disposed  to  deal  in  in- 
creased kindness  with  those  who  do  not  stray  from  the 
fold,  at  this  moment  when  the  Devils  are  abroad  scattering 
the  ignorant  and  helpless." 

"  Notwithstanding  all  you  have  said,  most  reverend  Ab- 
bot, concerning  the  trifle  I  have  gleaned  in  the  way  of 
education,  I  am  too  little  taught  to  understand  aught  but 
plain  speech.  In  the  matter  of  a  bargain  it  might  be  well 
to  name  the  conditions  clearly,  lest  a  poor,  but  well-mean- 
ing, youth  should  happen  to  be  damned,  simply  because 
he  hath  little  knowledge  of  Latin,  or  cannot  clearly  un- 
derstand what  hath  not  been  clearly  said." 

"  I  have  no  other  meaning  than  that  thy  pious  conduct 


THE  1IEIDENMAUER.  139 

will  be  remembered  at  the  altar  and  the  confessional ;  and 
that  indulgences,  and  other  lenities,  will  not  be  forgotten 
when  there  is  question  of  thee." 

"  This  is  excellent,  holy  Abbot,  for  those  that  may  profit 
by  it — but,  St.  Benedict  help  us  !  of  what  account  would 
it  all  be,  were  Lord  Emich  to  threaten  his  people  with  the 
dungeon  and  stripes,  should  any  dare  to  frequent  the 
altars  of  Limburg,  or  otherwise  to  have  dealings  with  the 
reverend  brotherhood  ? " 

"  Dost  think  our  prayers,  or  our  authority,  cannot  pene- 
trate the  walls  of  Hartenburg  ? " 

"  Of  that,  most  powerful  Bonifacius,  I  say  nothing, 
since  I  never  have  yet  profited  in  the  way  you  mean.  The 
dungeon  of  Hartenburg  and  I  are  not  strangers  to  each 
other  ;  and,  were  I  to  speak  my  most  intimate  thoughts, 
it  would  be  to  say,  that  St.  Benedict  himself  would  find 
it  no  easy  matter  to  open  its  doors,  or  to  soften  its  pave- 
ments, so  long  as  the  Count  was  in  an  angry  humor.  Potz 
Tausend,  holy  Abbot !  it  is  well  to  speak  of  miracles  and 
of  indulgences  ;  but  let  him  who  imagines  that  either  is 
about  to  make  that  damp  and  soul-chilling  hole  warm  and 
pleasant,  pass  a  night  within  its  walls  in  November  !  He 
may  enter  with  as  much  faith  in  the  Abbey  prayers  as  he 
will  ;  but  if  he  do  not  come  forth  with  great  dread  of  Lord 
Emich's  displeasure,  why,  he  is  not  flesh  and  blood,  but  a 
burning  kiln  in  the  form  of  mortality !" 

Father  Bonifacius  saw  that  it  was  useless  endeavoring 
to  influence  the  mind  of  the  cow-herd  in  the  vulgar  man- 
ner, and  he  had  recourse  to  surer  means.  Motioning  his 
companion  to  hand  him  a  little  casket,  externally  dec- 
orated with  many  of  the  visible  signs  of  the  Christian 
faith,  he  took  out  of  it  a  purse,  that  wanted  for  neither 
size  nor  weight.  The  eyes  of  Gottlob  glistened — had  not 
the  monks  been  much  occupied  in  examining  the  gold, 
they  might  have  suspected  that  the  pleasure  he  betrayed 
was  a  little  affected — and  he  manifested  a  strong  disposi- 
tion to  knowr  the  contents  of  a  bag  that  had  so  many  out' 
ward  signs  of  value. 

"This  will  make  peace  and  create  faith  between  us," 
said  the  Abbot,  handing  a  golden  mark  to  Gottlob.  "  Here 
is  that  which  the  dullest  comprehension  can  understand  ; 
and  whose  merits,  I  doubt  not,  will  be  sufficiently  clear  to 
one  of  thy  ready  wit." 

"Your  reverence  does  not  over-value  my  means,"  an- 


140  THE  IIEIDENMAUER. 

swered  the  cow-herd,  who  pocketed  the  piece  without  fur- 
ther ceremony.  "Were  our  good  Mother  of  the  Church 
to  take  this  method  of  securing  friends,  she  might  laugh 
at  all  the  Luthers  between  the  Lake  of  Constance  and  the 
ocean,  him  of  Wittenberg  among  the  number  :  but,  by 
some  strange  oversight,  she  has  of  late  done  more  towards 
taking  away  the  people's  gold,  than  towards  bestowing  !  I 
am  rejoiced  to  find  that  the  mistake  is  at  last  discovered  ; 
and  chiefly  am  I  glad,  that  one,  poor  and  unworthy  as  I, 
has  been  among  the  first  that  she  is  pleased  to  make  an 
instrument  of  her  new  intentions !  " 

The  Abbot  appeared  at  a  loss  to  understand  the  charac- 
ter of  his  agent  ;  but,  being  a  worldly  and  selfish  man 
himself,  he  counted  rather  loosely  on  the  influence  of  a 
meditator  whose  potency  is  tacitly  admitted  by  all  of  mer- 
cenary propensities.  He  resumed  his  seat,  therefore,  like 
one  who  saw  little  necessity  for  farther  concealment,  and 
went  directly  to  the  true  object  of  the  interview. 

"  Thou  hast  something  to  communicate  from  the  Castle 
of  Hartenburg,  good  Gottlob  ? " 

"If  it  be  your  reverence's  pleasure  to  listen." 

"  Proceed — Canst  tell  aught  of  the  force  Emich  hath 
gathered  in  the  hold  ?  " 

"  Mein  Herr  Abbot,  it  is  no  easy  matter  to  count  varlets 
that  go  staggering  about,  from  the  moment  the  sun  touches 
your  Abbey  towers,  to  that  in  which  he  sets  behind  the 
Teufelstein." 

"  Hast  thou  not  means  of  separating  them  in  divisions, 
and  of  making  the  enumerations  of  each  apart  ?  " 

"  Holy  Abbot,  that  experiment  hath  failed.  I  divided 
them  into  the  drunk  and  the  sober  ;  but,  for  the  life  of 
me,  I  could  never  get  them  all  to  be  long  enough  of  the 
same  mind,  to  hunt  up  those  that  were  in  garrets  and  cel- 
lars ;  for  while  this  slept  off  his  debauch,  that  swallowed 
cup  after  cup,  in  a  manner  to  recruit  the  drunkards  as  fast 
as  they  lost.  It  were  far  easier  to  know  the  Emperor's 
policy,  than  to  count  Lord  Emich's  followers  !  " 

"  Still  they  are  many." 

"  They  are  and  they  are  not,  as  one  happens  to  view 
soldiership.  In  the  way  of  draining  a  butt,  Duke  Fried- 
rich  would  find  them  a  powerful  corps,  even  in  an  attack 
against  his  Heidelberg  tun  ;  and  yet  I  doubt  whether  he 
would  think  them  of  much  account  in  the  pressing  war- 
fare  he  wageth." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  t$\ 

"  Go  to — thou  art  too  indirect  in  thy  answers  for  the 
duty  thou  hast  undertaken.  Return  the  gold  if  thou  re- 
fusest  the  service." 

"  I  pray  thee,vreverend  Abbot,  to  remember  the  risks  I 
have  already  run  in  this  desperate  undertaking,  and  to 
consider  that  the  trifle  you  have  so  munificently  bestowed, 
is  already  more  than  earned  by  the  danger  of  my  ears,  to 
say  nothing  of  great  loss  of  reputation,  and  some  pricking 
of  conscience." 

"  This  clown  hath  tampered  with  thee,  Father  Sieg- 
fried," said  the  Abbot,  in  a  tone  of  reproach  to  the  attend" 
ing  monk  :  "he  even  dares  to  make  light  of  our  presence 
and  office  ! " 

"  We  have  the  means  of  recalling  him  to  his  respect,  as 
well  as  to  a  remembrance  of  his  engagements." 

"  Thou  sayest  true  :  let  the  remedies  be  applied — but 
hold  !  " 

During  this  brief  colloquy  between  the  Benedictines, 
Father  Siegfried  had  touched  a  cord,  and  a  lay-brother,  of 
vigorous  frame,  showed  himself.  At  a  signal  from  the 
monk,  he  laid  a  hand  on  an  arm  of  the  unresisting  Gott- 
lob,  and  was  about  to  lead  him  from  the  room,  when  the 
last  words  of  the  Abbot,  and  another  signal  from  Father 
Siegfried,  caused  him  to  pause. 

Bonifacius  leaned  a  cheek  on  his  hand,  and  mused  long 
on  the  policy  of  the  step  he  was  about  to  take.  The  rela- 
tions between  the  Abbey  and  the  Castle,  to  adopt  diplo- 
matic language,  were  precisely  in  that  a\vkward  state  in 
which  it  was  almost  as  hazardous  to  recede  as  to  advance. 
To  imprison  a  vassal  of  the  Count  of  Hartenburg,  might 
.bring  matters  to  an  immediate  issue  ;  and  yet,  to  permit 
him  to  quit  the  convent,  was  to  deprive  the  brotherhood 
of  the  means  of  extracting  the  information  it  was  so  im- 
portant to  obtain,  and  to  procure  which  had  been  the 
principal  inducement  of  attending  the  debauch  already 
described,  at  a  moment  when  there  was  so  little  real  amity 
between  the  revellers.  The  precaution  of  Emich  had 
frustrated  this  well-laid  scheme,  and  the  result  of  the  ex- 
periment had  been  too  costly  to  admit  of  repetition.  There 
was  also  hazard  in  permitting  Gottlob  to  return  to  Harten- 
burg, for  the  expectations  and  hostile  spirit  of  the  Abbey 
had  been  so  unadvisedly  exposed  to  the  hind,  as  to  render 
it  certain  he  would  relate  what  had  occurred.  It  was  desi- 
rable, too,  to  maintain  an  appearance  of  confidence^  al> 


I42  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

though  so  little  was  felt ;  for  the  monk  well  knew,  that 
next  to  friendship,  its  apparent  existence  was  of  account 
in  preventing  the  usual  expedients  of  open  hostility. 
Agents  were  at  Heidelberg,  pressing  the  Elector  on  a  point 
of  the  last  concern  to  the  welfare  of  the  brotherhood  ;  and 
it  was  particularly  material  that  Emich  should  not  be 
driven  to  any  overt  act  before  the  result  of  this  mission 
was  known.  In  sjiort,  these  two  little  powers  were  in  a 
condition  similar  to  that  in  which  some  greater  communi- 
ties have  been  known  to  exist,  instinctively  alive  to  the 
opposing  character  of  their  respective  interests,  and  yet 
tampering  with  the  denouement,  because  neither  was  yet 
prepared  to  proclaim  all  it  wished,  meditated,  and  hoped 
to  be  able  to  attain.  In  the  meantime,  there  was  an  osten- 
sible courtesy  between  the  belligerent  parties,  occasionally 
obscured  by  bursts  of  natural  feeling,  which,  in  politics, 
the  world  calls  bonhommie,  but  which  would,  perhaps,  be 
better  termed  by  the  frank  designation  of  artifice. 

The  Abbot  was  so  much  accustomed  to  this  sort  of  politic 
reflection,  that  all  these  considerations  passed  before  his 
mind  in  less  time  than  we  have  consumed  in  enumerating 
them.  Still  the  pause  was  salutary  ;  for,  when  he  resumed 
the  discourse,  he  spoke  like  one  whose  decision  was  sup- 
ported by  thought. 

"  Thou  wilt  tarry  with  us  a  little,  Gottlob,  for  the  good 
of  thy  soul,"  he  said,  making  a  sign  that  was  understood 
by  his  inferiors. 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  humane  and  godly  Abbot.  Next 
to  the  present  good  of  my  body,  I  look  writh  most  concern 
to  the  future  condition  of  my  poor  soul ;  and  there  is  great 
comfort  and  consolation  in  your  gracious  words.  It  is  but 
the  soul  of  a  poor  man  ;  but,  being  my  all,  in  the  way  of 
souls,  it  must  needs  be  taken  care  of." 

"  The  discipline  we  meditate  will  be  healthful.  Brothers, 
lead  the  penitent  to  his  cell." 

The  singular  indifference  with  which  Gottlob  heard  his 
doom,  might  have  given  the  Abbot  motive  for  reflection, 
had  he  not  been  so  much  occupied  by  other  thoughts.  As 
it  was,  the  hind  accompanied  the  lay  brother  without  re- 
sistance, and  indeed  with  the  manner  of  one  who  appeared 
to  think  he  was  a  gainer  by  this  especial  notice  from  the 
community  of  Limburg.  So  natural  and  easy  was  the  air 
of  Gottlob,  as  they  took  the  direction  of  a  gloomy  corri- 
dor, that  Father  Siegfried  began  to  believe  he  had  em- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  143 

ployed  an  agent  whose  mind,  shrewd  and  peculiar  as  it 
seemed  at  times,  was  in  truth  subject  to  moments  of  more 
than  usual  imbecility  and  dulness.  He  placed  the  cow- 
herd in  a  cell,  pointed  to  a  crucifix,  its  only  article  of  fur- 
niture, and,  without  deeming  it  necessary  even  to  secure 
the  door,  retired. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


•"The  Lady  Valeria  is  come 


To  visit  you." — Coriolanus. 

A  SHORT  ride  brought  the  cavalcade  of  Count  Emich  to 
the  gates  of  Hartenburg.  When  all  had  alighted,  and  the 
guests,  with  the  more  regular  inmates  of  the  castle,  were 
ushered  into  the  hall,  the  lord  of  the  hold  again  saluted 
Ulrike  and  her  daughter.  This  freedom  was  the  privilege 
of  his  rank,  and  of  his  character  as  host  ;  and  for  its  exer- 
cise, he  once  more  received  the  grateful  acknowledgments 
of  Heinrich  Frey.  The  females  were  then  committed  to 
the  care  of  Gisela,  the  warder's  daughter,  who,  in  the  ab- 
sence of  its  more  noble  mistress,  happened  to  be  the  pre- 
siding person  of  her  sex  in  the  place. 

"  Thou  art  thrice  welcome,  upright  and  loyal  Heinrich  !  " 
exclaimed  the  Count,  heartily,  while  he  led  the  Burgomas- 
ter by  the  hand,  into  one  of  the  rooms  of  honor — "  None 
know  thy  worth,  and  thy  constancy  to  thy  friends,  better 
than  the  master  of  this  poor  castle  ;  and  none  love  thee 
better." 

"  Thanks,  well-born  Emich,  and  such  duty  as  one  of 
poor  birth  and  breeding  can  and  should  pay  to  a  noble  so 
honored  and  prized.  I  am  little  used  to  courtesies,  beyond 
those  which  we  burghers  give  and  take  in  the  streets,  and 
may  not  do  myself  full  justice  in  the  expression  of  rever- 
ence and  respect,  but  I  pray  you,  Herr  Count,  to  take  the 
desire  for  the  performance." 

"  Wert  thou  the  Emperor's  most  favored  chamberlain, 
thy  speech  could  not  do  thee  more  credit.  Though  Duerck- 
heim  be  not  Madrid,  it  is  a  well-respected  and  courtly  city, 
and  none  need  envy  the  Roman,  or  the  Parisian,  that 
dwelleth  there.  Here  is  my  kinsman  of  Viederbach,  a 
knight  that  Providence  hath  cast  a  little  loosely  upon  the 
world  since  the  downfall  of  his  Mediterranean  island  of 


144 


THE  HEIDENMA  L  ~ER. 


Rhodes,  and  who  hath  travelled  far  and  near,  and  he  swears, 
daily,  thy  town  hath  no  parallel,  for  its  dimensions." 

"Considered  as  a  mountain  city  of  no  great  magnitude, 
meine  Herren,  we  do  not  blush  at  the  aspect  of  our  an- 
cient walls." 

"Thou  needest  not,  and  thou  must  have  noted  that  I 
spoke  in  reference  to  its  size.  Monsieur  Latouche  is  a 
gentleman  that  cometh  from  the  capital  of  King  Francis 
itself ;  and  no  later  than  this  morning,  he  remarked  on  the 
neatness,  and  wealth,  and  other  matters  of  consideration, 
that  make  themselves  apparent,  even  to  the  stranger,  in  thy 
well-governed  and  prosperous  borough." 

The  Burgomaster  acknowledged  the  compliment,  by  a 
profound  inclination  and  a  gratified  eye,  for  no  flattery  is 
so  palpable  as  not  to  meet  a  welcome  with  those  who  labor 
for  public  distinction ;  and  Emich  well  knew,  that  the 
police  and  order  of  his  city  were  weak  spots  in  Heinrich 
Prey's  humility. 

"Lord  Emich  scarce  does  me  justice,"  returned  the 
pliant  Abbe,  "  since  I  found  many  other  causes  of  admira- 
tion. The  deference  that  is  paid  to  rank  in  thy  populace, 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  convenience  of  the  honor- 
able is  respected,  are  particularly  worthy  of  commendation." 

"  The  churchman  is  right,  Lord  Emich — for,  of  all  the 
towns  in  Germany,  I  do  not  think  it  easy  to  find  another 
in  which  the  poor  and  base  are  so  well  taught  to  refrain 
from  thrusting  their  importunities  and  disadvantages  on 
the  gentle,  as  in  our  Duerckheim.  I  think  my  lord  the 
Count  must  have  observed  the  strict  severity  and  cautious 
justice  of  our  rules  in  this  particular." 

"None  know  them  better,  nor  does  any  heed  them  more.. 
I  cannot  recall  the  moment,  cousin  Albrecht,  when  any 
unpleasant  intrusion  on  my  privileges  hath  ever  occurred 
within  its  gates.  But  I  keep  you  from  refreshing  your- 
selves, worthy  friends.  Give  us  leave  a  little ; — we  will 
seek  you  again,  at  your  owrn  convenience." 

The  Knight  and  the  Abbe  took  this  intimation  of  the 
desire  of  the  Count  to  be  alone  with  the  Burgomaster  in 
good  part,  and  withdrew  without  unnecessary  delay.  When 
alone,  Emich  again  took  Heinrich  Frey  by  the  hand,  and 
led  him  away  into  a  part  of  the  castle  where  none  pre- 
sumed to  intrude  without  an  especial  errand.  Here  he 
entered  one  of  those  narrow  rooms,  which  were  devoted  to 
secret  uses,  and  which  was  well  termed  a  closet,  being  in 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  145 

effect  but  little  larger  and  scarcely  better  lighted,  than  the 
straitened  apartments  to  which  we  give  the  same  appel- 
lation in  these  later  times. 

When  fairly  protected  from  observation,  and  removed 
beyond  the  danger  of  eaves-droppers  and  spies,  the  Count 
threw  aside  his  cloak,  unbuckled  his  sword-belt,  and  as- 
sumed the  manner  of  one  at  his  ease.  The  Burgomaster 
took  a  seat  on  a  stool,  in  deference  to  his  companion's 
rank  ;  while  the  latter,  without  seeming  sensible  of  the  act, 
seated  himself  at  his  side,  in  the  only  chair  that  the  closet 
contained.  Whoever  has  had  much  intercourse  with 
Asiatics,  or  \vith  Mussulmans  of  the  southern  shore  of  the 
Mediterranean,  must  have  frequently  observed  the  silent, 
significant  manner  with  which  they  regard  each  other, 
when  disposed  to  court  or  to  yield  confidence  ;  the  eye 
gradually  kindling,  and  the  muscles  of  the  mouth  relaxing, 
until  the  feeling  is  fully  betrayed  in  a  smile.  This  is  one 
of  the  means  employed  by  men  who  dwell  under  despotic 
and  dangerous  governments,  and  where  the  social  habits 
are  much  tinctured  with  violence  and  treachery,  of  assur- 
ing one  another  of  secret  faith  and  ready  support.  There 
is  a  sort  of  similar  freemasonry  in  all  conditions  of  life,  in 
which  frank  and  just  institutions  do  not  spread  their  mantle 
equally  over  the  powerful  and  the  \veak,  superseding,  by 
the  majesty  of  the  law,  the  necessity  of  these  furtive  ap- 
peals to  the  pledges  and  sympathies  of  confidants.  Such, 
in  some  degree,  was  the  nature  of  the  communication  with 
which  Emich  of  Hartenburg  now  commenced  his  private 
intercourse  with  Heinrich  Frey.  The  Count  first  laid  his 
square,  bony  hand  on  the  knee  of  the  Burgomaster,  which 
he  squeezed  until  the  iron  fingers  were  nearly  buried  in 
the  fleshy  protuberance.  Each  turned  his  head  toward  his 
companion,  looking  askance,  as  if  they  mutually  under- 
stood the  meaning  of  what  was  conveyed  by  this  silent 
coquetry.  Still,  notwithstanding  the  apparent  community 
of  thought  and  confidence,  the  countenance  and  air  of 
each  was  distinguished  by  the  personal  character  and  the 
social  station  of  the  individual.  The  eye  of  the  Baron  was 
both  more  decided,  and  more  openly  meaning,  than  that 
of  the  Burgomaster ;  while  the  smile  of  the  latter  appeared 
rather  like  a  faint  reflection  of  the  inviting  expression  of 
the  former,  than  the  effect  of  any  inward  impulse. 

"  Hast  heard  of  last  night's  success  ?"  abruptly  demand- 
ed the  Count. 
10 


146  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort  hath  gladdened  me,  Herr  Count, 
my  heart  yearns  to  know  all,  if  it  touches  your  high  in* 
terests." 

"  The  mass-singing  rogues  are  stripped  of  their  wine- 
tribute  !  Of  that  much  are  they  fairly  and  legally  disbur- 
thened !  Thou  knowest  of  our  long-intended  trial  of 
heads  ;  I  had  intended  to  have  prayed  thee  to  be  a  second  at 
the  banquet,  but  the  presence  of  these  idlers  put  some  re- 
straint on  my  hospitality.  Thou  wouldest  have  proved  a 
stanch  second  in  such  an  onset,  Heinrich  !  " 

"  I  thank  my  lord  the  Count,  and  shall  deem  the  grace 
as  good  as  accomplished  in  the  wish.  I  am  not  worse 
than  another  at  board,  and  may  boast  of  some  endurance 
in  the  way  of  liquor,  but  the  seriousness  of  the  times  ad- 
monishes us,  of  civic  authority,  to  be  prudent.  There  is 
a  wish  in  the  people  to  be  admitted  to  certain  unreason- 
able and  grave  privileges,  such  as  the  right  of  vending 
their  wares  in  the  market-place  at  unseasonable  hours, 
when  the  convenience  of  the  burgomasters  would  be  much 
vexed  by  the  concession  ;  and  other  similar  innovations, 
against  which  we  must  make  a  firm  stand,  lest  they  come, 
in  time,  to  invade  our  general  authority  and  cause  an  un- 
natural convulsion.  Were  we  to  give  way  to  pretensions 
so  extravagant,  Herr  Count,  the  town  would  come  to 
general  confusion  ;  and  the  orderly  and  respectable  city  of 
Duerckheim  would  justly  merit  to  be  compared  to  the 
huts  of  those  countries  of  which  they  speak  in  the  distant 
land  of  America,  that  hath  so  much,  of  late,  given  cause 
to  writings  and  conversation.  We  need,  therefore,  look  to 
the  example  set  ;  for  we  have  busy  enemies,  who  make 
the  most  of  the  smallest  indulgences.  At  another  time,  I 
would  gladly  have  drained  Heidelberg  to  your  gracious 
honor." 

"  Thou  wouldest  not  have  been  in  danger  of  observation 
here  ;  and,  by  the  three  holy  Kings  of  Koeln,  I  should  know 
how  to  tutor  any  prying  knave  that  might  chance  to  thrust 
a  curious  eye  within  these  walls  !  But  thy  discretion  is 
worthy  of  thy  prudence,  Heinrich  ;  for,  with  thee,  I  deem 
the  time  serious  for  all  lovers  of  established  order,  and  of 
the  peace  of  mankind.  What  would  the  knaves,  that  they 
thus  trouble  thy  authority  ?  Are  they  not  fed  and  clad  ? 
and  do  they  not  now  possess  privileges  out  of  number  ? 
The  greedy  rogues,  if  left  to  their  humors,  would  fain  envy 
their  betters  each  delicate  morsel  they  carry  to  their 


THE  HEWENMAUER.  147 

mouths,  or  each  drop  of  generous  rhenish  that  moistens 
their  lips  ! " 

"  I  fear,  well-born  Emich,  that  this  spirit  of  covetous- 
ness  is  in  their  vile  natures  J  I  have  rarely  consented  to  any 
little  yielding  to  their  entreaties,  such  as  a  wish  to  swell 
out  the  time  of  their  merrymakings,  or  a  desire  like  this  of 
the  market-place,  that  the  taste  of  the  indulgence  hath  not 
given  a  relish  for  fuller  fare.  No  ;  he  that  would  govern 
quietly,  and  at  his  own  ease,  must  govern  thoroughly  ; 
else  shall  we  all  become  illiterate  savages,  fitter  for  the 
forests  of  these  Indies,  than  for  our  present  rational  and 
charitable  civilization." 

"  Braver  words  were  never  uttered  in  thy  council-hall, 
and  well  do  I  know  the  head  that  conceived  them !  Had 
there  been  occasion  to  have  summoned  thee  hither  for  the 
banquet,  the  excuse  should  have  satisfied,  thouglvthe  vine- 
yards were  the  forfeiture.  But  what  didst  think,  friend 
Heinrich,  of  the  priests  to-day,  and  of  their  warlike  com- 
pany ! " 

"  'Tis  plain  Duke  Friedrich  still  upholds  them  ;  and  to 
deal  frankly  with  my  lord  the  Count,  the  men-at-arms  have 
the  air  of  fello\vs  that  are  not  likely  to  yield  the  hill  with- 
out fair  contention." 

"  Thinkest  thou  thus,  Burgomaster  ?  Twere  a  thousand 
pities  that  men  of  tried  mettle  should  do  each  other  harm, 
for  the  benefits  and  pleasure  of  a  community  of  shaven 
Benedictines  !  What  is  there  to  urge  in  favor  of  pretensions 
so  audacious  as  these  they  prefer,  and  which  are  so  offen- 
sive, both  to  me,  as  a  noble  of  the  empire,  and  to  all  of  any 
note  or  possessions  in  Duerckheim  ? " 

"  They  lay  great  stress,  Herr  Count,  on  the  virtue  of 
ancient  usages,  and  on  the  sacred  origin  of  their  mission." 

"  As  much  respect  as  thou  wilt  for  rights  that  are  sealed 
by  time,  for  such  is  the  stamp  that  gives  value  to  my  own 
fair  claims  ;  and  many  of  thy  city  privileges  come  chiefly 
of  use.  But  the  matter  between  us  is  of  abuse  ;  and  I  hold 
it  to  be  unworthy  of  those  who  can  right  themselves,  to 
submit  to  wrong.  Do  the  monks  still  press  the  town  for 
dues?" 

"  With  offensive  importunity.  If  matters  be  not  quickly 
stayed,  we  shall  come  to  open  and  indecent  dissension." 

"  I  would  give  a  winter's  enjoyment  of  my  chases,  were 
Friedrich  more  sorely  pressed  !  "  exclaimed  the  Count,  lay- 
ing his  hand  again  on  the  Burgomaster's  knee,  whose  coun- 


148  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

tenance  he  studied  with  a  significance  that  was  not  lost  on 
his  companion.  "  I  speak  merely  in  the  manner  of  his 
being  driven  to  know  his  true  and  fast  friends  from  those 
who  are  false." 

Heinrich  Frey  remained  silent. 

"  The  Elector  is  a  mild  and  loving  prince,  but  one 
sorely  ridden  by  Rome  !  I  fear  we  shall  never  have  a 
tranquil  neighborhood,  notwithstanding  our  long  forbear- 
ance, until  the  Church  is  persuaded  to  limit  its  authority 
to  its  duties." 

The  eyelids  of  the  Burgomaster  lowered,  as  it  might  be 
in  reflection. 

"And  chiefly,  Heinrich,  am  I  troubled  lest  mygood  and 
loving  Duerckheimers  lose  this  occasion  to  do  themselves 
right,"  continued  the  Count,  squeezing  the  knee  he  still 
grasped, "until  even  the  compact  citizen  flinched  with  the 
force  of  the  pressure.  "  What  say  they  in  the  council-hall 
touching  this  matter  ? " 

There  was  no  longer  any  plausible  apology  for  the  silence 
of  the  Burgomaster,  who  did  not  answer,  however,  without 
working  the  heavy  muscles  of  his  face,  as  if  delivered  of 
his  opinions  with  pain.  ^ 

"  Men  speak  their  minds  among  us,  noble-born  Count, 
much  as  Duke  Friedrich  prospers  or  fails,  in  his  warfare. 
When  we  hear  good  tidings  from  the  other  side  of  the 
river,  the  brotherhood  fares  but  badly  in  our  discourses  ; 
but  when  the  Elector's  warriors  triumph,  we  hold  it  pru- 
dent to  remember  they  have  friends." 

"God's  truth!  Herr  Heinrich,  it  is  full  time  that  you 
come  to  certain  conclusions,  else  shall  we  be  saddled  to  the 
end  of  our  days  by  these  hard-riding  priests  !  Art  thou 
not  wearied  with  all  their  greedy  exactions,  that  thou  wait- 
est  patiently  for  more  ? " 

"  In  that  particular,  a  little  sufficeth  for  our  humors 
There  is  not  a  city  between  Constance  and  Leyden,  that 
is  more  quickly  satisfied  with  paying  than  our  Duerck- 
heim  ;  but  we  are  husbands  and  fathers,  Herr  Count,  and 
men  that  bear  a  heavy  burthen  of  authority  ;  and  we  must 
be  wary,  lest  in  throwing  aside  one  portion  of  the  load, 
space  be  found  on  our  shoulders  to  place  another  that  is 
heavier.  When  I  would  speak  of  your  strong  love  to  the 
town,  there  are  distrustful  tongues,  that  question  me  sore- 
ly of  its  fruits,  and  of  your  own  honorable  intentions  in 
our  behalf." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  149 

"To  all  of  which  thou  couldest  not  be  wanting  of  re- 
plies !  Have  I  not  often  entertained  thee  with  my  loving 
wishes  in  behalf  of  the  citizens  ?  " 

"  If  wishes  in  our  behalf  could  serve  our  interests,  the 
townsmen  might,  in  their  proper  right,  put  in  a  claim  to 
high  favor.  In  the  way  of  longing  for  our  own  success, 
Antwerp  itself  is  not  our  better." 

"  Nay,  thou  takest  my  meaning  unkindly  ;  what  Emich 
of  Hartenburg  wishes  for  his  friends,  he  finds  means  to 
perform.  But  we  will  not  trouble  digestion,  as  we  are 
about  to  feed,  with  these  tiresome  details — 

"  I  pray  you,  Herr  Count,  not  to  doubt  my  means — 
little  troubles  me,  when— 

"  Thou  shalt  yield  to  my  humor.  What !  is  not  the 
Count  of  Leiningen  master  in  his  own  castle.  Not  a  word 
more  will  I  hear  till  thou  hast  tasted  of  my  poor  hospital- 
ity. Did  my  knaves  serve  thee,  as  I  commanded  yester- 
day, with  the  fat  buck  that  fell  by  my  own  hand,  Hein- 
rich?" 

"  A  thousand  thanks,  mein  Herr— they  did,  and  right 
cheerfully.  I  gave  the  rogues  a  silver  penny  for  their 
largess  ;  and  the  dust  of  the  Jaegerthal  was  washed  away 
in  heavy  draughts  of  our  wine  of  the  plain." 

"  I  would  have  it  so  ;  between  friends,  there  should  be 
no  niggardly  reserve,  in  the  way  of  courtesies,"  said  Emich, 
rising.  "  Dost  not  bethink  thee,  Burgomaster,  of  look- 
ing among  the  youths  of  Duerckheim  for  a  son  to  stay 
thy  age  ?"  Meta  hath  reached  the  years  when  maidens 
gladly  become  wives." 

"  The  wench  is  not  ignorant  of  her  time  of  life,  and  the 
search  of  a  suitable  husband  hath  not  failed  to  give  me 
fatherly  concern.  I  do  not  presume  to  compare  our  con- 
ditions and  early  lives  in  aught  that  is  disrespectful,  mein 
Herr  Graf  ;  but',  touching  all  that  is  common  to  great  and 
little,  the  youth  of  this  day  seem  not  as  they  were  in  the 
time  of  our  young  manhood." 

"  Priest-ridden,  Burgomaster  ;  too  much  of  Rome  in  our 
laws  and  habits.  God's  my  life  !  when  I  first  mounted 
steed,  in  the  court  below,  I  could  have  leaped  the  convent 
towers,  did  a  Benedictine  dare  gainsay  the  feat  ! ' 

"  That  would  have  been  a  miracle  little  short  of  the  rais- . 
ing  of  their  convent  walls,"  answered  Heinrich,  laughing  at 
his  companion's  flight,  and  rising  in  deference  to  the  atti- 
tude the  noble  had  been  pleased  to  take.  "  These  Bene- 


HEIDRNMAUEK. 

dictines  have  been  careless  of  their  advantages,  else  might 
they  still  have  kept  the  circumstance  of  that  miracle  as 
much  beyond  dispute,  as  it  was  in  our  young  days,  Lord 
Count." 

"  And  what  say  they  in  Duerckheim,  now,  touching  the 
affair  ? " 

11  Nay,  men  treat  it,  at  present,  as  they  treat  other  dis- 
reputable subjects.  Since  this  outcry  of  Brother  Luther, 
there  have  appeared  many  who  call  in  question  not  only 
that,  but  divers  others  of  the  Abbey's  feats." 

The  Count  unconsciously  crossed  himself,  seeming  to 
ponder  gloomily  on  the  .subject,  within  his  own  mind. 
Then  glancing  towards  his  companion,  he  perceived  that 
he  was  standing. 

"  I  cry  thy  mercy,  worthy  Burgomaster  ;  but  my  in- 
attention hath  given  thee  this  pain.  My  leg  hath  been 
so  much  of  late  suspended  in  the  stirrup,  that  it  hath 
need  of  straightening  ;  but  it  should  not,  in  justice, 
cause  thee  this  inconvenience.  I  pray  thee,  Herr  Frey,  be 
seated." 

"  That  would  ill  become  my  station  in  your  presence, 
noble  and  well-born  Emich  ;  nor  would  it  do  fit  credit  to 
my  reverence  and  affection." 

"  Nay,  I  will  hear  none  of  this.  Thy  seat,  Master  Hein- 
rich,  and  that  without  delay;  lest  I  seem  to  overlook  thy 
merits." 

"  I  pray  mein  Herr  Graf  not  to  do  himself  this  wrong  ; 
nay,  if  it  be  your  honorable  will — I  blush  at  mine  own  dar- 
ing— if  I  consent,  I  call  my  lord  to  witness  'tis  only  in  pro- 
found respect  for  his  will !" 

During  this  struggle  of  courtesy,  the  Count  succeeded, 
by  means  of  gentle  violence,  in  forcing  the  Burgomaster 
to  resume  his  seat.  Heinrich  had  yielded  with  a  species 
of  maiden  coyness ;  but  when  he  found  that,  instead  of 
occupying  his  own  humble  stool,  he  had  unwittingly  been 
forced  into  the  arm-chair  of  the  noble,  he  rebounded  from 
the  cushion,  as  if  the  leather  contained  enough  of  the 
electric  fluid  to  bid  defiance  to  the  nonconductor  qualities 
of  the  ample  woollen  garment  in  which  his  nether  person 
was  cased. 

"  Gott  bewahre  !  "  exclaimed  the  Burgomaster,  in  harsh, 
energetic  German  :  "  The  empire  would  cry  out  against 
this  scandal,  were  it  known  !  I  owe  it  to  my  reputation  to 
deny  myself  an  honor  so  little  deserved." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  151 

"  And  I  to  my  authority  to  enforce  my  will,  and  to  pro- 
claim thy  deserts." 

Here  the  amiable  force  on  the  part  of  the  Count,  and 
the  courteous  coquetry  of  Heinrich  Frey,  were  resumed, 
until  the  latter,  fearful  of  offending  by  longer  resistance, 
was  obliged  to  submit,  protesting,  however,  to  the  last, 
against  the  apparent  presumption  on  his  own  part,  arid 
against  the  great  injustice  which  the  lord  of  the  hold  was 
doing  to  his  own  rights,  by  thus  insisting. 

A  distinguished  foreign  orator  once  pronounced  the 
titles  of  honor,  and  the  social  distinctions  that  are  con- 
ferred by  the  European  governments,  to  be  the  "  cheap  de- 
fence of  nations."  This  opinion  strikes  us  to  be  merely 
one  of  the  thousand  bold  fallacies  that  have  been  broached 
to  uphold  existing  interests,  without  reference  to  their 
true  effects,  or  to  their  inherent  justice.  This  "  cheap  de- 
fence," like  the  immortal  Falstaff,  who  was  not  only  witty 
himself,  but  the  cause  of  wit  in  others,  is  the  origin  of  a 
hundred  sufficiently  costly  habits,  that  leave  him  who 
bears  the  burden  but  little  reason  to  exult  in  its  discovery. 
We  recommend  to  all  one-eyed  economists,  who  still  re- 
tain any  faith  in  this  well-known  opinion  of  the  English 
orator,  to  read  that  letter  in  the  Spectator,  in  which  a 
city  youth  relates  the  manner  he  is  driven  to  vindicate  his 
own  reserve  to  his  fair  country  cousins,  who  would  fain 
reproach  him  with  an  ungraceful  disrespect  of  his  holiday 
privileges,  by  reminding  them  of  the  calculations  of  the 
individual  who  refused  to  indulge  in  cheese-cakes,  because 
they  brought  with  them  so  many  other  unnecessary  ex- 
penditures. 

But  whether  honors  of  the  description  just  alluded  to, 
do  or  do  not  form  any  portion  of  the  economy  of  a  nation, 
there  is  little  question  but  flattery,  like  this  which  Emich 
has  just  bestowed  on  the  Burgomaster,  is  one  of  the  subtle 
and  most  powerful  agents  of  the  great  in  effecting  their 
secret  purposes.  Few  are  they — alas,  how  few  ! — that 
possess  a  vision  sufficiently  clear,  and  an  ambition  so  truly 
noble,  as  to  look  beyond  the  narrow  and  vulgar  barriers 
of  human  selfishness,  and  to  regard  truth  as  it  came  from 
God,  without  respect  for  persons  and  things,  except  as 
they  are  the  instruments  of  his  will.  It  is  certain  that 
Heinrich  Frey  had  little  pretension  to  be  one  of  this  scru- 
tinizing and  elevated  class  ;  for  when  he  found  himself 
fairly  seated  in  the  chair  of  the  Count  of  Hartenburg,  with 


152  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

the  noble  himself  standing,  his  sensations  were  like  those 
which  are  felt  by  the  philosopher  of  the  other  hemisphere, 
who  is  authorized  to  put  a  ribbon  at  his  button-hole  ; — or 
the  tradesman  of  this,  who  is  elected  to  the  common-coun- 
cil of  his  native  city,  after  being  run  on  both  tickets.  Still 
he  greatly  regretted  there  was  no  one  to  envy  his  prefer- 
ment ;  for,  after  the  first  soothing  effect  on  his  own  self- 
love,  that  unquiet  spirit  which  haunts  us  to  the  last,  dis- 
figuring the  fairest  pictures,  and  casting  its  alloy  into  ev- 
ery scheme  of  happiness,  suggested  that  his  triumph  would 
be  imperfect  without  a  witness.  Just  as  this  rebellious 
feeling  became  troublesome,  there  appeared  at  the  door 
of  the  closet,  the  very  being  of  all  others  that  the  Burgo- 
master would  have  chosen  to  see  him  in  the  enjoyment  of 
this  high  honor.  A  gentle  tap  announced  the  presence  of 
the  intruder,  and  when  the  authoritative  voice  of  Emich 
had  given  the  permission,  the  mild  Ulrike  appeared  on  the 
threshold. 

Surprise  was  strongly  painted  on  the  features  of  the 
Burgomaster's  wife.  The  husband  had  crossed  his  legs, 
and  was  indulging  in  his  ease,  with  a  sort  of  noble  indif- 
ference to  the  unusual  situation  in  which  he  was  placed, 
when  this  extraordinary  sight  greeted  the  eyes  of  his 
amazed  consort.  So  absolute  and  so  tenacious  were  the 
rules  of  Germany  on  all  things  that  concerned  the  respect 
due  to  rank,  that  even  one  as  little  troubled  by  ambition 
as  the  meek  Ulrike,  had  great  difficulty  in  believing  her 
senses  when  she  beheld  Heinrich  Frey  thus  suddenly  ele- 
vated to  a  seat  of  honor  in  the  presence  of  a  Count  of 
Leiningen. 

"  Nay,  enter  without  fear,  my  good  Ulrike,"  said  Emich, 
graciously ;  "thy  worthy  husband  and  I  do  but  indulge  in 
mutual  friendship,  while  my  varlets  prepare  an  unworthy 
banquet.  Do  not  think  to  break  our  discourse." 

"  I  only  hesitate,  noble  Emich,  at  seeing  Heinrich  Frey 
preferred  to  that  seat,  while  the  Lord  of  Hartenburg 
stands,  like  one  of  humble  birth,  at  his  side  !  " 

"  Touch  not  the  matter,  meine  Frau,"  said  the  husband, 
condescendingly.  "Thou  art  a  loving  consort,  and  art 
well  enough  amid  thy  sex,  and  in  questions  that  belong  to 
thy  breeding  ;  but  in  an  affair,  like  this,  between  mein 
Herr  Graf  and  me,  thou  mayst  only  mar  what  thou  canst 
not  mend." 

"  By  the  life  of  the  princely  Karl !  master  Heinrich,  you 


THE  HEIDRNMAUEK.  153 

do  insufficient  .justice  to  Ulrike's  discernment!  Were 
mine  own  Ermengarde  among  us,  thou  shouldst  see  that 
we  prize  thy  loving  wife  little  less  than  we  esteem  thee. 
But  it  were  better  that  we  inquire  of  Ulrike  the  occasion 
of  her  visit,  before  we  attempt  to  school  her  on  matters  of 
deportment." 

Though  so  rough  and  unnurtured  on  many  of  the  points 
that  are  now  deemed  essential  even  to  an  indifferent  civil- 
ization, Emich  had  a  quick  interest  for  the  perception  of 
character,  and  possessed  as  much  of  the  refinement  that 
marks  a  superior  condition  in  life  as  the  state  of  the  age 
and  the  situation  of  his  own  country  permitted.  There 
can  be  no  greater  mistake  than  to  imagine  that  mere  nom- 
inal rank  is  any  pledge  for  a  correspondent  degree  of  re- 
finement, since  everything  is  relative  in  this  world,  and 
where  the  toase  of  the  pillar  is  rude  and  little  polished,  it 
would  be  a  violation  of  all  architectural  keeping  to  expect 
a  capital  of  a  different  style.  Thus  it  is  that  we,  without 
any  social  orders  but  those  of  convention,  are  struck  with 
so  many  glaring  discrepancies  among  people  whose  patri- 
cians, having  studied  all  that  is  factitious  and  plausible  in 
breeding,  are  still  deficient  in  the  grand  essentials  of  rea- 
son and  humanity,  simply  because  the  roots  of  the  society, 
of  which  they  are  only  the  more  luxuriant  branches,  are 
planted  in  the  soil  of  ignorance  and  debasement.  The 
Count  of  Hartenburg  had  possessed  ample  opportunities 
of  witnessing  how  much  the  intellectual  qualities  of  the 
Burgomaster's  wife  were  superior  to  those  of  her  husband  ; 
and  he  had  sufficient  discrimination  and  experience  to  be 
quite  aware  of  the  importance  of  conciliating  such  an  ally 
in  advancing  his  own  particular  views.  It  was  in  this  spirit, 
therefore,  that  he  ventured  on  so  blunt  a  reproof  of  Hein- 
rich's  superciliousness,  and  volunteered  the  compliment  to 
the  spouse  ;  probably  hazarding  the  latter,  from  an  inti- 
mate conviction  that  most  husbands  are  content  to  hear 
eulogies  on  those  who  are  so  completely  in  their  power 
as  their  own  wives. 

"  Since  it  is  your  honorable  pleasure,  Herr  Count,  for 
God's  sake  let  the  woman  come  in,"  answered  Heinrich, 
still,  however,  without  changing  an  attitude  so  soothing  to 
his  self-esteem.  "  If  she  should  see  me  seated  in  a  pres- 
ence in  which  it  would  much  better  become  me  to  kneel, 
why  it  may  help  to  show  that  God  hath  given  her  a  com- 
panion that  is  not  altogether  without  the  world's  esteem, 


154  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

little  as  he  may  merit  it.  Enter  freely,  therefore,  good 
Ulrike,  since  it  is  my  lord's  pleasure  ;  but  presume  not  on 
his  condescension  to  me,  which  is  rather  a  mark  of  great 
love  for  our  town,  than  any  matter  connected  with  domes- 
tic life." 

"  In  all  that  the  high-born  Count  hath  done  honor  to 
any  of  us,  whether  as  of  Duerckheim,  or  as  his  unworthy 
neighbors,  I  desire  respectfully  to  be  grateful,"  returned 
the  wife,  who,  by  this  time  had  recovered  from  her  sur- 
prise, and  who  now  advanced  farther  into  the  narrow  room, 
with  the  modest  self-possession  which  ordinarily  distin- 
guished her  manner  : — "If  I  do  not  come  amiss,  I  crave  to 
be  heard  of  both,  in  a  matter  that  toucheth  nearly  a 
mother's  heart ;  and  a  matter,  as  it  is  of  Heinrich  Frey's 
child  I  would  fain  speak,  that  I  trust  may  not  be  indiffer- 
ent to  my  lord  the  Count." 

"Were  it  of  mine  own  little  Kunigunde,  the  subject 
should  not  be  more  welcome  !"  said  the  noble.  "  Speak 
freely  then,  gentle  Ulrike,  and  with  the  same  simplicity 
thou  wouldest  use  were  it  only  to  thy  husband's  ear." 

"  Thou  hearest,  woman  !  mein  Herr  Graf  enters,  as  it 
were,  into  all  our  tribulations  and  happiness,  an'  he  were 
no  other  than  a  brother.  So  mince  not  the  matter,  but 
deal  frankly  with  us  ;  though  I  admonish  thee  not  to  push 
thy  words  to  all  the  familiarity  of  household  discourse." 

"As  it  is  of  a  subject  so  near,  I  pray  leave  to  close  the 
door,  before  more  is  uttered." 

The  words  of  Ulrike  were  cut  short  by  a  hasty  gesture 
of  approbation  from  her  husband,  and  by  the  Count  him- 
self, who,  with  more  of  the  consideration  and'manner  of  a 
gentleman,  performed  the  desired  office  with  his  own  hands, 
thus  admitting  the  wife,  as  it  were,  into  the  very  cabinet  of 
their  secret  councils. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"  You  would  be  another  Penelope  :  yet  they 

Say,  all  the  yarn  she  spun,  in  Ulysses'  absence,  did 
But  fill  Ithaca  full  of  moths." — Coriolanus. 

WHEN  Ulrike  found  himself  fairly  closeted  with  the 
Count  and  her  husband,  and  was  quietly  seated  on  the 
stool  which  the  former,  spite  of  the  latter's  protestations 


THE   HEIDEXMAUER.  155 

to  the  contrary,  had  insisted  on  her  taking,  she  cast  her 
mild  eyes  about  her,  with  that  expression  and  touching 
appeal  that  a  woman  is  apt  to  make  when  she  feels  called 
on  to  act  as  the  adviser,  if  not  the  guardian,  of  him  whom 
nature  intended  and  the  law  presumes,  is  both  able  and 
willing  to  discharge  those  offices  for  her.  Notwithstand- 
ing Henrich's  obstinacy  and  masculine  swaggering, 
many  occasions  had  arrived  in  the  course  of  their  matri- 
monial life  to  produce  a  latent  conviction  in  both,  that 
the  order  of  things  was  a  little  inverted,  as  respects  judg- 
ment and  moral  authority,  by  inclining  one  to  lean,  though 
with  but  an  indifferent  grace,  where  he  should  have  sup- 
ported ;  and  tempting  the  other,  at  times,  to  overstep  her 
sex's  duties,  though  it  was  always  done  with  an  intuitive 
perception  of  her  sex's  seemliness  and  means. 

"  For  this  condescension  I  thank  my  Lord  Emich,  and 
thee,  Heinrich,"  commenced  the  thoughtful  matron  ;  "for 
it  is  not  at  all  times  advisable  for  the  wife  to  intrude  un- 
bidden even  to  her  husband's  presence." 

A  significant  ejaculation,  which  might  almost  merit  a 
coarser  term,  was  the  manner  in  which  the  Burgomaster 
expressed  his  assent,  during  the  brief  pause  that  succeeded 
this  excuse  of  Ulrike.  The  more  courteous  host  bowed  with 
sufficient  respect,  though  even  by  his  manner  it  was  evi- 
dent he  was  getting  impatient  to  know  the  real  motive  of 
the  interruption. 

"  We  are  too  well  pleased  to  receive  thee,  to  remember 
the  usages  and  rights  of  manhood,"  answered  the  latter, 
with  a  kindness  of  manner  that  was  insensibly  extorted  by 
the  winning  and  feminine  qualities  of  her  he  addressed, 
and  which  in  some  degree  softened  the  pretensions  of  his 
language — "  Proceed  with  thy  matter,  for  none  can  be 
more  ready  to  listen." 

"  Thou  nearest,  good  Ulrike  !  the  Herr  Count  is  willing 
to  remember  thou  art  a  Burgomaster's  consort ;  and,  as  he 
is  pleased  to  say,  we  are  truly  impatient  to  be  let  into  the 
cause  of  thy  sudden  visit." 

The  thoughtful  Ulrike  received  this  encouragement  like 
one  accustomed  to  be  treated,  in  some  measure,  as  a  being 
inferior  in  capacity  and  force  to  her  husband,  but  not  with- 
out a  shade  like  that  which  is  produced  by  unmerited 
humiliation.  Smiling — and  few,  even  in  early  and  attrac- 
tive youth,  and  so  sweet  an  expression,  when  her  coun- 
tenance thus  gleamed,  whether  it  were  in  pleasure,  or  in 


156  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

melancholy — smiling,  as  it  might  be,  partly  in  female 
gentleness,  and  partly  in  sadness,  she  commenced  the  pur- 
port of  her  visit,  coming,  however,  to  her  true  object  with 
great  reserve  and  with  the  caution  of  a  woman  accustomed 
to  influence,  rather  than  to  control. 

"  For  the  great  kindness  and  condescension  of  the  Herr 
Emich,  in  behalf  of  Ileinrich  Frey,  and  of  all  that  are  his, 
no  one  is  more  grateful  than  I,"  she  said  ;  "  if  I  may  now 
seem  to  trouble  him  with  the  concerns  of  a  family- on 
which  he  has  already  so  freely  lavished  favors — 

"And  friendship,  good  Ulrike." 

"And  friendship,  since  you  permit  me,  noble  Count,  to 
use  the  word — but,  if  I  now  seem  to  trespass  beyond  breed- 
ing, by  troubling  your  mind  with  a  concern  that  is  so  re- 
mote from  your  own  interests,  I  trust  you  will  remembei 
a  mother's  tenderness,  and  think  of  the  high-born  Ermen- 
garde  whose  anxiety  for  her  own  offspring  may  furnish 
some  excuse  for  that  I  feel  for  mine." 

"  Hath  aught  befell  the  blooming  Meta  ?" 

"  God's  my  life!"  exclaimed  the  troubled  Heinrich, 
abandoning  his  much-prized  seat,  in  the  suddenness  of  pa- 
ternal alarm.  "  Hath  the  wench  suffered  from  the  over- 
rich  eels  of  the  Rhine  ?  or  is  she  massed  to  death  by  these 
accursed  monks?" 

"Our  child  is  well  in  the  body,  and,  the  blessed  Maria 
be  praised !  she  is  pure  and  innocent  in  mind,"  returned 
Ulrike.  "  I  have  little  cause  for  aught  but  gratitude  in 
either  of  these  behalfs  ; — but,  she  is  of  an  age  when  girlish 
fancies  become  unsettled,  and  the  flexible  female  spirit 
seeks  impressions  from  others  than  those  whom  nature 
hath  made  its  guardians." 

"  This  is  some  of  thy  usual  incomprehensibilities,  good 
woman,  and  language  that  is  not  easily  understood  by  any 
but  thyself.  The  noble  Graf  hath  no  leisure  to  hunt  up 
new  ideas  to  maintain  a  discourse  in  subtleties.  Had  the 

firl  indeed  tasted  too  freely  of  the  rare  dish  which  the 
onest  Burgomaster  of  Manheim  so  kindly  sent  me,  as  I 
at  first  feared,  no  doubt  the  means  to  cure  might  be  found 
in  Hartenburg  ;  but  thou  askest  too  much,  wife  of  mine, 
when  thou  wouldest  have  "any  but  thine  own  husband  en- 
ter into  all  the  cunning  niceties  that  sometimes  beset  thy 
imagination." 

"  Nay,  Master  Heinrich,  here  may  be  more  urgent  mat- 
ter than  thou  thinkest :  thy  dame  is  not  a  woman  whose 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  157 

opinions  are  to  be  neglected.  Wilt  proceed  with  thy  re- 
cital, good  Ulrike  ? " 

"Our  child  is  at  that  period  of  life,"  continued  the 
mother,  too  much  accustomed  to  the  manner  of  her  hus- 
band to  permit  it  to  divert  her  thoughts  from  their  main 
intention — "  when  the  young  of  every  sort  begin  to  think 
of  the  future.  It  is  a  principle  that  God  hath  implanted, 
Herr  Emich,  and  therefore  it  is  for  good  ;  and  we,  who 
have  watched  over  the  infancy  of  our  offspring  With  so 
much  anxiety,  have  trained  their  youth  with  so  much  care, 
and  have  so  often  trembled  for  their  noon-time,  must, 
sooner  or  later,  consent  to  loosen  the  sweet  ties  that  bind 
us  to  our  second  selves,  in  order  that  the  great  ends  of  the 
creation  shall  be  accomplished." 

"  Umph  ! "  ejaculated  Heinrich. 

"Nay,  gentle  Ulrike,"  said  the  Count,  "  maternal  love 
hath  drawn  this  picture  in  stronger  colors  than  may  be 
necessary.  When  the  time  for  matrimony  comes,  God's 
my  life  !  daughter  of  thine  and  honest  Heinrich  Frey,  need 
not  wear  maiden's  coif  a  day  longer  than  is  necessary  to 
do  suitable  reverence  to  the  Church.  Here  have  I  youths, 
out  of  number,  that  look  to  the  house  of  Leiningen  for 
grace,  any  one  of  whom  would  be  glad  to  wive  with  the 
damsel  I  should  name.  There  is  young  Friedrich  Zant- 
zinger,  the  orphan  of  my  last  deputy  in  the  villages  of  the 
plain  ;  he  is  a  lad  that  would  gladly  do  harder  service  to 
gain  my  love." 

"When  old  Friedrich  left  the  boy  fatherless,  he  left  him 
without  a  penny,"  dryly  rejoined  the  Burgomaster. 

"That  is  a  fault  which  might  be  mended  ;  but  I  have 
others  that  can  be  named.  What  thinkest  thou  of  the  eldest 
son  of  my  Heidelberg  attorney,  worthy  Conrad  Walther  ? " 

"Curse  the  knave  ?     I  hate  him  from  my  heart." 

"  Thou  art  warm,  Master  Heinrich,  against  one  that  I 
both  trust  and  favor." 

"  I  cry  your  mercy,  Herr  Graf  ;  but  a  sudden  rising  of 
the  bile,  at  the  mention  of  the  fellow's  name,  got  the  bet- 
ter of  respect,"  answered  the  Burgomaster,  with  more 
moderation,  who,  as  he  saw  by  the  lowering  look  of  Emich's 
brow  the  necessity  of  explanation,  continued,  with  rather 
more  openness  than  he  might  have  thought  necessary  un- 
der circumstances  of  less  urgency:  "Perhaps  the  high- 
born Count  was  never  possessed  of  the  matter  of  our  late 
controversy  ? " 


158  THE.  HEIDENMAUER. 

"Nay,  I  pretend  not  to  judge  my  friends — 

"  Let  but  my  lord  condescend  to  hear  me,  and  I  leave 
him  arbiter  between  us.  It  is  well  known  to  you,  Herr 
Emich,  that  collections  were  made,  and  charity  asked,  in 
behalf  of  the  peasants  who  suffered,  the  past  year,  from 
the  sudden  rising  of  the  Rhine.  Among  others,  the  good 
Christians  of  our  town  were  importuned  for  succor  ;  and, 
for  none  will  deny  that  it  was  a  sad  visitation  of  Provi- 
dence, we  gave  freely  as  became  our  several  means.  To 
prevent  improper  uses  of  the  money,  in  all  cases  of  lib- 
eral donations  the  sealed  bond  of  the  donor,  at  a  near  day, 
was  asked  in  preference  to  the  silver  ;  and  mine  was  grant- 
ed for  the  fair  sum  of  twelve  crowns,  as  a  poor  donation 
suited  to  my  hopes  and  station.  It  so  fell  out,  Herr  Graf, 
that  those  charged  with  the  distribution  had  occasion  for 
their  money  before  the  instruments  were  up  ;  and  they 
sent  agents  among  us,  in  order  to  enter  into  such  negotia- 
tions as  the  cases  might  need.  Gold  was  scarce  at  the 
moment ;  and  because,  in  regaining  my  bond,  I  had  a 
heedful  regard  to  mine  own  interests,  the  misdealing  Con- 
rad would  fain  transport  me,  like  a  thief,  before  the  au- 
thorities of  Heidelberg,  to  undergo  the  penalties  of  a 
usurer.  Son  of  his  shall  never  call  me  father,  with  your 
gracious  leave,  nobly-born  Count  of  Leiningen  !  " 

"  This  truly  offereth  some  impediment  to  the  affair  ;  but, 
failing  of  young  Conrad,  I  have  others  that  may  be  ac- 
counted worthy  of  this  advantage.  So  put  thy  maternal 
heart  at  ease,  good  Ulrike,  and  trust  to  my  active  friend- 
ship to  dispose  of  the  girl." 

The  Burgomaster's  consort  had  been  a  patient  listener 
during  the  short  but  characteristic  digression  of  her  hus- 
band. Trained  in  the  opinions  of  the  times,  she  did  not 
possibly  endure  all  that  a  mother  and  a  wife,  of  equal  na- 
tive sensibility,  might  now  suffer  at  so  evident  a  debase- 
ment of  her  sex  ;  but  as  the  laws  of  nature  are  permanent, 
neither  did  she  escape  a  pang  of  wounded  feeling  as  she 
heard  the  different  expedients  that  were  so  hastily  devised 
for  the  future  disposal  of  one  who  formed  her  chief  hap- 
piness in  life.  There  was  less  of  that  hectic  color,  which 
commonly  gave  a  lustre  to  eyes  that  were  by  nature  rather 
melancholy  than  bright,  and  her  voice  was  fuller  of  emo- 
tion than  before,  as  she  continued. 

"  For  all  this  heed  of  me  and  mine,  I  again  thank  the 
Herr  Count ;  but  there  is  a  power  that  is  stronger  with 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  159 

the  young  than  the  counsel  of  the  experienced,  or  even 
than  the  wishes  of  their  friends,"  she  said.  "My  intent, 
in  intruding  myself  unbidden  into  this  secret  conference, 
was  to  say  that  Meta  had  listened  to  the  voice  of  her  sym- 
pathies more  than  to  the  usages  of  her  class,  and  chosen 
for  herself." 

The  Count  and  Heinrich  Frey  stared  at  the  speaker  in 
mute  surprise,  for  neither  fully  comprehended  her  mean- 
ing ;  while  Ulrike  herself,  one  of  her  objects  being 
accomplished,  in  having  made  this  long-dreaded  declara- 
tion in  the  presence  of  a  person  able  to  repress  the  anger 
of  her  husband,  sat  silent,  inwardly  trembling  for  the 
consequences. 

"  Wilt  thou  explain  the  meaning  of  thy  worthy  consort, 
Herr  Heinrich,"  abruptly  asked  the  Count. 

"Zum  Henker!  you  ask  me  to  perform  an  office,  Lord 
Count,  that  might  better  fit  a  Benedictine,  or  a  clerk. 
When  Ulrike,  who  is  an  excellent  and  obedient  companion 
in  the  main,  once  gets  upon  the  stilts  of  fancy,  I  never 
pretend  to  be  able  to  raise  an  idea  to  the  level  of  her  shoe- 
buckle.  Go  to  !  thou  hast  well  spoken,  wife  of  mine  ;  and 
it  will  now  be  better  to  seek  our  child,  lest  yonder  cavalier 
of  Rhodes  be  oiling  her  ears  with  the  unction  of  flattery." 

"  Nay,  by  my  house's  honors  !  but  I  will  know  more  of 
this  matter,  thy  fair  and  virtuous  consort  consenting,  Mas- 
ter Heinrich.  Wilt  explain  thyself  freely,  dame  ?" 

Whether  it  be  from  the  instinct  of  weakness  and  deli- 
cacy, or  only  the  fruit  of  precepts  constantly  inculcated,  a 
virtuous  woman  rarely  admits  the  existence  of  the  senti- 
ment of  love,  either  in  herself  or  in  any  that  is  dear  to  her, 
without  a  feeling  of  shame,  and  possibly  not  without  an 
intuitive  knowledge  that  she  is  conceding  some  of  the 
vantage-ground  of  her  sex's  privileges. 

This  feeling  was  apparent  in  Ulrike,  by  the  slow  but 
complete  suffusion  of  her  cheek,  and  by  the  manner  in 
which  her  looks  avoided  those  of  Emich,  spite  of  the  self- 
possession  and  calm  of  her  years. 

"  I  would  merely  say,  Herr  Emich,"  she  replied,  "  that 
Meta,  like  all  who  are  young  and  innocent,  hath  fancied 
an  image  of  perfection,  and  that  she  hath  found  an  orig- 
inal for  her  picture  in  a  youth  of  the  Jaegerthal.  While  of 
this  mind  she  cannot,  in  honesty  or  in  maidenly  respect, 
become  the  bride  of  any  other  than  him  she  loves." 

"The  aifair  grows  clearer,"  returned  the  count,  smiling 


160  THE  1IEIDEXMAUER. 

like  one  who  took  no  very  deep  interest  in  the  matter; 
"  and  it  is  as  well  explained  as  heart  could  wish — at  least, 
heart  of  the  youth  in  question.  What  thinkest  thou  of 
this,  Herr  Burgomaster  ?  " 

The  comprehension  of  Heinrich  Frey  could  not  alto- 
gether misconceive  so  plain  an  explanation,  and,  since  the 
moment  when  his  wife  had  ceased  speaking,  he  sat  regard- 
ing her  mild  but  troubled  countenance,  with  parted  lips 
and  open  eyes,  like  a  man  that  first  learns  some  unlooked- 
for  intelligence  of  great  moment. 

"  Herr  Teufel !  "  exclaimed  Heinrich,  taking  up  the  last 
words  of  the  Baron,  unconscious  of  the  disrespect  of  what 
he  did — "  Art  talking  of  our  own  natural-born  child  ?" 

"  Of  none  other.  In  whom  else  have  I  this  motherly 
affection? — or  for  what  other  can  I  feel  this  deep  con- 
cern ?" 

"  Dost  mean  that  Meta — my  daughter,  Meta  Frey — hath 
inclination  for  son  of  woman,  except  it  may  be  the  natural 
love  and  reverence  she  beareth  her  own  father  ? — that  the 
girl  hath  truant  and  free  fancies  ? " 

"  I  say  nothing  to  give  this  opinion  of  Meta — my  daugh- 
ter, Meta,"  returned  Ulrike,  with  womanly  dignity.  "  Our 
child  has  done  no  more  than  listened  to  the  secret  whis- 
perings of  nature  ;  and,  in  yielding  her  affections  to  a 
youth  whom  she  hath  often  seen  and  long  known,  she  hath 
merely  paid  an  homage  to  merit,  that  the  most  virtuous 
are  the  most  apt  to  yield." 

"  Go  to,  Ulrike !  Thou  art  well  enough  among  thy 
household,  and  a  woman  for  whom  I  have  esteem  ;  but 
these  visions  with  which  thou  art  so  often  troubled,  give 
thee  an  air,  at  times,  of  being  of  less  discernment  than 
thou  mayest  fairly  claim  to  be.  Excuse  the  dame,  Herr 
Count ;  for,  though  her  own  husband,  and  a  little  weak 
on  the  subject  of  her  infirmities  perhaps,  there  is  not  a 
more  thrifty  manager,  a  more  faithful  spouse,  or  a  kinder 
mother  in  the  Palatinate." 

"  Nay,  thou  little  need  say  this  to  me  !  None  know  the 
worth  of  Ulrike  better ;  and,  I  may  add,  few  respect  her 
so  much.  It  were  well  to  hear  further  of  this  matter, 
Heinrich  ;  for,  to  treat  thee  in  candor,  there  may  lay  more 
beneath  this  opening  of  the  excellent  wife  than  is  at  first 
apparent.  Our  Meta  hath  seen  the  qualities  of  some 
worthy  youth  sooner  than  they  have  struck  the  eye  of  her 
quick-sighted  father,  thou  wouldst  say.  Is  it  not  so,dame  ?" 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  161 

"  I  would  say  that  the  heart  of  my  child  is  so  closely 
bound  in  that  of  another,  as  to  leave  little  hope  of  happi- 
ness should  her  matrimonial  duties  teach  her  to  forget 
him." 

"  Thou  thinkest,  then,  good  dame,  that  the  young  fan- 
cies of  a  female,  when  once  indulged,  are  not  to  be  re- 
moved by  the  offices  of  wife  and  mother  ? — that  a  caprice 
of  the  imagination  is  stronger  than  a  vow  made  at  the 
altar  ? " 

Though  the  eyes  of  both  the  Count  and  the  Burgomaster 
were  riveted  on  the  fine  and  speaking  countenance  of 
Ulrike,  the  volume  of  eloquent  nature,  that  was  thus  opened 
to  their  observation,  proved  little  better  than  a  blank. 
Strong  and  dramatic  exhibitions  of  feeling  require  but  lit- 
tle interpretation  for  the  dullest  faculties  ;  but  few  indeed 
are  they  who  are  capable  of  comprehending  the  secret 
workings  of  a  spirit  chastened  and  restrained  as  that  of  a 
virtuous,  but  unhappily-paired  woman.  There  is,  perhaps, 
no  one  aspect  of  human  nature  more  commonplace,  or 
more  easily  understood,  than  that  which  is  hourly  offered 
by  a  worldly-minded  and  capricious  fair.  She  runs  her 
little  career,  seemingly  as  erratic  as  a  comet,  though,  in 
truth,  her  course  is  always  to  be  calculated  on  the  infallible 
principles  of  vanity  and  selfishness  ;  but  no  secret  is  more 
hermetically  sealed  against  impertinent  and  vulgar  curios- 
ity, than  the  elevated  sentiments  which  sustain  the  suffer- 
ing and  silent  female  who  is  truly  instinct  with  the  high 
qualities  of  her  sex. 

We  are  no  railer  at  the  domination  of  man  ;  for  we  are 
persuaded  that  he  who  would  wish  to  transform  the  being 
that  was  created  to  be  his  solacer  and  companion — his  guide 
in  moral  darkness,  and  his  sharer  in  sorrow  as  in  joy — into 
a  worldly  competitor,  changing  love  and  confidence  to 
rivalry  and  contention,  is  but  miserably  instructed  in  that 
sublime  ordinance  of  nature,  which  has  thus  separated  the 
highest  order  of  its  creation  into  two  great  classes,  so  re- 
plete with  mutual  consolation  and  happiness. 

Had  the  wife  of  the  Burgomaster  arisen,  and,  in  chosen 
terms,  made  an  appeal  to  the  sympathies  of  her  compan- 
ions, in  which  language  should  unite  with  manner  to  pro- 
duce an  effect,  she  might  have  been  understood,  as  the 
every-day  reader  understands  all  such  pictures  of  female 
character ;  but  where  she  sat,  silent,  suffering,  and  meek, 
she  was  completely  concealed  from  any  means  of  compre- 
ii 


i6a  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

hension  possessed  by  either.  Her  eye  did  not  kindle,  for 
long  and  patient  subordination  had  taught  her  to  submit 
to  the  misconstructions  of  her  husband  ;  nor  scarcely  did 
the  faint  color  of  her  cheek  deepen,  since  the  load  at  her 
heart  counteracted  the  natural  impulses  of  pride  and  re- 
sentment. 

"  I  think,  Lord  Count,  that  when  an  innocent  and  youth- 
ful female  heart  yields  to  a  power  that  nature  perhaps  has 
made  irresistible,"  she  said,  "  it,  at  least,  merits  to  be 
treated  tenderly.  Meta  hath  few  fancies  of  the  kind  you 
mention  ;  and  the  attachment  she  feels,  though  doubtless 
deepened  by  those  colors  which  the  least  experienced  in 
the  truths  of  life  are  the  most  apt  to  paint,  is  but  the  nat- 
ural consequence  of  much  association,  and  of  great  de- 
serving on  the  part  of  the  young  man." 

"  This  is  getting  to  be  plain,  Herr  Emich,"  said  Heinrich 
Frey,  pithily,  "  and  must  needs  be  looked  to.  Wilt  con- 
descend to  name  the  youth  thou  meanest,  Ulrike  ?  " 

"  Berchthold  Hintermayer." 

"  Berchthold  Teufelstein  !  "  exclaimed  the  Burgomaster, 
laughing,  though  there  was  something  like  a  secret  con- 
sciousness of  danger  in  the  very  manner  in  which  he  gave 
loose  to  his  merriment.  "  A  penniless  boy  is  truly  a  fit 
husband  for  child  of  mine  !  " 

The  quiet,  blue  eye  of  Ulrike  was  fastened  on  her  hus- 
band ;  but  she  averted  it  with  sensitive  haste,  lest  it  might 
betray  that  she  was  thinking  of  the  time  when  her  own 
father  had  consented  to  her  marriage  with  one  nearly  as 
poor,  merely  because  the  penetration  of  the  parent  had 
discovered  those  qualities  of  prudence  and  gainful  indus- 
try in  his  townsman  which  after-experience  so  fully  de- 
veloped. 

"  He  is  not  rich,  Heinrich,"  was  her  answer  ;  "  but  he  is 
worthy  ;  and  why  need  a  chill  be  thrown  on  the  heart  of 
Meta,  for  the  desire  of  that  which  she  already  hath  in 
sufficient  plenty  ?" 

"  Hear  you  this,  Herr  Emich  ?  My  wife  is  lifting  the 
curtain  of  privacy  before  your  respected  eyes  with  a  free- 
dom for  which  I  could  fain  cry  mercy." 

"  Berchthold  is  a  youth  I  love,"  gravely  observed  the 
Count. 

"  In  that  case,  I  shall  say  nothing  disrespectful  of  the 
lad,  who  is  a  worthy  forester,  and  in  all  things  suited  to  his 
service  in  the  family  of  Hartenburg  ;  still,  he  is  but  a 


THE  HEIDEN-MAUER.  x63 

forester,  and  a  very  penniless  one.  I  had  not  thought  to 
dispose  of  the  girl  so  soon,  for  a  little  maidenly  leisure 
does  none  of  the  sex  injury,  Lord  Count  ;  but  as  she  hath 
her  head  set  upon  this  Berchthold,  it  may  be  well  to  wrap 
it  in  a  matron's  coif,  by  way  of  filling  it  with  ideas  more 
suited  to  her  hopes." 

"  The  remedy  may  prove  fatal,  Heinrich  !  "  mildly  ob- 
served Ulrike,  raising  her  tearful  eye  to  the  obstinate  feat- 
ures of  the  Burgomaster. 

"  Nay,  I  ought  to  know  the  constitution  of  the  family ; 
what  has  so  well  succeeded  with  the  mother  cannot  harm 
the  child." 

The  wife  did  not  reply.  But  Emich  of  Hartenburg  had 
been  deeply  interested  by  her  gentle  and  winning  manner, 
for  he  had  watched  her  countenance  closely,  and  under- 
stood the  womanly  effort  by  which  the  appearance  of  calm 
was  preserved.  Turning  to  the  Burgomaster,  he  laid  a 
hand  on  bfiS  shoulder,  with  a  friendly  smile,  and  said — 

"  Herr  Heinrich,  thou  hast  a  fair  and  gentle  consort ; 
but,  I  think,  too,  thou  hast  scarce  less  faith  in  me  than  in 
thy  wife.  Give  us  leave  ;  I  would  fain  reason  this  matter 
with  Ulrike,  without  the  aid  of  thy  influence." 

"A  thousand  thanks  for  the  honor  to  me  and  mine,  high- 
born Count !  As  to  faith,  I  would  leave  the  dame  a  year 
on  Limburg-hill  without  other  thought  than  for  her  con- 
venience ;  for  none  know  the  worth  of  Ulrike  better, 
though  she  is  so  difficult  to  comprehend  when  her  fancy  is 
moulting.  Now  kiss  me,  dame,  and  prithee  do  no  dis- 
honor to  the  Count's  counsel." 

Thus  saying,  Heinrich  Frey  placed  a  hearty  kiss  on  the 
soft  cheek  that  the  obedient  Ulrike  freely  offered,  and  left 
his  wife  alone  with  the  noble,  without  other  thought  than 
of  the  high  distinction  that  was  conferred  on  his  name. 
The  manner  in  which  he  prized  the  notice  of  the  Baron 
was  sufficiently  manifested  by  the  readiness  with  which 
he  communicated  the  circumstance  that  Emich  and  his 
consort  were  closeted  on  an  affair  touching  the  interests 
of  the  family  of  Frey,  to  all  who  would  listen  to  his  tale. 


164  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

"Ah  me  !  for  aught  that  ever  I  could  read, 
Could  ever  hear  by  tales  or  history, 
The  course  of  true  love  never  did  run  smooth  ! " 

— SHAKESPEARE. 

WHEN  the  door  was  closed  on  the  husband,  the  Conn* 
turned  to  the  wife,  and  continued  the  discourse. 

"  I  love  young  Berchthold  Hintermayer,  good  Ulrike," 
he  said,  "and  would  gladly  be  of  aid  in  this  affair,  which, 
I  see  plainly,  thou  hast  much  at  heart." 

"  The  mother  would  be  unnatural  that  had  not  anxiety 
for  the  happiness  of  her  child.  In  youth,  Lord  Count,  we 
gaze  before  us,  filling  the  dim  ascent  with  scenes  drawn 
after  our  wishes,  and  peopling  the  world  with  the  beings 
that  we  deem  most  necessary  to  our  hopes  ;  but  when  we 
have  reached  the  eminence,whence  the  commencement  and 
the  end  of  life  can  both  be  plainly  seen,  do  we  first  find 
truth.  I  am  as  little  disposed  as  another  to  venture  rashly 
on  a  union  that  has  no  better  security  for  its  fruits  than  a 
blind  and  feverish  passion,  that  will  be  certain  to  consume 
itself  by  its  own  fierceness  ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  none 
who  have  known  life  as  I  can  be  disposed  to  consider 
lightly  those  resemblances  of  taste  and  opinions,  those 
gentle  touches  of  character  and  disposition,  that  are  most 
likely  to  conduce  to  wedded  love." 

"  Thou  art  esteemed  lucky  in  thine  own  consorting, 
dame  ?" 

"  God  hath  much  blessed  me  in  many  mercies — the  ques- 
tion is  of  Meta,  my  Lord  Count." 

Ulrike,  spite  of  herself,  had  changed  color ;  but,  aided 
by  the  manner  of  matronly  reserve  she  immediately 
assumed,  the  little  emotion  passed  with  Emich  as  no  more 
than  a  display  of  feminine  reserve,  that  was  intended  to 
repress  a  curiosity  he  had  no  title  to  indulge. 

"  The  question  is  of  Meta,  in  sooth,"  he  answered  ; 
"and,  by  Saint  Benedict  !  the  youth  shall  not  want  for 
friendly  and  free  support.  But  favor  should  have  favor's 
reward.  If  I  give  into  thy  humor  in  this"  concern  of  thy 
daughter's  marriage,  good  Ulrike,  in  return,  I  expect  of 
thee  a  service  on  which  I  scarce  lay  less  stress." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  165 

The  matron  raised  her  eyes  to  the  countenance  of  her 
companion,  in  surprise.  One  who  had  not  so  uniformly 
preserved  her  own  self-respect,  might  have  doubted  of 
what  she  heard  ;  but  the  look  of  the  Burgomaster's  wife 
merely  conveyed  a  meaning  of  curiosity  and  innocence. 

"You  will  deserve  far  more  than  I  can  bestow,  Herr  Count, 
should  you  do  aught  to  secure  the  happiness  of  Meta." 

"  Fair  wife,"  continued  Emich,  seating  himself,  and  tak- 
ing her  hand,  with  the  freedom  which  his  superior  rank 
and  the  usages  of  the  country  allowed,  "thou  knowest  the 
manner  in  which  these  Benedictines  have  so  long  vexed 
our  valley ;  and,  being  so  deeply  in  the  confidence  of  the 
honest  Heinrich,  thou  must  have  suspected  that,  wearied 
of  their  insolence  and  exactions,  we  have  seriously  be- 
thought us  of  the  means  by  which  to  reduce  them  to  the 
modesty  that  becometh  their  godly  professions,  and  which 
might  better  justify  their  pretensions  ?" 

Emich  paused,  and  sat  intently  regarding  the  face  of  his 
quiet  listener.  He  had  unwittingly  touched  upon  the 
very  subject  that  had  been  the  chief  inducement  with  the 
Burgomaster's  wife  for  intruding  upon  the  privacy  of  the 
conspirators.  She  had  long  suspected  their  intentions  ; 
and,  though  she  felt  deep  care  for  the  future  lot  of  Meta, 
and  had  gladly  availed  herself  of  a  favorable  occasion  to 
break  the  ice  on  a  subject  that,  sooner  or  later,  must  be 
disclosed,  her  real  object  was  to  warn  Heinrich  against 
the  probable  consequences  of  the  plot.  In  this  disposi- 
tion, then,  she  heard  the  Count  with  secret  pleasure,  and 
prepared  herself  to  reply,  in  the  manner  she  had  long 
meditated. 

"All  that  you  say,  Herr  Count,"  she  answered,  "has 
more  than  once  crossed  my  mind  ;  and  deeply  have  I 
grieved  that  those  I  so  love  and  honor  should  thus  medi- 
tate injury  to  the  altars  of  God — plan  desperate  devices  to 
interrupt  his  praise." 

"  How !  dost  thou  call  the  whinings  of  these  knaves 
praise  of  aught  but  their  own  hypocrisy?"  interrupted 
Emich.  "  Are  they  not  the  instigators  of  most  of  our  sins, 
by  their  example  ? — the  parents  of  all  the  contention  that 
troubles  the  neighborhood  ? — Consider,  good  Ulrike,  that 
heaven  is  not  a  close  into  which  souls  are  to  be  driven 
blindfolded  ;  but  that  we,  who  are  of  the  flock,  have  at 
least  the  right,  as  we  have  the  means,  of  judging  whether 
the  shepherds  are  fit  for  their  office^  or  not." 


166  THE  HE1DENMAUER. 

"  And  should  they  prove  unequal  to,  or  unworthy  o{ 
their  duties,  where  do  we  find  authority  to  do  them  harm  ?" 

"  God's  my  life  !  good  wife  ;  are  our  swords  nothing  ? 
Are  a  noble  name,  an  ancient  and  high  descent,  a  long- 
standing claim  to  command,  and  a  stout  heart,  nothing  ?  " 

"Arrayed  against  the  Almighty,  they  count  as  the  leaves 
of  your  own  forest  when  fluttering  in  a  gale  ; — less  than  the 
flakes  of  snow  that  drive,  in  winter,  against  the  battle- 
ments of  your  strong  castle.  Limburg  is  reared  in  honor 
of  God  ;  and  he  that  raiseth  a  hand  against  the  sacred 
walls,  will  be  apt  to  repent  the  rashness  in  woe.  If  there 
are  unworthy  ministers  at  its  altars,  there  are  also  those 
that  are  worthy  ;  and  were  it  not  so,  the  mission  is  too 
high  to  be  sullied  by  any  frailty  of  those  who  abuse  their 
trusts." 

The  Count  was  disturbed  ;  for  Ulrike  spoke  earnestly, 
and  in  a  voice  of  sweet  persuasion.  He  leaned  his  chin 
upon  a  hand,  as  a  man  that  pondered  well  upon  the  haz- 
ards of  his  enterprise. 

"  What  thinkest  thou,  Ulrike,  of  this  brother  of  Witten- 
berg ? "  he  at  length  asked.  "  Could  we  but  fairly  make 
him  out  honest  and  wise,  ecclesiastical  authority  for  low- 
ering the  pride  of  Limburg  might  be  had  ! " 

"  I  am  one  of  those  who  think  brother  Luther  honest  ;  I 
am  also  one  of  those  who  think  him  mistaken  :  but  even 
he  is  far  from  urging  to  deeds  of  violence." 

"By  Saint  Benedict!  woman,  thou  hast  had  converse 
with  Father  Arnolph,  touching  this  question.  Echo  does 
not  answer  sound  more  faithfully  than  thou  repeatest  the 
sentiments  of  the  Prior." 

"  It  is  not  strange  that  they  who  love  God  should  feel 
and  speak  alike  in  a  matter  affecting  his  honor.  I  have  said 
nought  to  Father  Arnolph,  nor  to  any  other  of  the  Abbey, 
of  your  designs  ;  for  it  is  not  easy  for  Ulrike  Frey  to  for- 
get she  is  both  wife  and  mother.  But  I  have  prayed  often, 
that  the  hearts  of  those  who  contemplate  this  dangerous 
sacrilege  may  be  softened  ;  and  that,  for  their  own  safety, 
they  may  yet  see  the  evil  of  their  plot.  Believe  me,  Count, 
the  Dread  Being  who  is  worshipped  in  Limburg,  will  not 
forget  to  avenge  himself  of  those  who  despise  his  power !  " 

"  Thou  art  certain,  Ulrike,  that  thy  opinions  have  weight 
with  me,  for  since  childhood  have  I  known  and  respected 
thy  wisdom.  Nay,  had  there  not  been  want  of  those  claims 
which  birth  can  alone  give,  thou  wouldst  now  be  sitting 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  167 

in  this  castle  its  mistress,  and  not  a  guest.  The  self-denial 
which  was  practised,  in  order  to  do  my  father  pleasure 
cost  me  much  pain  for  many  years  ;  nor  did  I  rightly  re- 
gain my  freedom,  until  the  birth  of  my  eldest  born  turned 
my  hopes  towards  posterity." 

It  is  seldom  woman  hears  the  acknowledgment  of  her 
influence  with  the  stronger  sex,  without  secret  satisfac- 
tion. As  there  had  been  nothing  in  the  attachment  to 
which  the  Count  alluded,  to  alarm  her  principles  or  to  of- 
fend her  delicacy,  Ulrike  listened  to  this  reference  to  the 
feeling  and  incidents  of  their  younger  days,  with  a  smile 
that  produced  an  effect  on  her  gentle  features,  which  re- 
sembled the  melancholy  light  which  illuminated  the 
chapel  of  the  religious  community  in  question  ;  or  which 
was  mild,  placid,  and,  if  we  may  be  permitted  an  expres- 
sion so  vague,  tinged  with  hues  of  the  past. 

"  We  are  no  longer  young,  Emich,"  she  answered,  with- 
drawing her  hand,  under  a  keen  impulse  of  its  propriety — 
"  and  that  which  thou  speakest  belongs  to  a  former  age. 
But  if  thou  dost,  in  sooth,  entertain  this  opinion  of  my 
discretion,  I  have  never  said  aught  of  thee  but  in  thy 
honor.  There  were  other  reasons  than  the  late  Count's 
will,  why  I  could  not  listen  to  thy  suit,  as  thou  wert  then 
informed ;  for  we  are  none  of  us  the  controllers  of  those 
sentiments  which  so  much  depend  on  taste  or  accident." 

"  By  the  sainted  eleven  thousand  of  Koeln  !  Heinrich 
Frey  was  scarce  a  youth  to  do  this  disadvantage  to  the  heir 
of  my  line  and  name  !  " 

"  Heinrich  Frey  received  my  troth,  as  the  noble 
Ermengarde  received  thine,  Herr  von  Hartenburg,"  an- 
swered Ulrike,  with  the  composure  of  one  whose  feelings 
had  never  been  interested  in  the  refusal  to  which  she  al- 
luded, and  with  the  dignity  of  a  woman  sensitively  alive  to 
her  husband's  character.  "  By  Heaven's  favor,  we  are 
both  happier  than  if  wedded  either  above  or  beneath  our 
hopes.  But  if  thou  couldst  deny  thyself  this  boon — for 
such,  in  thy  young  fancies,  didst  thou  believe  my  hand — 
to  oblige  thy  father  of  earth,  wilt  thou  still  defy  him  of 
Heaven,  to  gratify  a  longing  less  excusable  ?  " 

"  Go  to,  Ulrike  ;  thou  pressest  me  out  of  reason  ;  I 
know  not  fairly  that  I  even  meditate  the  enterprise  thou 
meanest." 

"  Or,  in  other  language,  thou  art  not  yet  decided  to 
commit  the  sacrilege.  Before  thy  hand  strikes  the  irre- 


168  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

trievable  blow,  Herr  Count,  hear  one  that,  in  thy  youth, 
thou  professed  to  love,  and  who  yet  remembers  thy 
preference,  with  grateful  kindness." 

"  Thou  art  more  indulgent  as  a  matron  than  as  a  maid ! 
This  is  the  first  word  of  pity  for  all  the  sorrow  thou 
causedst  my  youth,  that  hath  ever  escaped  thee  !  " 

"  Pity  is  a  term  it  would  ill  become  Ulrike  Haitzinger 
to  use  to  Emich  von  Leiningen.  I  said,  gratitude,  Herr 
Count  ;  for  the  woman  that  pretendeth  not  to  feel  this 
sentiment  towards  the  honorable  youth  that  has  preferred 
her  to  all  others  of  her  sex,  payeth  an  indifferent  compli- 
ment to  her  own  heart.  I  never  disavowed  that  thy  suit 
gave  me  both  gratification  and  sorrow — gratification,  that 
one  of  thy  hopes  could  find  sufficient -in  me  to  justify 
thy  choice  ;  sorrow,  that  thou  wert  necessarily  disap- 
pointed." 

"And  had  our  births  been  nearer  an  equality,  gentle 
Ulrike,  hadstthou,  like  me,  come  of  noble  parentage,  or  I 
like  thee,  been  of  more  humble  origin,  couldst  thou,  in 
sooth,  have  found  in  thy  heart,  the  excuse  for  a  different 
answer  ? " 

"We  are  here  to  discuss  other  matters,  Herr  von 
Hartenburg,  than  these  recollections  of  childish  feelings." 

u  God's  my  life  !  Callest  thou  the  pain  of  disappointed 
affection  a  childish  sorrow  ?  Thou  wert  ever  tranquil 
in  temper,  and  too  much  disposed  to  indifference  on  the 
subject  of  any  warmth  of  heart  beyond  the  cold  duties  of 
family  regard." 

"  This  may  be  my  fault,  if  you  will,  Count  Emich,  but  I 
esteem  it  an  advantage  to  feel  strongest  where  duty  most 
directs  the  affections." 

"  I  remember  thy  final  answer,  made  through  thy  friend 
young  Berchthold's  mother — I  owe  the  lad  no  grace  for 
the  boon,  were  justice  done — but  thou  answered,  that  the 
daughter  of  a  Burgomaster  was  unfit  to  be  the  partner  of 
a  Baron  ;  and  thou  prayedst  me  to  render  all  duty  to  the 
Count  my  father,  that  his  blessing  might  lighten  the  disap- 
pointment. Now,  were  the  truth  known,  that  reply  cost 
thee  no  more  than  a  simple  refusal  to  one  of  thy  maidens 
of  some  trifling  grace  !  " 

"  Were  the  truth  known,  Emich,  it  would  tell  a  different 
tale.  Thou  wert  then  young,  and,  though  violent  and  hot- 
headed, not  without  many  manly  virtues  ;  and  thou  greatly 
overratest  the  power  of  a  thoughtful  girl,  if  thou  supposest 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  169 

she  would  gladly  give  pain,  where  she  has  received  naught 
but  esteem." 

"  And  had  I  been  thy  neighbor's  child — or  wert  thou  the 
daughter  of  some  equal  of  the  empire  ? — 

"  In  that  case,  Lord  Count,  the  answer  would  have  been 
the  same,"  said  .the  other,  firmly,  though  her  countenance 
evidently  lost  its  tranquil  brightness  in  a  transient  cloud  : 
"  The  heart  of  Ulrike  Haitzinger  spoke  in  that  reply,  as 
welJ  as  her  prudence." 

"  God's  truth  !  thou  art  of  cutting  simplicity  !  "  cried  the 
Count,  rising  abruptly,  and  losing  the  expression  of  gentle- 
ness that  the  recollection  of  his  better  days  and  youthful 
feelings  had  given  his  features,  in  their  usual  hardened 
character.  "  Thou  forgettest,  Frau  Frey,  that  I  am  a  poor 
Count  of  Leiningen  !  " 

"  If  I  have  failed  in  meet  respect/'^jreturned  the  mild 
Ulrike,  "  I  am  now  reminded  of  the  fault,  and  will  sin  no 
more." 

"  Nay,  I  would  say  naught  unkind  or  ungentle — but  thou 
bruised  my  spirit,  with  a  sore  answer.  We  were  conversing 
of  the  accursed  monks,  too,  and  blood  gets  hot  at  the  men- 
tion of  their  names.  Thou  thinkest,  then,  my  excellent 
neighbor,  that,  as  Christians,  we  are  bound  to  submit  to 
all  the  exactions  of  these  reverend  knaves,  and  that  to  pre- 
sume to  right  ourselves,  is  flying  in  the  face  of  Heaven's 
authority? " 

"  You  put  the  case  in  your  own  humor,  Count.  I  have 
said  naught  of  abject  forbearance,  or  of  unnecessary  sub- 
mission. If  the  Limburg  monks  are  forgetful  of  their  vows, 
the  question  is  of  their  own  safety  : — as  for  us,  we  have  to 
look  that  we  do  nothing  wrongful  of  itself,  or  nothing 
that  may  be  accounted  disrespectful  to  Him  we  wor- 
ship" 

"  Prithee,  good  Ulrike,"  interrupted  Emich,  resuming 
his  seat,  in  the  familiar  manner  he  had  used  at  the  com- 
mencement of  the  dialogue,  "  let  us  converse,  in  freedom, 
of  this  inclination  of  thy  child.  I  love  young  Berchthold, 
and  would  fain  do  him  service  were  the  means  offering ; 
but  I  greatly  fear  we  shall  have  difficulty  in  bringing  Hein- 
rich  te  a  complying  state  of  mind." 

"  The  apprehension  of  his  refusal  hath  caused  me  much 
uneasiness,  Herr  von  Hartenburg,"  returned  the  tender 
mother  ;  "  for  the  Burgomaster  is  not  one  of  those  who 
change  their  opinions  readily.  The  over-zealous  persua* 


I7o  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

sion  of  friends  increases  his  faith  in  himself,  at  times,  in- 
stead of  softening  those  resolutions  which  the  wisest  of  us 
are  apt  to  form  hastily  and  without  thought." 

"  This  quality  of  thy  excellent  consort  hath  not  escaped 
me.  But  Heinrich  Frey  was  \vived  so  happily  himself,  and 
with  so  little  claim  to  riches  on  his  own  part,  that  he  should 
not,  in  reason,  bear  too  heavily  on  a  youth  that  might  have 
known  better  days,  but  for  a  hard  fortune  befalling  his 
parents.  He  that  hath  been  poor,  should  have  respect  for 
poverty  in  others." 

"  I  fear  that  such  is  not  the  working  of  human  nature," 
answered  the  thoughful  wife,  nearly  unconscious  of  what 
she  uttered.  "  Our  experience  in  life  would  prove  that 
they  who  have  risen  show  the  least  tolerance  for  those  who 
tarry  in  the  rear  ;  and,  as  none  prize  the  gifts  of  rank  and 
consequence  so  much  as  they  to  whom  they  are  novelties, 
we  ought  not  to  expect  the  successful  man  too  soon  to  for- 
get the  longings  he  felt  when  in  adversity,  nor  him  to  whom 
honors  are  new,  to  look  too  closely  into  their  vanity." 

"  Nay,  Heinrich  is  not  so  young  in  consideration,  or  so 
new  to  fortune,  as  to  be  classed  with  these." 

"  Heinrich  !  "  exclaimed  the  matron,  across  whose  chaste 
brow  there  stole  a  crimson  suffusion,  that  resembled  the 
flush  of  even  upon  the  snowy  peaks  of  the  Alps — "  There 
is  not  question,  here,  of  Heinrich  Frey !  " 

The  Count  smiled  till  the  mustachios  curled  upon  his 
brown  cheeks. 

"Thou  art  right,"  he  answered  courteously;  "it  is  in 
Berchthold  and  Meta  that  we  are  most  interested.  I  think 
I  see  the  means  of  accomplishing  all  we  wish  in  their  be- 
half, and  means  that  offer  so  readily  as  to  wear  the  air  of 
being  a  gift  of  Providence." 

"  They  are  only  the  more  welcome  for  their  character." 

"Thou  knowest,  Ulrike,  that  lam  greatly  burthened 
with  charges  that  lay  heavily  on  all  of  my  rank.  Ermen- 
garde  hath  most  of  the  qualities  of  her  station,  and  a  love 
of  splendor  that  is  costly  ;  besides,  this  outfit  of  my  young 
heir,  who  travels  with  the  Emperor,  hath  much  drained  me 
of  means,  of  late  ;  else  would  I  offer,  of  pure  love  for  thee 
and  thine  that  which  would  make  the  connection  accep- 
table to  Heinrich.  In  this  strait,  borne  down,  as  we  all  are 
by  the  war,  and  saddled  with  the  cost  of  keeping  on  foot 
so  many  men  in  Hartenburg,  I  see  no  other  present  means 
than  that  I  have  just  mentioned." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  171 

"  Or  have  not  mentioned ;  for,  in  the  desire  to  prove 
your  inability  to  serve  the  youth,  nothing  hath  yet  been 
said  of  this  favorable  chance  offered  by  Providence." 

u  I  cry  thy  mercy  !  Thou  hast  rightly  judged  me,Ul- 
rike,  for  I  feel  it  a  reproach  to  be  able  to  do  nothing  for 
one  I  so  esteem." 

"  Put  no  undue  meaning  on  my  words,"  interrupted  the 
matron,  smiling  like  one  who  wished  to  reassure  her  com- 
panion. "  It  has  never  entered  my  thoughts  that  the  Counts 
of  Leiningen  are  bound  to  portion  all  who  serve  them,  ac- 
cording to  their  several  hopes.  It  would  lighten  the  heaviest 
purse  in  the  Palatinate,  Herr  Emich,  to  furnish  an  equal 
marriage-gift  to  that  which  may  be  the  share  of  Meta 
Frey." 

"  None  know  this  better  than  I.  Heinrich  and  I  have 
often  discoursed  of  the  affair,  and  I  could  fain  wish  there 
existed  no  inequality  of  rank — but  this  is  idle,  and  we  will 
talk  only  of  Berchthold  and  his  hopes.  Thou  are  aware, 
Ulrike,  that  there  are  heavy  issues  between  me  and  the 
brotherhood  concerning  certain  dues,  not  only  in  the  valley, 
but  on  the  plain,  and  that  the  contest  fairly  settled  in  my 
favor  will  much  increase  my  revenues.  Now  were  this  un- 
happy dissension  decided  as  I  could  wish,  it  would  not  only 
be  in  my  power,  but  it  would  become  my  wish,  to  bestow 
such  grace  on  all  my  principal  followers,  and  on  none  so 
much  as  on  Berchthold,  as  might  leave  a  favorable  opinion 
of  my  bounty.  We  want  but  this  affair  rightly  settled  to 
possess  the  means  of  winning  Heinrich  to  our  desires." 

"  Could  this  be  honestly  done,  my  blessing  on  him  that 
shall  effect  it !  " 

"  I  rejoice  to  hear  thee  say  this,  good  Ulrike.  Thou,  of 
all  others,  mayest  be  most  useful  in  the  matter.  Heinrich 
and  I  have  well  nigh  decided  on  the  fitness  of  disturbing 
the  monks  in  their  riotous  abominations — 

"  The  words  are  strong,  when  applied  to  professed  Ben- 
edictines !  " 

"  By  the  holy  Magi !  they  are  more  than  merited.  Here, 
has  not  the  day  twice  turned  since  I  had  Bonifacius  him- 
self weltering  in  wine  beneath  the  roof  of  Hartenburg,  an' 
he  had  been  a  roisterer  of  a  suburb!  Bonifacius,  Limburg's 
Abbot,  have  I  seen  in  this  unfit  condition,  Frau  Ulrike, 
within  mine  own  good  castle  walls  !  " 

"  And  in  thine  own  good  castle  company,  Herr  Emich  ? " 

"Dost   thou   make   no   difference   between   Baron  and 


172  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

Monk  ?  Am  I  a  sworn  professor  of  godliness,  a  shaven 
crown,  or  one  that  looketh  to  be  accounted  better  than  his 
fellows  ?  That  I  am  noble  is  the  chance  of  fortune,  and  as 
such  I  receive  and  profit  by  the  advantage,  though,  I  trust, 
always  in  fitting  reason  ;  but  no  man  can  say  that  Emich 
of  Leiningen  pretends  aught  to  the  especial  virtues  of  a 
monkish  character.  We  that  are  modest  may  claim  to  in- 
dulge our  failings,  but  justice  should  heavily  visit  him  that 
sins  under  a  cloak  of  sanctity." 

"  I  know  not  that  thy  exception  may  avail  thee  in  the  end. 
But  thou  wouldest  say  something  to  Berchthold  Hinter- 
mayer's  advantage  ? — " 

"  That  would  I,  and  right  heartily.  Could  Heinrich  be 
brought  to  a  firm  mind,  that  I  might  count  on  the  sup- 
port of  the  townsmen,  these  reprobates  in  cowls  should 
be  quickly  disposed  of  ;  and,  as  of  necessity,  my  dues 
would  be  much  augmented,  by  clothing  Berchthold  with 
a  deputy's  authority  over  the  recovered  fields  and  vil- 
lages, he  should  so  gain  in  men's  respect,  as  to  soften  the 
reluctance  of  the  hardest-hearted  Burgomaster  in  all  Ger- 
many." 

"  And  in  what  manner  dost  thou  look  to  me  in  effecting 
this  object  ? " 

"  One  of  thy  understanding  need  scarce  put  the  ques- 
tion. Thou  hast  been  long  a  wife,  Ulr'ke,  and  art  skilled 
in  the  persuasions  of  thy  sex.  I  know  not  thy  practice 
with  Heinrich  ;  but  when  Ermengarde  would  have  her  way, 
spite  of  her  husband's  inclinations,  she  has  various  man- 
ners of  coming  to  her  wishes.  To-day  she  is  smiling,  to- 
morrow silent ;  now  she  fondles,  and  then  she  frowns  ;  and, 
most  of  all,  is  she  ready  in  seizing  the  moments  of  idle  con- 
fidence to  press  on  my  unprepared  reason  the  arguments 
of  kisses  and  coquetry." 

"  It  were  idle  to  say  I  do  not  understand  you,  Herr  von 
Hartenburg.  I  wish  not  to  raise  the  curtain  of  your  do- 
mestic confidence,  nor  do  I  feel  disposed  that  any  should 
presume  to  lift  mine.  Heinrich  and  I  pursue  our  several 
ways,  as  each  deems  right,  though,  I  trust,  always  with  the 
harmony  of  wedded  interests,  and  I  am  little  practised  in 
the  influence  you  mention.  But,  dear  as  Meta  is  to  the 
heart  of  her  mother — and  surely  no  shoot  from  the  parent 
stem  ever  gave  fonder  hopes,  or  justified  more  tender  re- 
gard"— Ulrike  folded  her  hands,  and  turned  her  meek  blue 
eyes  to  heaven — "  much  as  I  esteem  young  Berchthold, 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  173 

who  is  the  child  of  my  youth's  nearest  friend  ;  and  gladly 
as  I  would  see  their  young  hearts  for  ever  bound  up  in 
the  same  ties  of  family  concord  and  matrimonial  love,  the 
common  parents  of  lisping  laughing  babes  that  should 
cluster  at  my  knee,  giving  the  evening  of  life  some  com- 
pensation for  the  chill  of  its  noon-tide — rather  than  aid 
thee  in  this  unhallowed  design  ;  rather  than  do  aught, 
even  in  rebellious  thought,  against  the  altars  of  my  God  ; 
rather  than  set  my  selfishness  in  array  against  his  dread 
power,  or  fancy  wish  of  mine  can  prove  excuse  for  sacri- 
lege— I  could  follow  the  girl  to  her  grave,  with  a  tearless 
eye,  and  place  my  own  head  by  her  side,  without  regret  for 
that  calm  decline  which,  when  the  weary  probation  of  life 
is  ended,  Heaven  grants  to  the  deserving." 

The  Count  of  Leiningen  recoiled  at  the  energy  with 
which  his  companion  spoke  ;  for  none  are  so  commanding 
as  the  mild  when  aroused  to  resistance,  or  so  authoritative 
as  the  good  when  required  to  exhibit  the  beauty  of  their 
principles.  He  was  disappointed  ;  but,  though  a  sort  of 
instinct  warned  him  that  he  had  no  further  hopes  of  gain- 
ing the  assistance  of  Ulrike,  and,  almost  without  knowing 
it  himself,  the  respect  which  he  had  always  entertained  for 
his  companion  was  increased.  Taking  the  hand  she  ex- 
tended to  him,  in  amity,  the  moment  her  excitement  had 
a  little  abated,  he  was  about  to  reply,  when  a  footstep  in 
the  adjoining  room,  and  a  timid  tap  at  the  door,  inter- 
rupted him. 

"  Thou  canst  enter,"  said  the  Baron,  believing  that  one 
of  the  castle  maidens  was  without,  and  glad  for  the  re- 
lief. 

"A  million  of  thanks  for  the  honor,"  returned  Use, 
courtseying  to  the  floor  as  she  availed  herself  of  the  privi- 
lege. "  This  is  the  first  time  so  great  a  favor  ever  befell 
me  in  Hartenburg,  though,  when  a  girl,  as  it  might  be  a 
ruddy  maiden  like  our  Meta,  I  once  was  admitted  to  a 
closet  in  Heidelberg.  There  was  I,  and  the  late  Burgo- 
master, Ulrike's  father,  and  the  good  wife,  her  mother,  on 
a  junketing,  in  our  young  days,  to  see  the  curiosities  of 
the  Elector's  Palace,  and  we  had  visited  the  tun — 

"Thou  art  sent  to  seek  me?"  interrupted  the  mistress. 
"  Hath  Meta  need  of  her  mother?" 

"  That  may  be  always  said  of  a  certainty,  for  girls  of 
that  age  are  like  the  young  of  the  nest,  Herr  Count,  who 
are  ever  in  danger  of  breaking  their  necks,  if  they  take  a 


174  THE  HEIDEN'MAUER. 

hasty  flight,  without  the  example  of  the  old  to  give  then? 
prudence  as  well  as  courage.  Twenty  times  each  day — 1 
know  not  an'  if  it  be  not  fifty — do  I  say  to  our  Meta,  *  Do  as 
thou  wilt,  child,  an'  thou  dost  nothing  amiss.'  I  hold  it  to  be 
wrongful  to  curb  young  humors  so  long  as  they  are  inno- 
cent ;  and  therefore1  do  I  say,  that  kindness  is  a  better 
rod  than  anger ;  and,  in  this  reproving  and  chastening 
manner,  Herr  von  Hartenburg,  have  I  reared  both  Meta 
and  her  mother.  Well,  here  you  both  are,  in  friendly 
communion,  an'  you  were  children  of  the  same  cradle! — 
and  Heinrich  Frey  is  yon,  without,  tasting  the  rhenish 
with  the  two  churchmen  that  infect  the  castle " 

"Thou  wouldst  surely  say  frequent,  good  nurse." 

"What  matters  a  word,  child!  Infect  or  frequent  are 
much  the  same,  when  one  speaketh  of  the  gentle  and  gay ! 
I  remember  ye  both  young  and  handsome,  and  a  pair  that 
the  whole  town  of  Duerckheim  said  ought  never  to  be 
parted  ;  for  if  one  was  noble,  the  other  was  good ;  if 
one  was  strong  and  valiant,  the  other  was  fair  and  virtu- 
ous ;  but  the  ways  of  the  world  led  ye  on  different  paths 
and  Heaven  forbid  that  I  should  say  aught  against  ways 
that  so  many  travel !  " 

"  And  thou  hast  left  Meta  with  those  that  infect  the  cas- 
tle, to  come  and  say  this  ?  " 

"Naught  like  it.  It  is  true  I  let  the  girl  listen  to  a  few 
of  their  idle  words,  for  without  experience  a  maiden  may 
not  know  when  to  repulse  an  improper  freedom  ;  but  for 
any  levity  to  escape  my  eye,  were  as  impossible  as  for  my 
Lord  Count  to  fail  in  duty  to  the  Limburg  altars.  No,  I 
complain  not  of  the  stranger  nobles ;  for  while  he  of  Rhodes 
did  many  gentle  offices  in  behalf  of  Meta,  the  reverend  Abbe 
held  me  in  discourse  touching  this  heresy  of  Luther,  and,  I 
warrant  you,  ecclesiastic  as  he  is,  he  went  not  away  the 
worse  for  my  opinion  of  the  schismatic.  We  had  goodly 
discourse  on  the  dangers  and  tribulations  of  the  times, 
and  might  have  had  much  learning  between  us,  but  for 
young  Berchthold,  who  fancied  himself  beating  the  forest, 
by  the  manner  in  which  he  threshed  among  the  old  armor 
of  the  hall,  disturbing  all  present  with  the  idle  pretence 
of  seeking  a  cross-bow  for  the  Count's  pleasure  in  the 
morning  ;  as  if  the  Herr  Count  would  have  hunted  with 
less  satisfaction  because  there  were  wise  words  uttered  in 
his  halls !  The  Hintermayers  are  a  race  I  love,  but  this 
youth  seemeth  to  be  wanting  of  respect  for  years." 


THE   HE2DENMAUER.  175 

"  And  what  hast  done  with  my  child  ?" 

"  Thou  knowest  it  was  thy  desire  she  should  say  a  few 
greetings  to  the  fallen  Lottchen  ;  and  when  I  thought  the 
wandering  cavalier  had  had  his  say,  I  beckoned  the  child 
away,  in  order  that  she  might  go  to  the  hamlet  on  that  er- 
rand. She  will  be  none  the  worse  for  the  discourse  with 
that  free  cavalier,  for  naught  so  quickens  virtue  of  the 
pure  stamp  as  a  little  contamination  with  vice — it  is  like 
the  base  metal  they  put  in  gold,  to  make  the  precious  ore 
hard  and  able  to  undergo  many  hands." 

"Thou  hast  not  suffered  Meta  to  go  unattended?" 

"  Didst  ever  know  me  fail  in  duty  ?  Thy  motherly 
heart  is  quick  to  take  alarm,  like  the  bird  fluttering  at  each 
leaf  that  rustles.  Not  I,  in  sooth  ;  I  sent  the  vain  Gisela 
to  keep  her  company,  and  whispered  our  Meta  well,  as 
they  departed,  not  to  fail  to  draw  instruction  from  her 
companion's  light  discourse,  which,  I  will  warrant,  turns 
on  naught  else  but  the  gallantries  of  these  strangers.  Oh  ! 
leave  >eld  Use  to  profit  by  anything  edifying  that  may  turn 
up,  in  the  way  of  accident !  I  that  never  yet  lost  a  good 
moral  for  want  of  pushing  an  opportunity !  and  here 
stands  Ulrike  as  proof  of  what  I  have  done.  I  owe  you 
excuses,  Herr  Emich,  for  sending  away  your  forester  ;  but 
the  boy  vexed  me  with  his  clatter  among  the  shields  and 
arquebuses,  and,  in  order  to  give  him  a  wholesome  lesson 
in  silence,  I  sent  him  to  see  Meta  safe  to  his  mother's  door, 
under  the  pretence  of  its  being  necessary  to  have  a  man- 
ly arm  present,  to  beat  off  the  barking  curs  of  the 
hamlet." 

"  Does  Heinrich  know  this  ? " 

"  In  sooth,  he  is  so  beset  with  thy  honor  in  being  closeted 
with  my  Lord  the  Count,  that  he  does  little  besides  talk  of 
it,  and  take  his  cup.  When  the  child  was  thus  cared  for, 
by  the  one  who  first  held  her  in  arms,  and  one,  too, 
whose  experience  is  little  short  of  threescore  and  four- 
teen, I  saw  not  the  necessity  of  calling  him  from  his  pleas- 
ures." 

Ulrike  smiled,  and  turning  to  the  Count,  who  had  been 
so  much  lost  in  thought  as  to  give  little  heed  to  the  words 
of  the  nurse,  she  offered  him  her  hand,  and  they  left  the 
closet  in  company. 


176  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  Ah,  now  soft  blushes  tinge  her  cheeks, 
And  mantle  on  her  neck  of  snow." — ROGERS. 

THE  cottage  of  Lottchen,  the  mother  of  Berchthold,  was 
distinguished  from  the  other  habitations  of  the  hamlet,  only 
by  its  greater  neatness,  and  by  that  air  of  superior  comfort 
which  depends  chiefly  on  taste  and  habit,  and  of  which 
poverty  itself  can  scarcely  deprive  those  who  have  been 
educated  in  the  usages  and  opinions  of  a  higher  caste.  It 
stood  a  little  apart  from  the  general  cluster  of  humble 
roofs  ;  and,  in  addition  to  its  other  marks  of  superiority,  it 
possessed  the  advantage  of  a  small  inclosure,  by  which  it 
was  partially  removed  from  the  publicity  and  noise  that 
rob  most  of  the  villages  and  hamlets  of  Europe  of  a  rural 
character. 

We  have  had  frequent  occasions  to  allude  to  the  difficulty 
of  conveying  accurate  ideas  of  positive  things,  or  even  of 
moral  and  political  truths,  while  using  the  terms  which  use 
has  appropriated  to  the  two  hemispheres,  but  which  are 
liable  to  so  much  qualification  in  their  respective  meanings. 
What  is  comfort  in  one  country  would  be  thought  great 
discomfort  in  another,  and  even  the  two  higher  degrees  of 
comparison  must  always  be  understood  subject  to  a  right 
knowledge  of  their  positive  qualities.  Thus  most  beauti- 
ful conveys  nothing  clear,  unless  we  can  agree  on  what  is 
beautiful  ;  while  neatness  and  elegance,  and  even  size, 
taken  in  their  popular  significations,  become  purely  terms 
of  local  convention.  Were  we  to  say  that  the  cottage  of 
Lottchen  Hintermayer  resembled,  in  the  least,  one  of  those 
white  and  spotless  dwellings,  with  its  Venetian  blinds  and 
pillared  piazzas,  its  grassy  court  in  front,  and  its  garden 
teeming  with  golden  fruit  in  the  rear,  its  acacias  and  wil- 
lows shading  the  low  roof,  and  its  shrubbery  exhaling  the 
odors  that  a  generous  sun  can  extract,  we  should  give  such 
a  picture  to  the  reader  as  Europe  nowhere  presents — no- 
where, because  in  those  regions  in  which  nature  has  been 
bountiful,  man  has  been  held  in  mental  duress  ;  and  in 
those  in  which  man  is  sufficiently  advanced  and  free  to  re- 
quire the  indulgences  we  have  named,  nature  denies  the 
boons  so  necessary  to  their  existence.  Here,  and  here 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  177 

only,  do  those  whom  fortune  has  not  smiled  upon,  possess 
the  union  of  comfort,  space,  retirement  and  luxury,  which 
depend  on  the  causes  named,  for  it  is  only  here  that  are 
found  the  habits  necessary  to  their  production,  in  con- 
junction with  t,he  required  climate  and  a  cheapness  of  ma- 
terial and  land,  to  place  the  whole  within  the  reach  of 
those  who  are  not  affluent.  We  wish,  therefore,  to  be 
understood  as  speaking,  at  all  times,  under  the  conscious- 
ness of  this  difference  in  the  value  of  terms,  for,  without 
such  an  understanding,  there  will  be  little  intelligence  be- 
tween us  and  our  countrymen. 

We  have  made  this  explanation,  lest  the  reader  might 
fancy  some  affinity  between  the  hamlet  of  Hartenburg  and 
one  in  the  older  settlements  of  the  Union.  The  remote- 
ness of  the  period  might  indeed  give  some  reason  to  sus- 
pect such  a  resemblance,  but  were  the  tale  one  of  our  own 
times,  it  would  be  scarcely  probable.  The  Germans,  like 
all  the  more  northern  nations,  are  neat,  in  proportion  to 
their  several  degrees  of  civilization  ;  and  the  great  fre- 
quency of  the  little  capitals  which  dot  its  surface,  and 
which  have  all  been,  more  or  less,  beautified  by  their 
respective  princes,  has  caused  it  to  possess  a  greater  num- 
ber of  spacious  and  cleanly  towns,  in  proportion  to  its 
population,  than  are  to  be  met  with  in  most  of  the  other 
countries  of  the  European  continent  ;  but,  as  elsewhere,  in 
that  quarter  of  the  world,  the  poor  are  poor  indeed. 

The  little  cluster  of  houses  that  were  grouped  beneath 
the  salient  bastions  of  Hartenburg,  had  the  general  char- 
acter of  poverty  and  humility  which  still  belongs  to  nearly 
all  such  hamlets.  The  buildings  were  constructed  of  tim- 
ber and  mud,  with  thatched  roofs,  and  openings  to  which, 
in  that  age,  glass  was  a  stranger.  In  speaking  of  the  com- 
fort of  the  dwelling  of  Lottchen,  we  wish  to  say  little  more 
than  that  it  was  superior  to  its  fellows  in  these  particulars, 
and  that  it  had  the  additional  merit  of  faultless  neatness. 
The  furniture,  however,  gave  much  stronger  evidence  of 
the  former  condition  of  its  tenant.  Enough  of  this  descrip- 
tion of  property  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck  of  her 
husband's  fortunes,  to  leave  before  the  eyes  of  its  mistress 
these  traces  of  happier  days — one  of  those  melancholy 
consolations  in  adversity  which  are  common  among  those 
whose  fall  has  been  broken  by  some  light  circumstances  of 
mitigation,  and  which,  as  monitors  to  delicacy  and  tender- 
ness, make  touching  appeals  to  the  recollections  of  the 
12 


178  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

spectator.  But  Berchthold's  mother  had  still  better  claims 
to  the  respect  of  those  who  came  beneath  her  humble  lin- 
tel. As  we  have  already  said,  she  had  been  the  bosom 
friend  of  Ulrike  in  early  youth,  and,  by  education  and 
character,  she  was  still  every  way  worthy  of  holding  so 
near  a  trust  with  the  wife  of  the  Burgomaster.  The  allow- 
ance of  her  son  was  small  in  money,  but  the  Count  per- 
mitted his  forester  to  use  the  game  freely  ;  and,  as  German 
frugality  left  her  mistress  of  the  wardrobes  of  several  gen- 
erations, the  respectable  matron  had  never  known  absolute 
want,  and  was  at  all  times  able  to  make  such  a  personal 
appearance  as  better  suited  her  former  than  her  present 
means.  In  addition  to  these  advantages,  Ulrike  never 
visited  the  Jaegerthal  without  thought  of  her  friend's  ne- 
cessities ;  and  full  often,  at  times  and  seasons  when  this 
sacred  duty  could  not  be  performed  in  person,  was  Use 
dispatched  to  the  hamlet  as  the  substitute  of  her  consider- 
ate and  affectionate  mistress. 

The  cavalcade  from  the  Abbey  had,  of  necessity,  passed 
the  door  of  Lottchen,  and  she  was  fully  aware  of  the  in- 
tended visit.  When,  therefore,  Meta,  blooming  and  happy, 
entered  the  cottage,  attended  by  the  warder's  daughter, 
and  accompanied  by  Berchthold,  though  secretly  rejoicing 
in  what  she  saw,  the  pleased  and  watchful  matron  neither 
expressed  nor  felt  surprise. 

**  Thy  mother  ?  "  were  the  first  words  which  passed  the 
lips  of  the  widowed  Lottchen,  after  she  had  kissed  the 
glowing  and  warm  cheek  of  the  girl. 

"  Is  closeted  with  the  Herr  Emich,  my  father  says  ;  else 
would  she  be  sure  to  be  here.  She  has  sent  me  to  say  this." 

"And  thy  father  ?"  added  Lottchen,  with  emphasis, 
glancing  an  uneasy  eye  from  Meta  to  her  son. 

"  He  drinks  of  rhenish  with  the  castle  wassailers.  Tru- 
ly, my  mother  Lottchen,  thou  must  find  the  hamlet  un- 
quiet with  these  graceless  spirits  in  the  hold.  Our  Lim- 
burg  monks  are  scarcely  so  thirsty  ;  and  for  idle  discourse, 
I  know  not  their  equal  in  Duerckheim,  town  of  vanities 
and  folly  though  it  be,  as  good  Use  is  apt  to  say." 

Lottchen  smiled,  for  she  saw  by  the  playful  eye  of  her 
young  visitor,  that  nothing  unpleasant  had  occurred  ;  and 
giving  Gisela  welcome,  she  led  the  way  within. 

"  Does  Heinrich  know  of  this  visit  ?  "  asked  the  widow, 
when  her  young  guests  were  seated,  and  with  a  painful 
interest  in  the  answer. 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  179 

) 

"  I  tell  thee,  Lottchen,  that  my  father  quaffs  with  the 
strangers.  Here  is  Berchthold  thy  son — the  restless,  im- 
patient Berchthold — he  can  tell  thee,  mother,  into  what 
goodly  company  the  Burgomaster  of  Duerckheim  hath 
fallen!" 

As  Meta  said  this,  she  laughed,  though,  in  very  sooth, 
she  scarce  knew  why.  The  more  experienced  Lottchen 
saw  little  else  in  the  mirth  of  her  young  visitor  than  one 
of  those  buoyant  impulses  of  youth  which  lead  equally  to 
gayety  and  sorrow,  without  sufficient  cause ;  but  she 
watched  the  countenance  of  her  own  child  with  solicitude, 
to  note  how  far  he  sympathized  with  the  merriment  of 
Meta.  Berchthold,  by  speaking,  was  the  interpreter  of 
his  own  thoughts. 

"  Since  thou  appealest  to  me,"  he  said,  "my  answer  is, 
that  Heinrich  Frey  consorts  at  present  with  two  as  hope- 
less idlers  as  ever  darkened  door  in  Hartenburg.  Truly, 
Brother  Luther  needs  bestir  himself  for  the  Church,  when 
such  as  these  go  forth  in  its  garments  !  " 

"  Say  what  thou  wilt,  Master  Berchthold,"  cried  Gisela, 
"of  the  prating  half-shaven  Abbe,  but  respect  him  of 
Rhodes,  as  a  soldier  in  evil  fortune,  and  one  that  is  both 
gentle  and  gallant." 

"As  gallant  as  thou  wilt,"  cried  Meta,  with  warmth. 
"  Thy  humor  for  mild  discourse  must  be  formed  by  the 
rude  company  of  the  bold,  if  thou  stylest  these  gentle  ! " 

Lottchen  had  examined  each  face  earnestly,  and  her 
countenance  brightened  with  the  frankness  and  fervor  of 
the  last  speaker.  She  was  about  to  say  something  in 
guarded  commendation  of  her  judgment,  when  a  light 
step  was  heard  before  the  outer  door,  and  Ulrike  herself 
entered.  Notwithstanding  the  early  departure  of  the 
young  people  from  the  castle,  and  the  trifling  distance  be- 
tween its  walls  and  the  hamlet,  so  much  leisure  had  been 
wasted  in  idle  laughter  by  the  way,  or  in  culling  flowers 
on  the  hill-side,  that  she  had  sufficient  time  to  exhaust  all 
that  old  Use  had  to  recount  concerning  the  manner  in 
which  she  had  disposed  of  her  charge,  and  to  follow  them 
to  the  cottage,  ere  the  discourse  had  gone  farther.  The 
meeting  between  the  friends  was,  as  wont,  warm  and 
happy.  When  the  usual  inquiries  were  exhausted,  and  a 
few  unmeaning  observations  had  been  made  by  the  girls, 
the  younger  part  of  the  company  were  gotten  rid  of,  under 
pretence  of  conducting  Meta  to  witness  the  manner  in 


i8o  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

which  Berchthold  had  arranged  the  nests  for  some  doves, 
which  had  been  a  present  from  herself  to  his  mother.  The 
two  parents  saw  the  departure  of  their  children,  always 
accompanied  by  Gisela,  with  satisfaction  ;  for  each  had 
need  of  a  secret  conference  with  the  other,  and  both  knew 
how  apt  youth  and  inclination  were  to  prolong  their  ab- 
sence by  means  of  those  thousand  little  delays  which  form 
the  unconscious  and  innocent  coquetry  of  love. 

When  left  to  themselves,  Ulrike  and  Lottchen  sat,  for 
some  time,  with  hands  interlocked,  regarding  one  another 
earnestly. 

"Thou  hast  borne  the  trying  season  of  the  spring  time 
well,  good  Lottchen,"  said  the  former,  with  affection.  "  I 
have  no  longer  any  fear  that  thy  health  might  suffer  in 
this  damp  abode." 

"  And  thou  lookest  youthful  and  fair  as  when  we  strolled, 
like  thy  Meta  there,  laughing  and  thoughtless  girls,  on  the 
heath  of  the  Heidenmauer.  Of  all  I  have  known,  Ulrike, 
thou  art  the  least  changed  by  time,  either  in  form  or 
heart." 

The  gentle  pressure,  before  they  released  each  other's 
hands,  was  a  silent  pledge  of  their  mutual  esteem. 

"  Thou  findest  Meta  blooming  and  happy? " 

"As  she  meriteth  to  be — and  Berchthold — I  think  him 
fast  growing  into  the  comeliness  and  form  of  his  sire  ? " 

"  He  is  all  I  could  wish — one  qualification  excepted,  my 
friend  ;  and  that,  thou  well  knowest,  I  do  not  wish  him  for 
any  other  reason  than  to  satisfy  Heinrich's  scruples." 

"  For  my  child,  that  qualification  is  hopeless.  Bercht- 
hold has  too  much  generous  indifference  to  gold,  ever  to 
accumulate,  were  the  means  his.  But  what  hope  is  there 
for  an  humble  forester,  who  travels  his  range  of  chase,  fol- 
lows his  lord  to  ceremonies,  or  attends  him  in  battle  ?" 

"  The  Herr  Emich  values  thy  son,  and  I  do  think  would 
fain  do  him  favor.  Were  the  Count  earnestly  to  reason 
with  Heinrich,  all  hope  would  not  yet  be  lost." 

Lottchen  dropped  her  eyes  to  the  work  on  which  her 
needle  was  employed,  for  necessity  had  rendered  her  sys- 
tematically industrious.  The  pause  was  long  and  thought- 
ful. But  while  Ulricke  pondered  on  the  chances  of  over- 
coming her  husband's  love  of  money  and  his  worldly  views, 
a  very  different  picture  had  presented  itself  to  the  mind  of 
her  friend.  The  eyelids  of  the  latter  trembled,  and  a  hot 
tear  fell  upon  the  linen  in  her  lap. 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  181 

"  I  have  thought  much  of  late,  Ulricke,"  she  said,  "  of 
the  justice  of  burdening  thy  happiness  and  golden  fort- 
unes with  the  load  of  our  adversity.  Berchthold  is  young 
and  brave,  and  there  seems  as  little  necessity  as  there  is 
right  in  weighing  thee  and  Meta  down  to  our  own  level. 
I  have  anxiously  wished  for  the  means  of  counselling  with 
some  friend  less  interested  than  thou,  on^the  fitness  of 
what  we  do  ;  but  it  is  difficult  to  speak  of  so  delicate  a  sub- 
ject without  wronging  thy  daughter." 

"  If  thou  wouldest  have  the  most  disinterested  and 
wisest  of  all  advisers,  Lottchen,  take  counsel  of  thine  own 
heart." 

"  That  tells  me  to  be  just  to  thee  and  Meta." 

"  Dost  thou  know  aught  of  Berchthold's  manners  or 
mind  that  may  have  escaped  the  observation  of  an  anx- 
ious mother,  who  desires  to  match  her  own  child  with  none 
but  the  deserving  ?  " 

Lottchen  smiled  through  her  tears,  and  gazed  at  the  mild 
features  of  Ulrike  with  reverence. 

"  If  thou  wouldest  hear  evil  of  the  youth,  do  not  come 
to  her  who  hath  no  other  hope,  for  the  tidings.  The  or- 
phan is  the  sole  riches  of  his  widowed  mother,  and  thou 
mayest  not  get  the  truth  from  one  that  regards  her  treas- 
ure with  so  much  covetousness." 

"  And  dost  thou  fancy,  Lottchen,  that  thy  son  in  pover- 
ty is  dearer  to  thee  than  is  Meta  to  her  mother,  though 
Providence  may  have  left  us  wealth  and  consideration  ! 
Misfortune  hath  indeed  changed  thee,  and  thou  art  no 
longer  the  Lottchen  of  my  young  days  ! " 

"I  will  say  no  more,  Ulrike,"  answered  the  widow, 
in  a  low  voice,  speaking  like  one  rebuked  ;  "  I  leave  all 
to  heaven  and  thee  !  Thou  art  certain  that  were  Bercht- 
hold Count  of  Leiningen,  his  and  my  desire  would  be  to 
see  Meta  his  bride." 

A  nearly  imperceptible  smile  played  upon  the  sweet 
moutli  of  Ulrike,  for  she  bethought  her  of  the  recent  dis- 
course with  Emich  ;  but  there  was  neither  suspicion  nor 
discontent  in  the  passing  thought.  She  was  too  wise  to 
put  human  nature  to  very  severe  tests,  and  much  too  meek 
to  believe  all  who  fell  short  of  perfection  unworthy  of  her 
esteem. 

"We  will  think  of  things  as  they  are,"  she  answered, 
"  and  not  dwell  on  impossible  chances.  Wert  thou  Ulrike 
and  I  Lottchen,  none  can  believe  more  fervently  than  I, 


1 52  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

that  these  opinions  would  undergo  no  change.  Of  Meta 
thou  art  sure,  my  friend  ;  but  truth  bids  me  say,  that  I 
fear  Heinrich  will  never  yield.  His  mind  is  much  occu- 
pied with  what  the  world  deems  its  equality  of  interests  ; 
and  it  will  be  hard,  indeed,  to  bring  him  to  balance  virtues 
against  gold." 

"  And  is  he  so  wrong  ?  Of  what  excellence  is  Bercht- 
hold  possessed,  that  does  not  find  at  least  its  equal  in 
Meta?" 

"  Happiness  cannot  be  bartered  for,  as  we  would  look 
into  the  value  of  houses  and  lands.  He  is  wrong ;  and  I 
could  weep — oh,  how  bitterly  I  have  wept ! — that  Heinrich 
Frey  should  be  thus  bent  on  casting  the  happiness  of  that 
artless  and  unpractised  child  on  the  rude  chances  of  so 
narrow  calculations.  But  we  will  still  hope,"  added  Ul- 
rike,  drying  her  tears,  "  and  turn  our  thoughts  to  the  more 
cheerful  side." 

"  Thou  saidst  something  of  the  power  of  my  boy  with 
the  Count,  and  of  his  wish  to  do  us  service  ?" 

"  I  know  no  other  means  to  move  Heinrich's  mind. 
Though  kind  and  yielding  to  me  in  all  matters  that  he 
believes  touch  my  state,  he  believes  that  no  woman  is  a  fit 
judge  of  the  world's  interests  ;  and,  I  fear  I  should  add, 
that,  from  too  much  familiarity  with  my  poor  means,  he 
places  his  wife  lowest  among  her  sex  in  this  particular ; 
there  is  no  hope,  therefore,  that  any  words  of  mine  can 
change  him.  But  the  Lord  Emich  has  great  hold  on  his 
judgment,  for,  Lottchen,  they  who  prize  the  world's  smiles, 
ever  yield  reverence  to  those  that  chance  to  possess  them 
largely." 

The  widow  dropped  her  eyes,  for,  rarely,  in  their  numer- 
ous and  friendly  conferences,  did  her  friend  allude  to  the 
weaknesses  of  her  husband. 

"And  the  Herr  Emich  ?"  she  asked,  desirous  to  change 
the  discourse. 

"  The  Count  is  much  disposed  to  aid  us,  as  I  have  said ; 
for  I  have  laid  bare  to  him  our  wishes  this  morning,  and 
have  much  entreated  him  to  do  this  kind  act." 

"  It  is  not  wont  for  thee  to  be  the  solicitor  with  the  Herr 
von  Hartenburg,  Ulrike  !  "  rejoined  Lottchen,  raising  her 
eyes  again  to  the  countenance  of  her  friend,  across  whose 
cheek  there  passed  a  flush  so  faint  as  to  resemble  the 
reflection  of  some  bright  color  of  her  attire,  while  a  still 
less  obvious  smile  dimpled  the  skin.  The  looks  that  were 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  183 

exchanged  told  of  recollections  that  were  both  joyous  and 
melancholy,  being,  as  it  were,  hasty  but  comprehensive 
glances  into  the  pregnant  volume  of  the  past. 

"  It  was  the  first  request,"  resumed  Ulrike  ;  "  nor  can  I 
say  the  boon  was  absolutely  refused,  though  its  gift  was 
coupled  with  a  condition  impossible  to  grant." 

"  If  it  were  too  much  for  thy  friendship,  it  must  have 
been  hard  indeed  !  " 

Lottchen  spoke  under  the  influence  of  one  of  those  sud- 
den and  keen  impulses  of  disappointment  which  some- 
times make  the  strong  in  principle  momentarily  forget 
their  justice  ;  and  Ulrike  perfectly  understood  the  meaning 
of  her  words.  The  difference  in  their  fortunes,  the  hope- 
lessness of  the  future  with  the  fallen  Lottchen,  and  all  the 
bitterness  of  unmerited  contumely  and  poverty,  the  severe 
judgments  which  a  thoughtless  world  inflicts  on  the  un- 
lucky, passed  quickly  through  the  mind  of  the  latter,  amid 
a  tumult  of  regrets  and  recollections. 

"  Of  this  thou  shalt  judge  for  thyself,  Lottchen,"  she  an- 
swered calmly;  "and  when  thou  hast  heard  me,  I  require 
thy  unconcealed  reply,  conjuring  thee,  by  that  long  and 
constant  friendship  across  which  no  cloud  has  ever  yet 
passed,  to  lay  bare  thy  soul,  shading  no  thought,  nor 
desiring  to  color  even  the  most  latent  of  thy  wishes !  " 

"  Thou  hast  only  to  speak  !  " 

"  Hast  thou  never  suspected  that  all  this  warlike  prep- 
paration  in  the  hold,  in  the  presence  of  the  men-at-arms  in 
Limburg,  tends  to  no  good  ? " 

"  Both  speak  of  war  ;  but  the  Elector  is  sore  pressed,  and 
it  is  now  long  since  our  Germany  was  at  perfect  peace." 

"  Nay,  thy  surmises  must  have  gone  beyond  these  gen- 
eral causes." 

The  look  of  surprise  assured  Ulrike  she  was  mistaken. 

"And  Berchthold?  Has  he  said  naught  of  his  Lord's 
intentions  ?"  continued  the  latter. 

"  He  talks  of  battles  and  sieges,  like  most  of  his  years, 
and  he  often  essays  the  armor  of  his  grandfather,  which 
lumbers  yon  closet ;  for  thou  knowest,  though  not  of 
knightly  rank,  we  have  had  soldiers  in  our  race." 

"  Is  he  not  angered  against  Limburg  ?' 

"  He  is,  and  yet  is  he  not.  There  is  a  little  flame  of  resent- 
ment, I  regret  to  say,  in  all  of  the  Jaegerthal  against  the 
monks,  which  is  much  fanned  in  my  son  by  his  foster- 
brother,  Gottlob,  the  cow-herd." 


184  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

"This  flame  hath  descended  to  the  hind  from  his  Lord 
All  that  Gottlob  says,  Emich  hath  more  than  hinted." 

"Nay,  there  was  revelling  in  the  hold,  between  Boni- 
facius  and  the  Count,  no  later  than  the  night  past!  " 

"  Too  much  blindness  to  that  which  passeth  before  thy 
eyes,  dear  Lottchen,  is  a  virtuous  feeling  of  thy  nature. 
The  Court  of  Hartenburg  plots  the  downfall  of  the  Ab- 
bey-altars, and  he  has  this  day  sworn  to  me,  that  if  I  will 
win  Heinrich  to  his  wishes,  no  influence  or  authority  of 
his  shall  be  wanting  to  make  Berchthold  and  Meta  happy." 

Lottchen  heard  this  announcement  with  the  silent 
amazement  with  which  the  unsuspecting  and  meek  first 
hearken  to  the  bold  designs  of  the  ambitious  and  daring. 

"  This  would  be  sacrilege  ! "  she  exclaimed  with  empha- 
sis. 

"  'Twould  be  to  disgrace  the  altars  of  God,  that  our  de- 
sires might  prevail." 

There  was  a  pause.  Lottchen  rose  from  her  chair,  with 
so  little  effort,  that,  to  the  imagination  of  her  excited 
friend,  it  seemed  her  stature  grew  by  supernatural  means. 
Then  raising  her  arms,  the  widowed  mother  poured  out 
her  feelings  in  words. 

"  Ulrike,  thou  knowest  my  heart,"  she  said  ;  "  thou,  who 
art  the  sister  of  my  love,  if  not  of  my  blood — thou,  from 
whom  no  childish  thought  was  hid,  no  maiden  feeling  con- 
cealed— thou,  to  whom  my  mind  was  but  a  mirror  of  thine 
own,  reflecting  every  wish,  all  impulses,  each  desire— and 
well  dost  thou  know  how  dear  to  me  is  Berchthold !  Thou 
canst  say,  that  when  Heaven  took  his  father,  the  yearn- 
ings of  a  mother  alone  tempted  me  to  live  ;  that  for  him, 
I  have  borne  adversity  with  contentment,  smiling  when  he 
smiled,  and  rejoicing  when  the  buoyancy  of  youth  made 
him  rejoice  ;  that  as  for  him  I  have  lived,  so  that  for  him 
would  I  die.  Thou  canst  say,  Ulrike,  that  my  own  youth- 
ful and  virgin  affections  were  not  yielded  with  greater  de- 
light and  confidence  than  I  have  witnessed  this  growing 
tenderness  for  Meta  ;  and  yet  do  I  here  declare,  in  the 
presence  of  God  and  his  works,  that  before  a  rebel  wish 
of  mine  shall  aid  Count  Emich  in  this  act,  there  is  no 
earthly  sorrow  I  will  not  welcome,  no  humility  that  I  will 
dread ! " 

The  pious  Lottchen  sank  into  her  seat,  pale,  trembling, 
and  exhausted  with  an  effort  so  unusual.  The  widovvec1 
mother  of  Berchthold  had  never  possessed  the  rare  per- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  185 

sonal  attractions  of  her  friend,  and  those  which  were  left 
by  time  had  suffered  cruel  marks  from  sorrow  and  depres- 
sion. Still,  where  she  now  sat,  her  face  beaming  with  the 
inspiration  of  the  reverence  she  felt  for  the  Deity,  and  her 
soul  charged  to  bursting,  Ulrike  thought  she  had  never 
seen  one  more  fair.  Her  own  eyes  brightened  with  de- 
light, for  at  that  moment  of  spiritual  elevation,  neither 
thought  of  any  worldly  interests  ;  and  her  strongest  wish 
was  that  the  Count  of  Hartenburg  could  be  a  witness  of 
this  triumph  of  principle  over  selfishness.  'Her  own  re- 
fusal, though  so  similar  in  manner  and  words,  the  natural 
result  of  their  great  unity  of  character,  seemed  destitute 
of  all  merit ;  for  what  was  the  simple  denial  of  one  of  her 
means,  compared  to  this  lofty  readiness  to  encounter  a 
contumely  that  was  already  so  bitterly  understood. 

"  I  expected  no  less,"  answered  Ulrike,  when  emotion 
permitted  speech :  "  from  thee,  Lottchen,  less  would  have 
been  unworthy,  and  more  could  scarcely  come  !  We  will 
now  speak  of  other  things,  and  trust  to  the  power  of  the 
dread  Being  whose  majesty  is  menaced.  Hast  thou  yet 
visited  the  Heidenmauer  ?" 

Notwithstanding  the  excited  state  of  her  own  feelings, 
which  were,  however,  gradually  subsiding  to  their  usual 
calm,  Lottchen  took  heed  of  the  change  of  manner  in  her 
friend  as  she  uttered  the  last  words,  and  the  slight  tremor 
of  the  voice  with  which  her  question- was  put. 

"The  kindness  of  the  anchorite  to  Berchthold,  and  his 
great  reputation  for  sanctity,  drew  me  thither.  I  found 
him  of  mild  discourse,  and  a  recluse  of  great  wisdom." 

"  Didst  note  him  well,  Lottchen  ?  " 

"  As  the  penitent  regards  him  who  offers  consola- 
tion." 

"  I  would  thou  hadst  been  more  particular  !  " 

The  widow  glanced  towards  her  friend  in  surprise,  but 
immediately  turned  her  eyes,  that  were  still  filled  with 
tears,  to  her  work.  There  was  a  moment  of  musing  and 
painful  pause,  for  each  felt  the  want  of  their  usual  and  en- 
tire confidence. 

"  Dost  thou  distrust  him,  Ulrike  ?" 

"  Not  as  a  penitent,  or  one  willing  to  atone." 

"  Thou  disapprovest  of  the  deference  he  receives  from 
the  country  round  ?  " 

"  Of  that  thou  mayest  judge,  Lottchen,  when  I  tell  thee 
that  I  suffer  Meta  to  seek  counsel  from  him." 


1 86  THE  HE1DENMAUER. 

Lottchen  showed  greater  surprise,  and  the  silence  was 
longer  than  before,  and  still  more  embarrassing. 

"  It  is  long  since  thou  hast  named  to  me,  good  Lottchen, 
one  that  was  so  much  and  so  warmly  in  our  discourse 
when  we  were  girls  ! " 

The  amazement  of  the  listener  was  sudden  and  marked. 
She  dropped  her  work,  and  clasped  her  hands  together 
with  force. 

"  Dost  thou  believe  this  ? "  burst  from  her  lips. 

Ulrike  bowed  her  head,  apparently  to  examine  the  linen, 
though  really  unconscious  of  the  act,  while  the  hand  she 
extended  trembled  violently. 

"  I  have  sometimes  thought  it,"  she  answered,  scarce 
speaking  above  a  whisper. 

A  merry  laugh,  one  of  those  joyous  impulses  which 
spring  from  the  gayety  of  youth,  was  heard  at  the  door, 
and  Meta  entered,  followed  by  Berchthold  and  the  warder's 
daughter.  At  this  interruption  the  friends  arose,  and 
withdrew  to  an  inner  room. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"  I  pray  thee,  loving  wife  and  gentle  daughter, 

Give  even  way  unto  my  rough  affairs." — King  Henry  IV, 

ABOUT  an  hour  after  the  moment  when  Ulrike  and  Lott- 
chen disappeared,  as  described  in  the  close  of  the  last 
chapter,  the  cavalcade  of  Heinrich  Frey  was  seen  moving 
along  the  Jaegerthal,  beneath  the  hill  of  Limburg,  on  its 
way  towards  the  town.  Four  light-armed  followers  of 
Emich  accompanied  the  party,  on  foot,  under  the  pretence 
of  doing  honor  to  the  Burgomaster,  but  in  truth  to  pro- 
tect him  against  insult  from  any  stragglers  belonging  to  the 
men-at-arms  who  lay  in  the  Abbey — a  precaution  that  was 
not  altogether  without  utility,  as  the  reader  will  remember 
that  the  path  ran  within  call  of  the  ecclesiastical  edifices. 

As  the  beasts  ambled  past  the  imposing  towers  and  wide 
roofs,  that  were  visible  even  to  those  who  journeyed  in 
that  deep  glen,  Heinrich's  countenance,  which  had  been 
more  than  usually  thoughtful  ever  since  he  passed  beneath 
the  gate  of  Hartenburg,  grew  graver  ;  and  Meta,  who  rode 
as  usual  at  his  crupper,  heard  him  draw  one  of  those  heavy 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  iS7 

respirations  which  were  so  many  infallible  signs  that  the 
mental  part  of  her  worthy  parent  was  undergoing  extra- 
ordinary exercises. 

Nor  did  this  shade  appear  only  on  the  face  of  the  Bur- 
gomaster. A  deep  and  thoughtful  gloom  clouded  the  fine 
features  of  his  wife,  while  the  countenance  of  the  bloom- 
ing daughter  betrayed  that  sort  of  sombre  rest  which  is 
apt  to  succeed  high  excitement ;  a  moment  in  which  the 
mind  appears  employed  in  examining  the  past,  as  if  dis- 
posed to  dissect  the  merits  and  demerits  of  its  recent  en- 
joyments. Of  them  all,  the  male  attendants  alone  ex- 
cepted,  old  Use  returned  as  she  had  gone,  self-satisfied, 
unmoved,  and  talkative. 

"Count  Emich  hath  displeased  thee,  father,"  Meta  said, 
quickly,  when  a  respiration,  which  in  one  less  physical 
would  have  been  termed  a  sigh,  gave  her  reason  to  think 
the  Burgomaster's  bosom  was  struggling  with  some  bittei 
vexation  ;  "  else  wouldest  thou  be  more  cheerful,  and  bet- 
ter disposed  to  give  me  thy  parental  counsel,  as  is  thy 
habit  when  we  go  together  on  the  pillion." 

"  The  occasion  shall  not  fail,  girl ;  and  these  Abbey- 
walls  offer  in  good  time  to  prick  my  fatherly  memory. 
But  thou  art  in  error  if  thou  thinkest  that  the  souls  of  the 
Herr  Emich  and  mine  are  not  bound  together  like  those 
of  David  and  Jonathan.  I  know  not  the  man  I  more  love, 
or,  the  Emperor  and  Elector  apart,  as  is  my  duty,  the 
noble  I  so  much  respect." 

"  It  is  well  it  is  so,  for  I  greatly  value  these  airy  rides 
among  the  hills,  and  most  of  all  do  I  prize  a  visit  to  the 
cottage  of  Lottchen  ! " 

Heinrich  ejaculated  audibly.  Then,  riding  a  short  dis- 
tance in  silence,  he  continued  the  dialogue. 

"  Meta,"  he  said,  "  thou  art  now  getting  to  be  of  a 
womanish  age,  and  it  is  time  to  fortify  thy  young  mind  in 
a  manner  that  it  may  meet  the  cunning  and  malice  of  the 
world.  Life  is  of  great  precariousness,  especially  to  the 
valiant  and  enterprising,  and  we  live  in  perilous  times.  He 
that  is  in  his  prime  to-day,  honored  and  of  credit,  may  be 
cut  down  to-morrow,  or  even  to-night,  to  bring  the  allusion 
more  closely  to  ourselves  ;  and  thine  own  parent  is  as 
mortal  as  any  reptile  that  creeps,  or  even  as  the  most 
worthless  roisterer  of  the  Electorate,  that  wasteth  his  sub- 
stance, the  saving  of  some  gainful  parent,  perhaps,  in  riot- 
ousness ! " 


i88  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

"This  is  true,  father,"  rejoined  the  girl,  who,  though  ao 
customed  to  the  homely  morality  of  the  good  citizen, 
never  before  had  heard  the  Burgomaster  deal  with  so  lit- 
tle deference  to  himself,  and  who  spoke  in  a  lowered  tone, 
as  if  the  reflection  of  his  sudden  humility  produced  a  with 
ering  influence  on  her  own  self-esteem.  "  We  are  nobettei 
than  the  poorest  of  Duerckheim,  and  scarcely  as  good  as 
poor  Lottchen  and  Berchthold." 

A  stronger  ejaculation  betrayed  Heinrich's  displeasure. 

"  Let  these  honest  people  alone,"  he  answered,  "  since 
each  must  be  saved  or  be  damned  on  his  own  account,  let 
Lottchen  and  her  son  take  such  fare  as  Providence  shall 
send  ;  we  have  just  now  serious  matters  of  great  family 
concernment  to  occupy  us.  I  would  reason  with  thee 
gravely,  child,  and  therefore  I  have  need  of  thy  closest  at- 
tention. It  being  conceded  that  I  am  mortal — an  admis- 
sion thou  mayest  be  certain,  Meta,  I  should  not  loosely 
make  or  without  necessity — it  follows,  as  a  consequence, 
that,  sooner  or  later,  I  must  be  taken  from  thee,  when  thou 
wilt  be  left  a  orphan.  Now  this  great  calamity  may  befall 
us  both  much  sooner  than  thou  fanciest ;  for,  I  repeat  it, 
we  live  in  perilous  times,  when  hot-headedness  and  valor 
may  any  day  bring  a  man  to  a  premature  end." 

The  round  arm  of  Meta  clung  more  forcibly  to  the  body 
of  the  Burgomaster,  who  took  the  gentle  pressure  as  so 
much  proof  of  his  child's  concern  in  his  supposititious  end. 

"  Why  tell  me  of  this,  father  ?"  she  exclaimed,  "when 
thou  knowest  it  only  makes  both  unhappy  !  Though  young, 
it  may  be  my  fate  to  die  first." 

"  That  is  possible,  but  little  probable,"  returned  Hem- 
rich,  with  a  melancholy  air.  "Giving  nature  a  fair 
chance,  it  will  be  my  turn  to  precede  even  thy  mother, 
since  I  have  ten  good  years  the  start  of  her  ;  and  as  for 
thee,  I  greatly  dread  it  will  be,  one  day,  thy  misfortune 
to  be  left  an  orphan.  God  knows  what  will  be  the  end  of 
all  these  contentions  that  now  beset  us,  and  therefore  I 
hold  it  wise  to  be  prepared.  Whenever  the  evil  day  of 
parting  may  come,  Meta,  thou  wilt  be  left  with  a  sore 
companion  for  one  of  tender  years  and  little  experience." 

"  Father  ! " 

"  I  mean  money,  child,  which  is  a  blessing,  or  a  curse, 
as  it  proveth.  Were  I  taken  suddenly  away,  many  idle 
and  dissolute  gallants  would  beset  thee,  swearing  by  their 
mustaches  and  beards,  that  thou  wert  dearer  to  them  than 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  189 

the  air  they  breathe,  when  in  truth  their  sole  desire  would 
be  to  look  into  the  leavings  of  the  departed  Burgomaster. 
There  is  great  difficulty  in  marrying  one  of  thy  neutral 
condition  happily,  for,  while  want  of  birth  closeth  the  door 
of  the  castle  and  the  palace  against  thy  entrance,  ample 
means  give  thee  right  to  look  beyond  the  mere  burgher. 
I  would  fain  have  one  of  good  hopes  for  a  son-in-law,  and 
yet  no  spendthrift." 

"  That  may  not  be  so  easy  of  accomplishment,  good 
father,"  returned  Meta,  laughing,  for  few  girls  of  her  years 
listen  to  conjectures  or  plans  concerning  their  future 
establishment  without  a  nervous  irritability  that  easily 
takes  the  appearance  of  merriment — "  to  me  the  world 
seems  divided  into  those  who  get  and  those  who  spend." 

"  Or  into  the  wise  and  foolish.  There  are  three  great 
ingredients  that  commonly  enter  into  all  marriages  of 
girls  in  thy  condition,  and  without  which  there  is  little 
hope  of  happiness,  or  even  of  every-day  respect.  The  first 
is  the  means  of  livelihood,  the  second  is  the  consent  and 
blessing  of  the  parents,  and  the  third  is  equality  of  condi- 
tion." 

"  I  had  thought  thee  about  to  say  something  of  tastes 
and  inclinations,  father  !  " 

"Idle  conceit,  child,  that  any  whim  may  change.  Look 
at  yonder  peasant,  who  is  trimming  the  Abbey  vines — dost 
think  him  less  happy  with  his  cup  of  sour  liquor,  than  if  he 
quaffed  of  the  best  rhenishin  Bonifacius's  cellar  ?  And  yet, 
had  the  hind  his  choice,  doubt  it  not  he  would  be  ready  to 
swear  none  but  the  liquor  of  Hockheim  should  wet  lip  of  his! 
The  fellow  might  make  himself  miserable,  by  mere  dint  of 
fancy,  were  he  once  to  set  his  mind  on  other  fare ;  but, 
taking  life  soberly  and  industriously,  who  so  content  as 
he  ?  Oh  !  I  have  often  envied  these  knaves  their  happiness, 
when  vexation  and  losses  have  weighed  upon  my  spirits  !  " 

"And  wouldest  thou  change  conditions  with  these  vine- 
trimmers,  father  ? " 

"  What  art  thinking  of,  wench  ?  Is  there  not  such  a 
thing  as  order  and  propriety  on  earth  ? — And  this  brings 
me  to  my  purpose.  There  has  been  question  to-day  con- 
cerning some  silliness,  not  to  say  presumption,  on  the  part 
of  young  Berchthold  Hintermayer,  in  wishing  to  couple 
his  poverty  with  thy  means." 

The  head  of  Meta  fell  abashed,  and  the  arm,  which 
clasped  the  body  of  her  father,  trembled  perceptibly. 


190  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

"  I  doubt  that  Berchthold  has  not  thought  of  this,"  she 
answered,  in  a  voice  but  little  above  her  breath,  though 
her  respiration  was  very  audible. 

"All  the  better  for  him,  since  such  a  desire  would  be 
just  as  unreasonable  as  it  would  be,  on  thy  part,  to  wish  to 
wed  with  Count  Emich's  heir." 

"  Nay,  that  silly  thought  never  crossed  me  ! "  exclaimed 
Meta,  frankly. 

"  All  the  better  for  thee,  girl,  since  the  Herr  von  Harten- 
burg  has  had  the  boy  betrothed  these  many  years.  Well, 
as  we  now  understand  each  other  so  well,  leave  me  to  my 
thoughts,  for  weighty  matters  press  on  my  mind." 

So  saying,  Heinrich  composed  himself  to  reflection,  fully 
content  with  the  parental  lesson  he  had  just  imparted  to 
his  daughter.  But,  in  the  few  and  vague  remarks  that  had 
fallen  from  the  Burgomaster,  Meta  found  sufficient  food 
for  uncomfortable  conjecture  for  the  rest  of  the  ride. 

During  the  short  dialogue  between  Heinrich  and  Meta, 
there  had  also  been  a  discourse  between  Ulrike  and  the 
crone  that  rode  on  her  pillion.  The  propensity  of  old  Use 
to  talk,  and  the  well-tried  indulgence  of  her  mistress,  in- 
duced the  former  to  break  silence  the  moment  they  were 
clear  of  the  hamlet,  and  were  so  far  advanced  beyond  the 
rest  of  the  party  as  to  render  it  safe  to  speak  freely. 

"Well,"  exclaimed  the  nurse,  "this  hath  been,  truly,  a 
day  !  First  had  we  matins  in  Duerckheim  ;  and  then,  the 
stirring  words  of  Father  Johan,  with  the  Abbey  mass  ;  and 
lastly,  this  high  demeanor  of  the  Count  Emich  !  I  do  not 
think,  good  wife,  that  thou  hast  ever  before  seen  the  Bur- 
gomaster so  preferred  ! " 

"  He  is  ever  in  the  graces  of  the  Herr  von  Hartenburg, 
as  thou  mayest  know,  Use,"  returned  Heinrich's  partner, 
speaking  like  one  that  thought  of  other  things.  "  I  would 
that  they  were  less  friendly  at  this  moment." 

"Nay,  therein  thou  dost  little  justice  to  thy  husband. 
It  is  honorable  to  be  honored  by  the  world's  honored,  and 
thou  shouldest  wish  the  Burgomaster  favor  with  all  such, 
though  it  were  even  with  the  Emperor.  But  thou  wert 
ever  particular,  even  as  a  child  ;  and  I  should  not  deal  too 
harshly  with  a  propensity  that,  coming  as  if  it  were  of  nat- 
ure, is  not  without  reason.  Ah  !  Heaven  is  even  tender 
with  the  good  !  Now  what  a  happy  life  is  thine,  Ulrike  ; 
here  canst  thou  go  forth  before  all  that  were  once  thy 
equals,  a  Burgomaster's  companion, — and  not  a  varlet  be- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  191 

tween  Duerckheim-gate,  or  indeed  thine  own  gate,  and  the 
hold  of  Hartenburg  shall  stand  covered  as  thy  steed  shuf- 
fles past.  This  is  it  to  be  fortunate  !  Then  have  we  worthy 
Heinrich  for  a  master,  and  such  another  for  keeping  all  in 
due  respect  is  not  to  be  seen  in  our  town  ;  and  Meta, 
who,  beyond  dispute,  is  both  the  fairest  and  the  wisest  of 
her  years  among  all  the  maidens,  and  thyself  scarcely  less 
blooming  than  of  old,  with  such  health  and  contentment 
as  might  even  disarm  widowhood  of  its  sorrows.  Ah  ! 
what  a  life  hath  been  thine  ! " 

Ulrike  seemed  to  arouse  herself  from  a  trance,  as  the 
nurse  thus  chanted  praises  in  honor  of  her  good  fortune, 
and  the  sigh  she  drew,  unconscious  of  its  meaning,  was 
long  and  tremulous. 

"  I  complain  not  of  my  fate,  good  Use." 

"  If  thou  didst,  I  would  cause  the  beast  to  halt,  that  I 
might  quickly  descend,  for  nothing  good  could  come  of  a 
journey  so  blasphemous !  No,  gratitude  before  all  other 
virtues,  except  humility  ;  for  humility  leadeth  to  favors, 
and  favor  is  the  lawful  parent  of  gratitude  itself.  I  would 
thou  couldest  have  been  at  my  last  shriving,  Ulrike,  and 
thou  shouldest  have  heard  questions  of  nice  meaning 
closely  reasoned  !  It  happened  that  Father  Johan  was  in 
the  confessional,  and  when  he  had  got  the  little  I  had  to 
say  of  myself  in  the  way  of  acknowledgment,  (for,  though 
a  great  sinner  like  all  human,  it  is  little  I  can  do  against 
Heaven  at  threescore  and  ten,)  we  came  to  words  concern- 
ing doctrine.  The  Monk  maintained  that  the  best  of  us 
jnight  fall  away,  so  as  to  merit  condemnation  ;  while  I 
would  have  sworn,  had  it  been  seemly  to  swear  in  such  a 
place,  that  the  late  Prior,  than  whom  none  better  ever 
dwelt  in  Limburg,  always  gave  comfortable  assurance  of 
mercy  being  safe,  when  fairly  earned.  I  wonder  not 
that  these  heresies  should  be  abroad,  when  the  professed 
throw  this  discouragement  in  the  way  of  the  old  and 
weak !  " 

"  Thou  art  too  apt,  good  Use,  to  dwell  on  subtleties, 
when  a  meeker  faith  might  better  become  thy  condition." 

"  And  what  is  this  condition,  prithee,  that  thqu  namest 
it  as  a  disqualifier  ?  Am  I  not  aged — and  can  any  say  bet- 
ter what  is  sin,  or  what  not  ?  Didst  thou  know  what  sin 
was  thyself,  child,  till  I  taught  thee  ?  Am  I  not  mortal, 
and  therefore  frail — am  I  not  a  woman,  and  therefore  in- 
quiring;— and  am  I  not  aged,  and  therefore  experienced  ? 


I92  THE   HEIDENMAUER.      , 

No,  come  to  me,  an'  thou  wouldest  get  an  insight  into  real 
sin — sin  that  hath  much  need  of  grace  ! " 

"  Well,  let  it  be  thus.  But,  Use,  I  would  recall  thy  mind 
to  days  long  past,  and  take  counsel  of  thy  experience  in  a 
matter  that  toucheth  me  nearly." 

"  That  must  be  some  question  of  Meta  ;  naught  else 
could  touch  a  mother  nearly." 

"  Thou  hast  reason  in  part :  'tis  of  Meta,  and  of  us  all,  in 
sooth,  that  I  would  speak.  Thou  hast  now  been  to  the 
Heidenmauer  more  than  once  with  our  girl,  in  quest  of  the 
holy  Anchorite  ? " 

"  Have  I  not !  Thou  mayest  well  say  more  than  once, 
since  I  have  twice  made  that  weary  journey  ;  and  few  of 
my  years  would  have  come  off  so  lightly  from  the  fatigue." 

"  And  what  is  said  in  the  country  round  of  the  holy 
man — of  his  origin  and  history,  I  mean  ?  " 

"  Much  is  said  ;  and  much  that  is  good  and  edifying  is 
said.  It  is  thought  that  one  blessing  of  his  is  as  good  as 
two  from  the  Abbey  ;  for  of  him  no  harm  is  known, 
whereas  there  is  much  reputed  of  Limburg  that  had  better 
not  be  true.  For  myself,  Ulrike — and  I  am  one  that  does 
not  treat  these  matters  lightly — I  should  go  away  with 
more  surety  of  favor  with  a  single  touch  of  the  Hermit's 
hand,  than  if  honored  with  blows  from  all  of  Limburg. 
But,  from  the  account  I  except  Father  Arnolph,  who  if  he 
be  not  an  anchorite,  well  deserves,  from  his  virtues,  to  be 
one.  Oh  !  that  is  a  man,  were  justice  done  him,  who  ought 
never  to  taste  other  liquor  than  water  of  the  spring,  or 
other  food  than  bread  hard  as  a  rock  ? "  : 

"And  hast  thou  seen  him  of  the  Heidenmaure  ?" 

"  It  hath  been  sufficient  for  me  to  be  in  sight  of  his  hut. 
I  am  none  of  those  that  cannot  have  a  good  thing  in  pos- 
session, without  using  it  up.  I  have  never  laid  eyes  on 
the  holy  man,  for  that  is  a  virtue  I  keep  in  store  against 
some  of  the  sore  evils  that  beset  all  in  age.  Let  any  of  the 
autumn  plagues  come  upon  me,  and  thou  shalt  see  in 
what  manner  I  will  visit  him  ! " 

"  Use,  thou  mayest  yet  remember  the  days  of  my  in- 
fancy, ano^  hast  some  knowledge  of  most  of  the  events  of 
Duerckheim  for  these  many,  many  years  ?" 

"I  know  not  what  thou  callest  infancy,  but  if  it  mean 
the  first  cry  thy  feeble  voice  ever  made,  or  the  first  glance 
of  thy  twinkling  eyes,  I  remember  both  an'  it  were  yester- 
day's vespers." 


THE  HEIDEKMAUER.  193 

"And  thou  hast  not  forgotten  the  youths  and  maidens 
that  then  sported  at  our  merry-makings,  and  were  gay  in 
their  time,  as  these  we  see  to-day  ?" 

"  Call  you  these  gay  ?  These  are  hired  mourners  com- 
pared to  those  of  my  youth.  You  that  have  been  born  in 
the  last  fifty  years  know  little  of  mirth  and  gayety.  If 
thou  wouldest  learn " 

"  Of  this  we  can  speak  at  another  season.  But  since 
thy  memory  remains  so  clear,  thou  canst  not  have  forgot- 
ten the  young  Herr  von  Ritterstein  ;  he  that  was  well  re- 
ceived of  old  within  my  father's  doors  ? " 

Ulrike  spoke  in  a  low  voice,  but  the  easy  movement  of 
the  beast  they  rode  suffered  every  word  to  reach  the  ear 
of  her  companion. 

"  Do  I  remember  Odo  von  Ritterstein  ? "  exclaimed  the 
crone.  "Am  I  a  heathen,  to  forget  him  or  his  crime?" 

"  Poor  Odo  !  Bitterly  hath  he  repented  that  transgres- 
sion in  banishment,  as  I  have  heard.  We  may  hope  that 
his  offence  is  forgiven  !  " 

"  Of  whom — of  Heaven  ?  Never,  as  thou  livest,  Ulrike, 
can  such  a  crime  be  pardoned.  It  will  be  twenty  years 
this  night  since  he  did  that  deed,  as  all  in  the  Jaegerthal 
well  know  ;  for  there  have  been  masses  and  exorcisms 
without  number  said  in  the  Abbey-chapel  on  his  account. 
What  dost  take  Heaven  to  be,  that  it  can  forget  an  offence 
like  that !  " 

"It  was  a  dreadful  sin!"  answered  Ulrike,  shuddering, 
for  though  she  betrayed  a  desire  to  exonerate  the  sup- 
posed penitent,  horror  at  his  offence  was  evidently  upper- 
most in  her  mind. 

"  It  was  blasphemy  to  God,  and  an  outrage  to  man. 
Let  him  look  to  it,  I  say,  for  his  soul  is  in  cruel  jeopardy  !  " 

A  heavy  sigh  was  the  answer  of  the  Burgomaster's  wife. 

"  I  knew  young  Odo  von  Ritterstein  well,"  continued  the 
crone,  " .and,  though  not  ill  gifted  as  to  outward  appear- 
ance, and  of  most  seductive  discourse  to  all  who  would 
listen  to  a  honeyed  tongue,  I  can  boast  of  having  read  his 
inmost  nature  at  our  very  first  acquaintance." 

"  Thou  understood  a  fearful  mystery  !  "  half  whispered 
Ulrike. 

"  It  was  no  mystery  to  one  of  my  years  and  experience. 
What  is  a  comely  face,  and  a  noble  birth,  and  a  jaunting 
air,  and  a  bold  eye,  to  your  woman  that  hath  had  her  op- 
portunities, and  who  hath  lived  long  ?  Nay,  nay — young 

'3 


i94  THE   IfEIDE.VMAUEK. 

Odo's  soul  was  read  by  me,  as  your  mass-saying  priest 
readeth  his  missal  ;  that  is,  with  half  a  glance." 

"  It  is  surprising  that  one  of  thy  station  should  have  so 
quickly  and  so  well  understood  him  that  most  have  found 
inexplicable.  Thou  knowest  he  was  long  in  favor  with 
my  parents  ? " 

"  Aye,  and  with  thee,  Ulrike  ;  and  this  proves  the  great 
difference  of  judgments.  But  not  a  single  day,  nay,  not 
even  an  hour,  was  I  mistaken  in  his  character.  What  was 
his  name  to  me  ?  They  say  he  had  crusaders  among  his 
ancestors,  and  that  nobles  of  his  lineage  bore  the  sign  of 
the  cross,  under  a  hot  sun  and  in  a  far  land,  in  honor  of 
God  ;  but  none  of  this  would  I  hear.  I  saw  the  man  with 
mine  own  eyes,  and  with  mine  own  judgment  did  I  judge." 

"Thou  sawest  one,  Use,  of  no  displeasing  mien." 

"  So  thought  the  young  and  light-minded.  I  deny  not 
his  appearance  ;  'twas  according  to  Heaven's  pleasure — 
nor  do  I  say  aught  against  his  readiness  in  exercises,  or 
any  other  esteemed  and  knightly  qualities,  for  I  am  not 
one  to  backbite  a  fallen  enemy.  But  he  had  a  way  ! 
Now  when  he  came  first  to  visit  thy  father,  here  did  he 
enter  the  presence  of  the  honest  Burgomaster  an'  he  had 
been  the  Elector,  instead  of  a  mere  Baron  ;  and  though 
there  I  stood,  waiting  to  do  him  reverence  as  became  his 
rank,  and  my  breeding,  nay,  doing  him  reverence,  and  that 
oft  repeated,  not  a  look  of  grace,  nor  a  thank,  nor  a  smile  of 
condescension  did  I  get,  for  my  pains.  His  eyes  could 
not  stoop  to  the  old  nurse,  but  were  fastened  on  the  face 
of  the  young  beauty,  besides  many  other  levities. — Oh  !  I 
quickly  accounted  him  for  what  he  was ! " 

"  He  was  of  contradictory  qualities." 

"  Worse  than  that — a  hundred-fold  worse.  I  can  count 
you  up  his  graces  in  brief  speech — First  was  he  a  roisterer, 
that  never  missed  occasion  to  enter  into  all  debaucheries 
with  the  very  monks  he  dishonored " 

"  Nay,  that  I  did  never  hear  !  " 

"  Is  it  reasonable  to  suppose  otherwise,  after  what  we 
know  of  a  certainty  ?  Give  me  but  one  bold  vice  in 
a  man,  and  I  will  quickly  show  you  all  its  companions." 

"And  is  this  true?  Ought  we  not  rather  to  think  that 
most  yield  in  their  weakest  points,  while  they  may  con- 
tinue to  resist  in  the  strongest  ? — That  there  are  faults, 
which,  inviting  the  world's  condemnation,  produce  indif- 
ference to  the  world's  opinion,  may  be  true  ;  but  I  hope 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  195 

few  are  so  evil  as  not  to  retain  some  portion  of  their  good 
qualities." 

"  Hadst  thou  ever  seen  a  siege,  good  wife,  thou  wouldst 
not  say  this.  Here  is  your  enemy,  without  the  ditch, 
shouting  and  screaming,  and  doing  his  worst  to  alarm 
the  garrison. — I  say  now  but  what  I  have  thrice  seen 
here,  in  our  very  Duerckheim — but  so  long  as  the  breach 
is  not  made,  or  the  ladders  placed,  each  goes  his  way  in 
the  streets,  quietly  and  unharmed.  But  let  the  enemy 
once  enter,  though  it  be  but  by  a  window,  or  down  a 
chimney,  open  fly  the  gates,  and  in  pour  the  columns, 
horsemen  and  footmen,  till  not  a  house  escapes  rifling,  nor 
a  sanctuary  violation.  Now  this  blasphemy  of  Herr  Odo 
was  much  as  if  a  curtain  of  wall  had  fallen  at  once, 
letting  in  whole  battalions  and  squadrons  of  vices  in  com- 
pany." 

"  That  the  act  was  fearful,  is  as  certain  as  that  it  was 
heavily  punished  ;  but  still  may  it  have  been  the  fault  of 
momentary  folly,  or  of  provoked  resentment." 

"  It  was  blasphemy,  and  as  such  it  is  punished ;  why 
then  say  more  in  its  defence  ?  Here  cometh  Meta  within 
call,  and  it  were  well  she  should  not  hear  her  mother 
justify  sin.  Remember  thou  art  a  mother,  and  bear  thy 
charge  with  prudence." 

As  the  horse  ridden  by  the  Burgomaster  and  his  daugh- 
ter drew  near,  Ulrike  ceased  speaking,  with  the  patient 
forbearance  that  distinguished  her  intercourse  with  the 
old  woman.  And  during  the  rest  of  the  ride,  little  more 
passed  among  the  equestrians.  On  reaching  his  own 
abode,  however,  Heinrich  hastened  to  hold  a  secret 
council  with  the  chief  men  of  the  place. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  passed  as  was  wont  in  the 
towns  of  that  age.  The  archers  practised  with  their  bows, 
without  the  walls  ;  the  more  trained  arquebusiers  were  ex- 
ercised with  their  unwieldy  but  comparatively  dangerous 
weapons  ;  the  youthful  of  the  two  sexes  danced,  while  the 
wine-houses  were  thronged  with  artisans,  who  quaffed, 
after  the  toil  of  the  week,  the  cheap  and  healthful  liquor 
of  the  Palatinate,  in  a  heavy  animal  enjoyment.  Here  and 
there  a  monk  of  the  neighboring  Abbey  appeared  in  the 
streets,  though  it  was  with  an  air  less  authoritative  and 
assured,  than  before  the  open  promulgation  of  the  opin- 
ions of  Luther  had  brought  into  question  so  many  of  ths 
practices  of  the  prevailing  Church, 


196  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

"  Thus  I  renounce  the  world  and  worldly  things." — ROGERS. 

IT  will  be  remembered,  that  the  time  of  this  tale  was  in 
the  winning  month  of  June.  When  the  sun  had  fallen 
beneath  those  vast  and  fertile  plains  of  the  west,  among 
which  the  Rhine  winds  its  way,  a  swift  and  turbid,  though 
noble  current,  that,  like  some  bold  mountaineer,  has  made 
a  descent  from  the  passes  of  Switzerland,  to  gather  tribute 
from  every  valley  on  his  passage,  there  remained  in  the  air 
the  bland  and  seductive  warmth  of  the  season. — Still  the 
evening  was  not  a  calm  moonlight  night,  like  those  which 
grace  a  more  alluring  climate  ;  but  there  reigned  in  its 
quiet,  a  character  of  sombre  repose  that  constantly  remind- 
ed all  of  the  hour.  It  seemed  a  moment  more  adapted  to 
rest  than  to  indulgence.  The  simple  habits  of  Duerckheim 
caused  its  burghers  to  shut  their  doors  early,  and,  as  usual, 
the  gates  of  the  town  were  closed  when  the  bells  sounded 
the  stroke  of  eight.  The  peasants  of  the  Jaegerthal  had 
not  even  waited  so  long,  before  they  sought  their  beds. 

It  was,  however,  near  ten,  when  a  private  door  in  the 
dwelling  of  Heinrich  Frey  opened,  and  a  party  of  three 
individuals  issued  into  the  street.  All  were  so  closely  muf- 
fled as  effectually  to  conceal  their  persons.  The  leader,  a 
man,  paused  to  see  that  the  way  was  clear,  and  then,  beck- 
oning to  his  companions,  who  were  of  the  other  sex,  to 
follow,  he  pursued  his  way  within  the  shadows  thrown  from 
the  houses.  It  was  not  long  ere  they  all  reached  the  gate 
of  the  town,  which  opened  to  the  hill  of  the  Heidenmauer. 

There  was  a  stronger  watch  afoot  that  night,  than  was 
usual  in  Duerckheim,  though  the  city,  and  especially  at  a 
moment  when  armies  ravaged  the  Palatinate,  was  never 
left  without  a  proper  guard.  A  few  armed  men  paced  the 
street,  at  the  point  where  it  terminated  with  the  defences, 
and  a  sentinel  was  visible  on  the  superior  wall. 

"  Who  cometh  ?"  demanded  an  arquebusier. 

The  muffled  man  approached,  and  spoke  to  the  leader  of 
the  guard  in  a  low  voice.  It  would  seem  that  he  spoke 
him  fair  ;  for  no  sooner  did  he  utter  the  little  he  had  to 
say,  than  a  bustle  among  the  citizens  announced  an  eager 
desire  to  do  his  pleasure.  The  keys  were  produced,  and  a 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  197 

way  made  for  the  exit  of  the  party.  But  the  man  went  no 
farther.  Having  procured  the  egress  of  his  companions, 
he  returned  into  the  town,  stopping,  however,  to  hold  dis- 
course with  those  on  watch,  before  he  disappeared. 

When  without  the  gate,  the  females  began  to  ascend. 
The  way  was  difficult,  for  it  lay  among  terraces  and  vine- 
yards, by  means  of  winding  narrow  foot-paths,  and,  as  it 
appeared,  the  limbs  of  those  who  were  now  obliged  to 
thread  them,  felt  all  the  difficulties  of  the  steep  acclivity. 
At  length,  though  not  without  often  stopping  to  breathe 
and  rest,  they  reached  the  fallen  pile  of  the  ancient  wall  of 
the  camp.  Here  both  seated  themselves,  to  recover  their 
strength,  in  profound  silence.  They  had  mounted  by 
means  of  a  path  that  conducted  them_  towards  that  ex- 
tremity of  the  mountain  which  overlooked  the  valley  of 
our  tale. 

The  sky  was  covered  with  fleecy  clouds,  that  dimmed  the 
light  of  the  moon  so  as  to  render  objects  beneath  uncertain 
and  dull ;  though  occasionally  the  mild  orb  seemed  to  sail 
into  a  little  field  of  blue,  shedding  all  its  light  below.  But 
these  momentary  illuminations  were  too  fitful  to  permit 
the  eye  to  become  accustomed  to  the  change,  and  ere  any 
saw  distinctly,  the  driving  vapor  would  again  intercept  the 
rays.  To  this  melancholy  character  of  the  hour,  must  be 
added  the  plaintive  sound  of  a  night-breeze,  which  audibly 
rustled  the  cedars. 

A  heavy  respiration  from  the  one  of  the  two  who,  by  her 
air  and  attire,  was  evidently  the  superior,  was  taken  by  the 
other  as  a  permission  to  speak. 

"  Well,  thrice  in  my  life  have  I  mounted  this  hill,  at 
night !  "  she  said  :  "  and  few  of  my  years  could  do  the 
deed,  by  the  light  of  the  sun " 

"  Hist,  Use  !  Hearest  thou  naught  uncommon  ?  " 

"  Naught  but  mine  own  voice,  which,  for  so  mute  a  per- 
son, is,  in  sooth,  of  little  wont — 

"  Truly,  there  is  other  sound  !  Come  hither  to  the  ruin  ; 
I  fear  we  are  abroad  at  a  perilous  moment !  " 

As  both  arose,  there  was  but  a  minute  before  their  per- 
sons were  concealed  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  it  little 
probable  that  any  but  a  very  curious  eye  would  remark 
their  presence.  It  was  evident  that  many  footsteps  were 
approaching,  and  nearly  in  their  direction.  Use  trembled, 
but  her  companion,  more  self-possessed,  and  better  sup- 
ported by  her  reason,  was  as  much  or  even  more  excited 


198  THE   HE1DENMAUER. 

by  curiosity  than  by  fear.  The  ruined  hut,  in  which  they 
stood,  was  within  the  cover  of  the  cedars,  where  a  dull  light 
alone  penetrated.  By  means  of  this  light,  however,  a  band 
of  men  was  seen  moving  across  the  camp.  They  came  in 
pairs,  and  their  march  was  swift  and  nearly  noiseless.  The 
glittering  of  a  morion,  as  it  passed  beneath  some  opening 
in  the  trees,  and  the  reclining  arquebuses,  no  less  than 
their  order,  showed  them  to  be  warriors. 

The  line  was  long,- extending  to  some  hundreds  of  men. 
They  came,  in  this  swift  and  silent  manner,  from  the  di- 
rection of  the  Jaegerthal,  %and  passed  away,  among  the 
melancholy  cedars,  in  that  of  the  plain  of  the  Rhine. 

When  the  last  of  this  long  and  ghost-like  band  had  dis- 
appeared, Use  appeared  to  revive. 

"  In  very  sooth,"  she  said,  "  they  seem  to  be  men  !  Do 
they,  too,  come  to  visit  the  Holy  Hermit  ?" 

"  Believe  it  not.  They  have  gone  down  by  the  rear  of 
Duerckheim,  and  will  soon  be  beyond  our  wishes,  or  our 
fears." 

"  Lady  !  Of  what  origin  are  they — and  on  what  errand 
do  they  come  ?" 

This  exclamation  of  old  Use  sufficiently  betrayed  the 
nature  of  her  own  doubts,  though  the  firmness  of  her  com- 
panion's manner  proved  that,  now  the  armed  men  were 
gone,  she  no  longer  felt  distrust. 

"  This  may,  or  may  not,  be  a  happy  omen,"  she  answered, 
musingly.  "  There  was  a  goodly  number,  and  warriors,  too, 
of  fair  appearance  !  " 

"  Thrice  have  I  visited  this  camp  at  night,  and  never 
before  has  it  been  my  fate  to  view  its  tenants  !  Thinkest 
thou  they  were  Romans — or  are  they  the  followers  of  the 
Hun?" 

"  They  were  living  men — but  let  us  not  forget  our  er- 
rand." 

Without  permitting  further  discourse,  the  superior  of 
the  two  then  took  the  way  towards  the  hut  of  the  Hermit. 
At  first  her  footstep  was  timid  and  unassured  ;  for,  strength- 
ened as  she  was  by  reflection  and  knowledge,  the  sudden 
and  sprite-like  passage  of  such  aline  of  warriors  across  the 
deserted  camp  was  indeed  likely  to  affect  the  confidence  of 
one  even  more  bold. 

"Rest  thy  old  limbs  on  this  bit  of  fallen  wall,  good 
nurse,"  said  the  muffled  female,  "while  I  go  within,  Thou 
wilt  await  me  here," 


THE   nEIDENMATER.  -  I99 

"Go,  of  Heaven's  mercy  !  and  speak  the  holy  Anchorite 
fair.  Take  what  thou  canst  of  comfort  and  peace  for  thine 
own  soul,  and  if  there  should  be  a  blessing,  or  a  relic  more 
than  thou  needest,  remember  her  who  fondled  thy  infancy, 
and  who,  I  may  say,  and  say  it  I  do  with  pride,  made  thee 
the  woman  of  virtue  and  merit  thou  art." 

"  God  be  with  thee — and  with  me  ! "  murmured  the 
female,  as  she  moved  slowly  away. 

The  visitor  of  the  Anchorite  hesitated  at  the  door  of  his 
hut.  Encouraged  by  sounds  within,  and  certain  that  the 
holy  man  was  still  afoot,  by  the  strong  light  that  shone 
through  the  fissures  of  the  wall,  she  at  length  summoned 
resolution  to  knock. 

"  Enter,  of  God's  will!"  returned  a  voice  from  within. 

The  door  opened,  and  the  female  stood  confronted  to  the 
person  of  the  Anchorite.  The  cloak  and  hood  both  fell 
from  the  female's  head,  as  by  an  involuntary  weakness  of 
her  hands — and  each  stood  gazing  long,  wistfully,  and  per- 
haps in  doubt,  at  the  other.  The  female,  more  prepared 
for  the  interview,  was  the  first  to  speak. 

"  Odo  !  "  she  said,  with  melancholy  emphasis. 

"  Ulrike  !" 

Eye  then  studied  eye,  in  that  eager  and  painful  gaze 
with  which  the  memory  traces  the  changes  that  time  and 
the  passions  produce  in  the  human  face.  In  that  of  Ulrike, 
howcATer,  there  was  little  to  be  noted  but  the  development 
of  more  mature  womanhood,  with  such  a  shadowing  of 
thought  as  deeper  reflection  and  diminished  hopes  are  apt 
to  bring ;  but,  had  she  not  been  apprised  of  the  person  of 
him  she  sought,  and  had  her  memory  not  retained  so  vivid 
an  impression  of  the  past,  it  is  probable  that  the  wife  of 
Heinrich  Frey  might  not  have  recognized  the  features  of 
the  gayest  and  handsomest  cavalier  of  the  Palatinate,  in 
the  sunken  but  still  glowing  eye,  the  grizzled  beard,  and 
the  worn  though  bold  lineaments  of  the  Anchorite. 

"  Thou  Odo,  and  a  penitent!"  Ulrike  added. 

"  One  of  a  stricken  soul.  Thou  seest  me,  sworn  to  mor- 
tifications and  sorrow." 

"  If  repentance  come  at  all,  let  it  be  welcome.  Thou 
leanest  on  a  rock,  and  thy  soul  will  be  upheld." 

The  recluse  made  a  vague  gesture,  which  his  companion 
believed  to  be  the  usual  sign  of  the  cross.  She  meekly  imi- 
tated the  symbol,  and,  bowing  her  head,  repeated  an  ave. 
In  all  great  changes  in  religions  and  politics,  the  spirit  of 


200  THE  WEIDENMAUER. 

party  attaches  importance  to  immaterial  things,  which,  bj 
practice  and  convention,  come  to  be  considered  as  the  evi- 
dences of  opinion.  Thus  it  is,  when  revolutions  are  sudden 
and  violent,  that  so  many  mistake  their  symbols  for  their 
substance,  and  men  cast  their  lives  on  the  hazards  of  battle, 
in  order  to  support  an  empty  name,  a  particular  disposi- 
tion of  colors  in  an  ensign,  or  some  idle  significations  of 
terms  that  were  never  well  explained,  long  after  the  real 
merits  of  the  controversy  have  been  lost  by  the  cupidity  and 
falsehood  of  those  intrusted  with  the  public  welfare  ;  and 
thus  it  is,  that  here,  where  all  change  has  been  gradual  and 
certain,  that  the  neglect  of  these  trifles  has  subjected  the 
country  to  the  imputation  of  inconsistency,  because,  in  at- 
tending so  much  to  the  substance  of  their  work,  it  has  over- 
looked so  many  of  those  outward  signs,  which,  by  being  the 
instruments  of  excitement  in  other  regions,  obtain  a  value 
that  has  no  influence  among  ourselves.  The  Reformation 
made  early  and  rude  inroads  upon  the  formula  of  the  Rom- 
ish church.  The  cross  ceased  to  be  a  sign  in  favor  with 
the  Protestant ;  and,  after  three  centuries,  it  is  just  begin- 
ning to  be  admitted  that  this  sacred  symbol  is  a  more  fit- 
ting ornament  of  one  of  "  those  silent  fingers  pointing  to 
the  skies,"  which  so  touchingly  adorn  our  churches,  than 
the  representation  of  a  barn-yard  fowl !  Had  Ulrike  been 
more  critical  in  this  sort  of  distinctions,  or  had  her  mind 
been  less  occupied  with  her  own  sad  reflections,  she  might 
have  thought  .the  movement  of  the  Hermit's  hand,  when  he 
made  the  sign  alluded  to,  had  such  a  manner  of  indecision 
and  doubt,  as  equally  denotes  one  new  in  practices  of  this 
nature,  or  one  about  to  abandon  any  long-established  ritual. 
As  it  was,  however,  she  noted  nothing  extraordinary,  but 
silently  took  the  seat  to  which  the  Anchorite  pointed,  while 
he  placed  himself  on  another. 

The  earnest,  wistful,  and  half  mournful  look  of  each 
was  renewed.  They  sat  apart,  with  the  torch  throwing  its 
light  fully  upon  both. 

"Grief  hath  borne  heavily  upon  thee,  Odo,"said  Ulrike. 
"  Thou  art  much  changed  !  " 

"  And  innocence  and  happiness  have  dealt  tenderly  by 
thee!  Thou  hast  well  merited  this  favor,  Ulrike." 

*'  Art  thou  long  of  this  manner  of  life — or  touch  I  on  a 
subject  that  may  not  be  treated  ?" 

"  I  know  not  that  I  may  refuse  to  give  the  world  the  profit 
of  my  lesson — much  less  can  I  pretend  to  mystery  with  thee." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  201 

"I  would  gladly  give  thee  consolation.  Thou  knowest 
there  is  great  comfort  in  sympathy." 

"  Thy  pity  is  next  to  the  love  of  angels — but  why  speak 
of  this  ?  Thou  art  in  the  hut  of  a  hermit  condemned,  of 
his  own  conscience,  to  privation  and  penitence.  Go  to  thy 
happy  home,  and  leave  me  to  the  solemn  duty  which  I 
•have  allotted  to  be  done  this  night." 

As  he  spoke,  the  Anchorite  folded  his  head  in  a  mantle 
of  coarse  cloth,  for  he  was  evidently  clad  to  go  abroad, 
and  he  groaned. 

"Nay,  Odo,  I  quit  thee  not,  in  this  humor  of  thy  mind. 
The  sight  of  me  hath  added  to  thy  grief,  and  it  were  un- 
charitable— more,  it  were  unkind,  to  leave  thee  thus." 

"  What  wouldst  thou,  Ulrike  ?  " 

"  Disburthen  thy  soul ;  this  life  of  seclusion  hath  heaped 
a  load  too  heavy  on  thy  thoughts.  Where  hast  thou  passed 
the  years  of  thy  prime,  Odo — what  hath  brought  thee  to 
this  condition  of  bitterness  ? " 

"  Hast  thou  still  so  much  of  womanly  mercy,  as  to  feel 
an  interest  in  the  fate  of  an  outcast?" 

The  paleness  of  Ulrike's  cheek  was  succeeded  by  a  mild 
glow.  It  was  no  sign  of  tumultuous  feeling,  but  a  gentle 
proof  that  a  heart  like  hers  never  lost  the  affinities  it  had 
once  fondly  and  warmly  cherished. 

"  Can  I  forget  the  past?"  she  answered.  "  Wert  thou  not 
the  friend  of  my  youth — nay,  wert  thou  not  my  betrothed  ?" 

"And  dost  thou  acknowledge  those  long-cherished  ties? 
Oh  Ulrike  !  with  what  maddened  folly  did  I  throw  away  a 
jewel  beyond  price  !  But  listen  and  thou  shalt  know  in 
what  manner  God  hath  avenged  himself  and  thee." 

The  Burgomaster's  wife,  though  secretly  much  agitated, 
sat  patiently  awaiting,  while  the  Hermit  seemed  preparing 
his  mind  for  the  revelation  he  was  about  to  make. 

"  Thou  hast  no  need  to  hear  aught  of  my  youth,"  he 
at  length  commenced.  "  Thou  well  knowest  that,  an  or- 
phan from  childhood,  of  no  mean  estate,  and  of  noble 
birth,  I  entered  on  life  exposed  to  all  the  hazards  that  beset 
the  young  and  thoughtless.  I  had  most  of  the  generous 
impulses  of  one  devoid  of  care,  and  a  heart  that  was  not 
needlessly  shut  against  sympathy  with  the  injured,  and,  I 
think,  I  may  say  one  that  was  not  closed  against  compas- 
sion— 

"Thou  dost  not  justice  to  thyself,  Odo!  Say  that  thy 
hand  was  open,  and  thy  heart  filled  with  gentleness." 


202  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

The  Anchorite,  humbled  as  he  was  by  penitence  and 
self-devotion,  did  not  hear  this  opinion,  uttered  by  lips  so 
gentle  and  so  true,  without  a  change  of  features.  His  eye 
lighted,  and  for  a  moment  it  gazed  towards  his  companion 
with  some  of  its  former  bright,  youthful  expression.  But 
the  change  escaped  Ulrike,  who  was  occupied  with  the 
generous  impulse  that  caused  her,  thus  involuntarily,  to 
vindicate  the  Hermit  to  himself. 

"  It  might  have  been  so,"  the  latter  resumed,  coldly,  after 
a  moment  of  thought  ;  "  but  in  youth,  unless  watched  and 
wisely  directed,  our  best  qualities  may  become  instruments 
of  our  fall.  I  was  of  violent  passions  above  all ;  miserable 
traces  in  that  unerring  index,  the  countenance,  prove  how 
violent  !" 

Ulrike  hao!  no  answer  to  this  remark  ;  for  she  had  felt 
how  easy  it  is  for  the  strong  of  character  to  attach  the 
mild,  and  how  common  it  is  for  the  human  heart  to  set 
value  on  qualities  that  serve  to  throw  its  own  into 
relief. 

"  When  I  knew  thee,  Ulrike,  the  influence  of  thy  gen- 
tleness, the  interest  thou  gavest  me  reason  to  believe  thou 
felt  in  my  happiness,  and  the  reverence  which  the  young 
of  our  sex  so  readily  pay  to  innocence,  and  beauty,  and 
faith,  in  thine,  served  to  tame  the  lion  of  my  reckless  tem- 
per, and  to  bring  me,  for  a  time,  in  subjection  to  thy  gen- 
tleriess." 

His  companion  looked  grateful  for  his  praise,  but  she 
remained  silent. 

"  The  tie  between  the  young  and  guiltless  is  one  of  nat- 
ure's holiest  mysteries  !  I  loved  thee,  Ulrike,  purely,  arid 
in  perfect  faith  !  The  reverence  I  bear,  here  in  my  soli- 
tude and  penance,  to  these  signs  of  sacred  character,  is  not 
deeper,  less  tinctured  with  human  passion,  or  more  fer- 
vent, than  the  respect  I  felt  for  thy  virgin  innocence  !  " 

Ulrike  trembled,  but  it  was  like  the  leaf  quivering  at 
the  passage  of  a  breath  of  air. 

"  For  this  I  gave  thee  credit,  Odo,"  she  whispered,  evi- 
dently afraid  to  trust  her  voice. 

"  Thou  didst  me  justice.  When  thy  parents  consented 
to  our  union,  I  looked  forward  to  the  marriage  with  blessed 
hope  ;  for  young  though  I  was,  I  so  well  understood  myself, 
as  to  foresee  that  some  spirit,  persuasive,  good,  and  yet 
firm  as  thine,  was  necessary  to  tame  me.  Woman  -\vinds 
herself  about  the  heart  of  man  by  her  tenderness,  nay,  by 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  203 

he^  very  dependence,  in  a  manner  to  effect  that  which  his 
pride  would  refuse  to  a  power  more  evident." 

"  And  couldst  thou  feel  all  this  ?" 

"  Ulrike,  I  felt  more,  was  convinced  of  more,  and 
dreaded  more,  than  I  ever  dared  avow.  But  all  feelings  of 
pride  are  now  past.  What  further  shall  I  say?  Thou  know- 
estthe  manner  in  which  bold  spirits  began  to  assail  the  mys- 
teries and  dogmas  of  the  venerable  Church  that  has  so  long 
governed  Christendom,  and  that  some  were  so  hardy  as  to 
anticipate  the  reasonings  and  changes  of  more  prudent 
heads,  by  rash  acts.  'Tis  ever  thus  with  young  and  heated 
reformers  of  abuses.  Seeing  naught  but  the  wrong,  they 
forget  the  means  by  which  it  has  been  produced,  and  over- 
look the  sufficient  causes  which  may  mitigate,  if  they  do 
not  justify  the  evil." 

"  And  this  unhappily  was  thy  temper  ?  " 

"  I  deny  it  not.  Young,  and  without  knowledge  of  the 
various  causes  that  temper  every  theory  when  reduced  to 
practice,  I  looked  eagerly  to  the  end  alone." 

Though  Ulrike  longed  to  extort  some  apology  from  the 
penitent  for  his  own  failings,  she  continued  silent.  After 
minutes  of  thought,  the  discourse  at  length  proceeded. 

"  There  were  some  among  thy  friends,  Odo,  who  be- 
lieved the  outrage  less  than  the  convent  reported  ? " 

"They  trusted  too  much  to  their  wishes,"  said  the  An- 
chorite, in  a  subdued  tone.  "  It  is  most  true,  that,  heated 
with  wine,  and  maddened  with  anger,  I  did  violence  in  pres- 
ence of  my  armed  followers,  to  those  sacred  elements 
which  Catholics  so  reverence.  In  a  moment  of  inebriated 
frenzy,  I  believed  the  hoarse  applause  of  drunken  para- 
sites, and  the  confusion  of  a  priest,  of  more  account  than 
the  just  anger  of  God!  I  impiously  trampled  on  the  Host, 
and  sorely  hath  God  since  trampled  on  my  spirit  !  " 

"Poor  Odo  ! — That  wicked  act  changed  the  course  of 
both  our  lives  !  and  dost  thou  now  adore  that  Being  to 
whom  this  great  indignity  was  offered — Hast  thy  mind  re- 
turned to  the  faith  of  thy  youth  ? " 

"  'Tis  not  necessary,  in  order  to  feel  the  burthen  of  my 
guilt ! "  exclaimed  the  Anchorite,  whose  eye  began  to  lose 
the  human  expression  which  had  been  kindled  by  com- 
munion with  this  gentle  being,  in  gleamings  of  a  remorse 
that  had  been  so  long  fed  by  habits  of  morbid  devotion. 
"  Is  not  the  Lord  of  the  universe  my  God  ?  The  insult 
was  to  Him  ;  whether  there  be  error  in  this  or  that  form 


204  TIIF<    HEIDEXMACER. 

of  devotion,  I  was  in  His  temple,  at  the  foot  of  His  altar,  in 
the  presence  of  His  spirit — There  did  I  mock  His  rule, 
and  defy  His  power ;  and  this  for  a  silly  triumph  over  a 
terrified  monk  !" 

"  Heart-stricken  Odo  !  Where  soughtest  thou  refuge, 
after  the  frantic  act  ?  " 

The  Anchorite  looked  intently  at  his  companion,  as  if  a 
flood  of  distressing  and  touching  images  were  pressing 
painfully  upon  his  memory.  "My  first  thought  was  of 
thee,"  he  said  ;  "  the  rash  blow  of  my  sword  was  no  sooner 
given,  than  it  seemed  suddenly  to  open  an  abyss  between 
us.  I  knew  thy  gentle  piety,  and  could  not,  even  in  that 
moment  of  frenzy,  deceive  myself  as  to  thy  decision.  When 
in  a  place  of  safety,  I  wrote  the  letter  which  thou  answered, 
and  which  answer  was  so  firm  and  admirable  a  mixture  of 
holy  horror  and  womanly  feeling.  When  thou  renounced 
me,  I  became  a  vagrant  on  earth,  and  from  that  hour  to 
the  moment  of  my  return  hither,  have  I  been  a  wanderer. 
Much  influence  and  heavy  fines  saved  my  estates,  which 
the  life  of  a  pilgrim  and  a  soldier  has  greatly  augmented, 
but  never  till  this  summer  have  I  felt  the  courage  neces- 
sary to  revisit  the  scenes  of  my  youth." 

4 'And  whither  strayed  thou,  Odo  ?" 

"  I  have  sought  relief  in  every  device  of  man  : — the 
gayety  and  dissipation  of  capitals — hermitages  (for  this  is 
but  the  fourth  of  which  I  am  the  tenant) — arms — and  rude 
hazards  by  sea.  Of  late  have  I  much  occupied  myself  in 
the  defence  of  Rhodes,  that  unhappy  and  fallen  bulwark  of 
Christendom.  But  wherever  I  have  dwelt,  or  in  whatever 
occupation  I  have  sought  relief,  the  recollection  of  my 
crime,  and  of  its  punishment,  pursues  me.  Ulrike,  I  am  a 
man  of  woe  \ " 

"  Nay,  dear  Odo,  there  is  mercy  for  offenders  more 
heavy  than  thou.  Thou  wilt  return  to  thy  long-deserted 
castle,  and  be  at  peace." 

"  And  thou,  Ulrike  !  hath  my  crime  caused  thee  sorrow  ? 
Thou,  at  least,  art  happy  ?  " 

The  question  caused  the  wife  of  Heinrich  Frey  uneasi- 
ness. Her  sentiments  towards  Odo  von  Ritterstein  had 
partaken  of  passion,  and  were  still  clothed  with  hues  of 
the  imagination  ;  while  her  attachment  to  the  Burgomaster 
ran  in  the  smoother  channel  of  duty  and  habit  : — Still 
time,  a  high  sense  of  her  sex's  obligations,  and  the  com- 
mon bond  of  Meta,  kept  her  feelings  in  the  subdued  state 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  205 

which  most  fitted  her  present  condition.  Had  her  will 
been  consulted,  she  would  not  have  touched  on  this  por- 
tion of  the  subject  at  all  ;  but  since  it  was  introduced,  she 
felt  the  absolute  necessity  of  meeting  it  with  composure. 

"  I  am  happy  in  an  honest  husband  and  an  affection- 
ate child,"  she  said;  "set  thy  heart  at  rest  on  this  ac- 
count— we  were  not  fitted  for  each  other,  Odo  ;  thy  birth, 
alone,  offered  obstacles  we  might  not  properly  have  over- 
come." 

The  Anchorite  bowed  his  head,  appearing  to  respect  her 
reserve.  The  silence  that  succeeded  was  not  free  from  em- 
barrassment. It  \vas  relieved  by  the  tones  of  a  bell  that 
came  from  the  hill  of  Limburg.  The  Anchorite  arose,  and 
all  other  feeling  was  evidently  lost  in  a  sudden  return  of 
that  diseased  repentance  which  had  so  long  haunted  him, 
and  which,  in  truth,  had  more  than  once  gone  nigh  to  un- 
settle his  reason. 

"That  signal,  Ulrike,  is  for  me." 

"And  dost  thou  go  forth  to  Limburg  at  this  hour  ?" 

"An  humble  penitent.  I  have  made  my  peace  with 
the  Benedictines  by  means  of  gold,  and  I  go  to  struggle 
for  my  peace  with  God.  This  is  the  anniversary  of  my 
crime,  and  there  will  be  midnight  masses  for  its  expia- 
tion." 

The  wife  of  Heinrich  Frey  heard  of  his  intention  with- 
out surprise,  though  she  regretted  the  sudden  interruption 
of  their  interview. 

"  Odo,  thy  blessing  ! "  said  Ulrike,  kneeling. 

"  Thou,  ask  this  mockery  of  me  !  "  cried  the  Hermit, 
wildly. — "  Go,  Ulrike  ! — leave  me  with  my  sins." 

The  Anchorite  appeared  irresolute  for  a  moment,  and 
then  he  rushed  madly  from  the  hut,  leaving  the  wife  of 
Heinrich  Frey  still  kneeling  in  its  centre. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"  Mona,  thy  Druid  rites  awake  the  dead  !  " — ROGERS. 

ULRIKE  was  in  the  habit  of  making  frequent  and  earnest 
appeals  to  God,  and  she  now  prayed  fervently,  where  she 
knelt.  Her  attention  was  recalled  to  earth  by  a  violent 
shaking  of  the  shoulder. 


206  THE   IIEIDEXMAUER. 

"  Ulrike,  child  ! — Fran  Frey  !  "  exclaimed  the  assid~ 
nous  Use. — "Art  glued  to  the  ground  by  necromancy? 
Why  art  thou  here,  and  whither  hath  the  holy  man  sped  ? " 

u  Sawest  thou  Odo  von  Ritterstein  ?  " 

"  Whom  !  Art  mad,  Frau  ?  I  saw  none  but  the  blessed 
Anchorite,  who  passed  me  an'  he  were  an  angel  taking 
wing  for  heaven  ;  and  though  I  knelt  and  beseeched  but  a 
look  of  grace,  his  soul  was  too  much  occupied  with  its 
mission  to  note  a  sinner.  Had  I  been  evil  as  some  that 
might  be  named,  this  slight  might  give  some  alarm  ;  but 
being  that  I  am,  I  set  it  down  rather  to  the  account  of 
merit  than  to  that  of  any  need.  Nay,  I  saw  naught  but  the 
Hermit." 

"  Then  didst  thou  see  the  unhappy  Herr  von  Ritter- 
stein !  " 

Use  stood  aghast. 

"  Have  we  harbored  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing,"  she 
cried,  when  the  power  of  speech  returned.  "  Hath  the 
Palatinate  knelt,  and  wept,  and  prayed  at  the  feet  of  a 
sinner,  like  ourselves — nay,  even  worse  than  ourselves, 
after  all !  Hath  what  hath  passed  for  true  coin  been  naught 
but  base  metal — our  unction,  hypocrisy — our  hopes,  wicked 
delusions — our  holy  pride,  vanity  ?  " 

"Thou  sawest  Odo  von  Ritterstein,  Use,"  returned  Ul- 
rike, rising,  **  but  thou  sawest  a  devout  man." 

Then  giving  her  arm  to  the  nurse,  for  of  the  two  the 
attendant  most  required  assistance,  she  took  the  way  from 
the  hut.  While  walking  among  the  fallen  walls  of  the  de- 
serted camp,  Ulrike  endeavored  to  bring  her  companion 
to  consider  the  character  and  former  sins  of  the  Anchorite 
with  more  lenity.  The  task  was  not  easy,  for  Use  had  been 
accustomed  to  think  the  truant  Odo  altogether  abandoned 
of  God,  and  opinions  that  have  been  pertinaciously  main- 
tained for  twenty  years,  are  not  gotten  rid  of  in  a  moment. 
Still  there  is  a  process  by  which  the  human  mind  can  be 
made  to  do  more  than  justice,  when  prejudice  is  finally 
eradicated.  It  is  by  this  species  of  reaction,  that  we  see 
the  same  individuals  now  reprobated  as  monsters,  and  now 
admired  as  heroes  ;  the  common  sentiment  as  rarely  doing 
strict  justice  in  excessive  applause  as  in  excessive  con- 
demnation. 

We  do  not  mean  to  say,  however,  that  the  sentiment  of 
Use  toward  the  Anchorite  underwent  this  violent  revulsion 
from  detestation  to  reverence  ;  for  the  utmost  that  Ulrike 


THE    Ifp: ID KXM.U'RR.  207 

could  obtain  in  his  favor,  was  an  admission  that  he  was  a 
sinner  in  whose  behalf  all  devout  Christians  might  without 
any  manifest  impropriety  occasionally  say  an  ave.  This 
small  concession  of  Use  sufficiently  favored  the  wishes  of 
her  mistress,  which  were  to  follow  the  Hermit  to  the 
Abbey  church,  to  kneel  at  its  altars,  and  to  mingle  her 
prayers  with  those  of  the  penitent,  on  this  the  anniversary 
of  his  crime,  for  pardon  and  peace.  We  pretend  not  to 
show  by  what  cord  of  human  infirmity  the  wife  of  Heinrich 
Frey  was  led  into  the  indulgence  of  a  sympathy  so  delicate, 
with  one  to  whom  her  hand  had  formerly  been  plighted  ; 
for  we  are  not  acting  here  in  the  capacity  of  censors  of  fe- 
male propriety,  but  as  those  who  endeavor  to  expose  the 
workings  of  the  heart,  be  they  for  good  or  be  they  for  evil. 
It  is  sufficient  for  our  object,  that  the  result  of  the  whole 
picture  shall  be  a  lesson  favorable  to  virtue  and  truth. 

So  soon  as  Ulrike  found  she  could  lead  her  companion 
in  the  way  she  wished,  without  incurring  the  risk  of  listen- 
ing to  stale  morals  dealt  out  with  a  profuse  garrulity,  she 
took  the  psrth  directly  towards  the  convent.  As  the  reader 
has  most  probably  perused  our  Introduction,  there  is  no 
necessity  of  saying  more  than  that  Ulrike  and  her  attend- 
ant proceeded  by  the  route  we  ourselves  took  in  going 
from  one  mountain  to  the  other.  But  the  progress  of  Use 
was  far  slower  than  that  described  as  our  own,  in  ascend- 
ing to  the  Heidenmauer  under  the  guidance  of  Christian 
Kinzel.  The  descent  itself  was  long  and  slow,  for  one  of 
her  infirmities  and  years,  and  the  ascent  far  more  tedious 
and  painful.  During  the  latter,  even  Ulrike  was  glad  to 
halt  often,  to  recover  breath,  though  they  went  up  by  the 
horse-path  over  which  they  had  ridden  in  the  morning. 

The  character  of  the  night  had  not  changed.  The  moon 
appeared  to  wade  among  fleecy  clouds  as  before,  and  the 
light  was  misty  but  sufficient  to  render  the  path  distinct. 
At  this  hour,  the  pile  of  the  convent  loomed  against  the 
sky,  with  its  dark  Gothic  walls  and  towers,  resembling  a 
work  of  giants,  in  which  those  who  had  reared  the  structure 
were  reposing  from  their  labors.  Accustomed  as  she  was 
to  worship  at  its  altars,  Ulrike  did  not  now  approach  the 
gate  without  a  sentiment  of  admiration.  She  raised  her 
eyes  to  the  closed  portal,  to  the  long  ranges  of  dark  and 
sweeping  walls,  and  everywhere  she  met  evidences  of  mid- 
night tranquillity.  There  was  a  faint  glow  upon  the  side 
of  the  narrow  giddy  tower,  that  contained  the  bells,  and 


2o8  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

which  flanked  the  gate  ;  and  she  knew  that  it  came  from  a 
Jamp  that  burnt  before  the  image  of  the  Virgin  in  the 
court.  This  gave  no  sign  that  even  the  porter  was  awake. 
She  stepped,  however,  to  the  wicket,  and  rang  the  night- 
bell.  The  grating  of  the  bolts  quickly  announced  the 
presence  of  one  within. 

"  Who  cometh  to  Limburg  at  this  hour  ?  "  demanded  the 
porter,  holding  the  wicket  chained,  as  if  distrusting 
treachery. 

"  A  penitent  to  pray." 

The  tones  of  the  voice  assured  the  keeper  of  the  gate, 
who  had  means  also  of  examining  the  stranger  with  the 
eye,  and  he  so  far  opened  the  wicket  as  to  permit  the  form 
of  Ulrike  to  be  distinctly  seen. 

"  It  is  not  usual  to  admit  thy  sex  within  these  holy  walls, 
after  the  morning  mass  hath  been  said,  and  the  confes- 
sionals are  empty." 

"  There  are  occasions  on  which  the  rule  may  be  broken, 
and  the  solemn  ceremony  of  to-night  is  one." 

"  I  know  not  that. — Our  reverend  Abbot  is  severe  in  the 
observance  of  all  decencies — 

"  Nay,  I  am  one  closely  allied  to  him  in  whose  behalf 
this  service  is  given,"  said  Ulrike,  hastily. — "  Repel  me  not, 
for  the  love  of  God  !  " 

"  Art  thou  of  his  kin  and  blood  ? " 

"Not  of  that  tie,"  she  answered,  in  the  checked  manner 
of  one  who  felt  her  own  precipitation,  "  but  bound  to  his 
hopes  by  the  near  interests  of  affection  and  sympathy." 

She  paused,  for  at  that  instant  the  form  of  the  Anchorite 
filled  the  space  beside  the  porter.  He  had  been  kneeling 
before  the  image  of  a  crucifix  hard  by,  and  had  been  called 
from  his  prayers  by  the  soft  appeal  that  betrayed  Ulrike's 
interest  in  him,  every  tone  of  which  went  to  his  heart. 

"  She  is  mine,"  he  said,  authoritatively  ; — "  she  and  her 
attendant  are  both  mine. — Let  them  enter  ! " 

Ulrike  hesitated — she  scarce  knew  why, — and  Use, 
wearied  with  her  efforts,  and  impatient  to  be  at  rest,  was 
obliged  to  impel  her  forward.  The  Hermit,  as  if  suddenly 
recalled  to  the  duty  on  which  he  had  come  to  the  convent, 
turned  and  glided  away.  The  porter,  who  had  received 
his  instructions  relative  to  him  for  whom  the  mass  was  to 
be  said,  offered  no  further  obstacle,  but  permitted  Use  to 
conduct  her  mistress  within.  No  sooner  were  the  females 
in  the  court,  than  he  closed  and  barred  the  wicket. 


ir.li'ER.  209 

Ulrike  hesitated  no  longer,  though  she  trembled  in  every 
limb.  Dragging  the  loitering  Use  after  her  with  difficulty, 
she  took  the  way  directly  toward  the  door  of  the  chapel. 
With  the  exception  of  the  porter  at  the  wicket,  and  the 
lamp  before  the  Virgin,  all  seemed  as  dim  and  still  within 
as  it  had  been  without  the  Abbey-walls.  Not  even  a  sen- 
tinel of  Duke  Friedrich's  men-at-arms  was  visible  ;  but  this 
occasioned  no  surprise,  as  these  troops  were  known  to  keep 
as  much  aloof  from  the  more  religious  part  of  the  tenants 
of  Limburg,  as  was  possible.  The  spacious  buildings,  in 
the  rear  of  the  Abbot's  dwelling,  might  well  have  lodged 
double  their  number,  and  in  these  it  was  probable  they 
were  now  housed.  As  for  the  monks,  the  lateness  of  the 
hour,  and  the  nature  of  the  approaching  service,  fully  ac- 
counted for  their  absence. 

The  door  of  the  Abbey-church  was  always  open.  This 
usage  is  nearly  common  to  every  Catholic  place  of  worship 
in  towns  of  any  size,  and  it  contains  an  affecting  appeal,  to 
the  passenger,  to  remember  the  Being  in  whose  honor  the 
temple  has  been  raised.  The  custom  is,  in  general,  turned 
to  account  equally  by  the  pious  and  the  inquisitive,  the 
anqateur  of  the  arts,  and  the  worshipper  of  God  ;  and  it  is 
to  be  regretted  that  the  former,  more  especially  when  they 
belong  to  a  different  persuasion  or  sect,  should  not  oftener 
remember,  that  their  taste  becomes  bad,  when  it  is  indulged 
at  the  expense  of  that  reverence  which  should  mark  all  the 
conduct  of  man  in  the  immediate  presence  of  his  Creator. 
On  the  present  occasion,  however,  there  were  none  present 
to  treat  either  the  altar  or  its  worship  with  levity.  When 
Ulrike  and  Use  entered  the  chapel,  the  candles  of  the  great 
altar  were  lighted,  and  the  lamps  of  the  choir  threw  a 
gloomy  illumination  on  its  sombre  architecture.  The  fret- 
ted and  painted  vault  above,  the  carved  oak  of  the  stalls, 
the  images  of  the  altar,  and  the  grave  and  kneeling  war- 
riors in  stone,  that  decorated  the  tombs,  stood  out  promi- 
nent in  the  relief  of  their  own  deep  shadows. 

If  it  be  desirable  to  quicken  devotion  by  physical  aux- 
iliaries, surely  all  that  was  necessary  to  reduce  the  mind 
to  deep  and  contemplative  awe  existed  here.  The  officials 
of  the  altar  swept  past  the  gorgeous  and  consecrated 
structure  in  their  robes  of  duty  ;  grave,  expectant  monks 
were  in  their  stalls,  and  Boniface  himself  sat  on  his  throne, 
mitred  and  clad  in  vestments  of  embroidery.  It  is  possible 
that  an  inquisitive  and  hostile  eye  might  have  detected  in 

«4 


2io  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

some  we,ary  countenance  or  heavy  eyelid  longings  for  the 
pillow,  and  little  sympathy  in  the  offices  ;  but  there  w^re 
others  who  entered  on  their  duties  with  zeal  and  convic- 
tion. Among  the  last  was  Father  Arnolph,  whose  pale 
features  and  thoughtful  eye  were  seen  in  his  stall,  where 
he  sat  regarding  the  preparations  with  the  tranquil  pa- 
tience  of  one  accustomed  to  seek  his  happiness  in  the 
duties  of  his  vow.  To  him  might  be  put  in  contrast  the 
unquiet  organs  and  severe,  rather  than  mortified,  linea- 
ments of  Father  Johan,  who  glanced  hurriedly  from  the 
altar,  and  its  rich  decorations,  to  the  spot  where  the  An- 
chorite knelt,  as  if  to  calculate  to  what  degree  of  humilia- 
tion and  bitterness  it  were  possible  to  reduce  the  bruised 
spirit  of  the~penitent. 

Odo  of  Ritterstein,  for  there  no  longer  remains  a  reason 
for  refusing  to  the  Anchorite  his  proper  appellation,  had 
placed  himself  near  the  railing  at  the  foot  of  the  choir,  on 
his  knees,  where  he  continued  with  his  eyes  fixed  on  the 
golden  vessel  that  contained  the  consecrated  host  he  had 
once  outraged — the  offence  which  he  had  now  come,  as 
much  as  in  him  lay,  to  expiate.  The  light  fell  but  faintly 
on  his  form,  but  it  served  to  render  every  furrow  that  grief 
and  passion  had  drawn  athwart  his  features  more  evident. 
Ulrike  studied  his  countenance,  seen  as  it  was  in  circum- 
stances of  so  little  flattery  ;  and,  trembling,  she  knelt  by 
the  side  of  Use,  on  the  other  side  of  the"  little  gate  that 
served  to  communicate  between  the  body  of  the  church 
and  the  choir.  Just  as  she  had  assumed  this  posture,  Gott- 
lob  stole  from  among  the  pillars,  and  knelt  in  the  distance, 
on  the  flags  of  the  great  aisle.  He  had  come  to  the  mass 
as  a  ceremony  refused  to  none. 

So  strong  was  the  light  around  the  altar,  and  so  obscure 
the  aisles  below,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  Bonifacius  could 
assure  himself  of  the  presence  of  him  in  whose  behalf  this 
office  was  had.  But  when,  by  contracting  his  heavy  front, 
so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  screen  of  his  shaggy  brows,  he  was 
enabled  to  distinguish  the  form  of  Oclo,  he  seemed  satisfied, 
and  motioned  for  the  worship  to  proceed. 

There  is  little  need  to  repeat  the  details  of  a  ceremony 
it  has  been  our  office  already  to  relate  in  these  pages  ;  but 
as  the  music  and  other  services  had  place  in  the  quiet  and 
calm  of  midnight,  they  were  doubly  touching  and  solemn. 
There  was  the  same  power  of  the  single  voice  as  in  the 
morning,  or  rather  on  the  preceding  day,  for  the  turn  of 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  21 1 

the  night  was  now  passed,  and  the  same  startling  effect 
was  produced,  even  on  those  who  were  accustomed  to  its 
thrilling  and  superhuman  melody.  As  the  mass  proceeded, 
the  groans  of  the  Anchorite  became  so  audible,  that,  at 
times,  these  throes  of  sorrow  threatened  to.  interrupt  the 
ceremonies.  The  heart  of  Ulrike  responded  to  each  sigh 
that  escaped  the  bosom  of  Odo,  and,  ere  the  first  prayers 
were  ended,  her  face  was  bathed  in  tears. 

The  examination  of  the  different  countenances  of  the 
brotherhood,  during  this  scene,  would  have  been  a  study 
worthy  of  a  deep  inquirer  into  the  varieties  of  human  char- 
acter, or  of  those  who  love  to  trace  the  various  forms  in 
which  the  same  causes  work  on  different  tempers.  Each 
groan  of  the  Anchorite  lighted  the  glowing  features  of 
Father  Johan  with  a  species  of  holy  delight,  as  if  he  tri- 
umphed in  the  power  of  the  offices  ;  and,  at  each  minute, 
his  head  was  bent  inquiringly  in  the  direction  of  the  railing, 
while  his  ear  listened  eagerly  for  the  smallest  sound  that 
might  favor  his  desires.  On  the  other  hand,  the  working 
of  the  Prior's  features  were  those  of  sorrow  and  sympathy. 
Every  sigh  that  reached  him  awakened  a  feeling  of  pity — 
blended  with  pious  joy,  it  is  true — but  a  pity  that  was  deep, 
distinct,  and  human.  Bonifacius  listened  like  one  in  au- 
thority, coldly,  and  with  little  concern  in  what  passed  be- 
yond that  which  was  attached  to  a  proper  observance  of 
the  ritual ;  and,  from  time  to  time,  he  bent  his  head  on  his 
hand,  while  he  evidently  pondered  on  things  that  had  little 
connection  with  what  was  passing  before  his  eyes.  Others 
of  the  fraternity  manifested  more  or  less  of  devotion,  ac- 
cording to  their  several  characters  ;  and  a  few  found  means 
to  obtain  portions  of  sleep,  as  the  rights  admitted  of  the 
indulgence. 

In  this  manner  did  the  community  of  Limburg  pass  the 
first  hours  of  the  day,  or  rather  of  the  morning,  that  suc- 
ceeded the  Sabbath  of  this  tale.  It  may  have  been,  after- 
wards, source  of  consolation  to  those  among  them  that 
were  most  zealous  in  the  observance  of  their  vows,  that 
they  were  thus  passed  ;  for  events  were  near  that  had  a 
lasting  influence  not  only  on  their  own  destinies,  but  on 
those  of  the  very  region  in  which  they  dwelt. 

The  strains  of  the  last  hymn  were  rising  into  the  vault 
above  the  choir,  when,  amid  the  calm  that  exquisite  voice 
never  failed  to  produce,  there  came  a  low  rushing  sound, 
which  might  have  been  taken  for  the  murmuring  of  wind, 


212  THE   HEIDEKMAVER. 

o.  lor  the  suppressed  hum  of  a  hundred  voices.  When  it 
was  first  heard,  stealing  among  the  ribbed  arches  of  the 
chapel,  the  cow-herd  arose  from  his  knees,  and  disappeared 
in  the  gloomy  depths  of  the  church.  The  monks  turned 
their  heads,  as  by  a  general  impulse,  to  listen,  but  the  com- 
mon action  was  as  quickly  succeeded  by  grave  attention  to 
the  rites.  Bonifacius,  indeed,  seemed  uneasy,  though  it 
was  like  a  man  who  scarce  knew  why.  His  gray  eyes 
roamed  over  the  body  of  darkness  that  reigned  among  the 
distant  columns  of  the  church,  and  then  they  settled,  with 
vacancy,  on  the  gorgeous  vessels  of  the  altar.  The  hymn 
continued,  and  its  soothing  power  appeared  to  quiet  every 
mind,  when  the  sound  of  tumult  at  the  great  gate  of  the 
outer  wall  became  too  audible  and  distinct  to  admit  of 
doubt.  The  whole  brotherhood  arose  as  a  man,  and  the 
voice  of  the  singer  was  mute.  Ulrike  clasped  her  hands  in 
agony,  while  even  Odo  of  Ritterstein  forgot  his  grief,  in  the 
rude  nature  of  the  interruption. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"  Thy  reason,  dear  venom,  give  thy  reason  !  " — Twelfth  Night. 

IT  is  scarcely  necessary  to  explain,  that  the  man  who 
had  accompanied  Ulrike  and  Use  to  the  gate  of  Duerck- 
heim,  was  Heinrich  Frey.  No  sooner  had  his  wife  disap- 
peared, and  his  short  conference  with  the  men  on  watch 
was  ended,  than  the  Burgomaster  hurried  towards  that 
quarter  of  the  town  which  lay  nearest  to  the  entrance  of 
the  Jaegerthal.  Here  he  found  collected  a  band  of  a  hun- 
dred burghers,  chosen  from  among  their  townsmen,  for 
resolution  and  physical  force.  They  were  all  equipped, 
according  to  the  fashion  of  the  times,  with  such  weapons 
of  offence  as  suited  their  several  habits  and  experience. 
We  might  also  add,  that,  as  each  good  man,  on  going  forth 
on  the  present  occasion,  had  seen  fit  to  consult  his  bosom's 
partner,  there  was  more  than  the  usual  display  of  head- 
pieces, arid  breastplates,  and  bucklers. 

When  with  his  followers,  and  assured  of  their  exactitude 
and  numbers,  the  Burgomaster,  who  was  a  man  nowise  de- 
ficient in  courage,  ordered  the  postern  to  be  opened,  and 
issued  first  himself  into  the  field.  The  townsmen  sue- 


7777?   HRIDENMAUER.  2T, 

ceeded  in  their  allotted  rrder,  observingthe  most  profound 
silence.  Instead  of  taking-  the  direct  road  to  the  gorge, 
Heinrich  crossed  the  rivulet,  by  a  private  bridge,  pursuing 
a  footpath  that  led  him  up  the  ascent  of  the  most  advanced 
of  the  mountains,  on  that  side  of  the  valley.  The  reader 
will  understand,  that  this  movement  placed  the  party  on 
the  hill  which  lay  directly  opposite  to  that  of  the  Heiden- 
mauer.  At  the  period  of  the  tale,  cedars  grew  on  the  two 
mountains  alike,  and  the  townsmen,  of  course,  had  the  ad- 
vantage of  being  concealed  from  observation.  A  half-hour 
was  necessary  to  effect  this  lodgment,  with  sufficient 
caution  and  secrecy  ;  but  once  made,  the  whole  band 
seemed  to  consider  itself  beyond  the  danger  of  discovery. 
The  men  then  continued  the  march  with  less  attention  to 
order  and  silence,  and  even  their  leaders  began  to  indulge 
in  discourse.  Their  conversation  was,  however,  guarded, 
like  that  of  those  who  felt  they  were  engaged  in  an  enter- 
prise of  hazard. 

"Tis  said,  neighbor  Dietrich,"  commenced  the  Burgo- 
master, speaking  to  a  sturdy  smith,  who  acted  on  this  oc- 
casion as  lieutenant  to  the  commander-in-chief,  an  honor 
that  was  mainly  due  to  the  power  of  his  arm,  and  who, 
emboldened  by  his  temporary  rank,  had  advanced  nearly 
to  Heinrich's  side,  "  'Tis  said,  neighbor  Dietrich,  that  these 
Benedictines  are  like  bees,  who  never  go  forth  but  in  the 
season  of  plenty,  and  rarely  return  without  rich  contribu- 
tion to  their  hive.  Thou  art  a  reflecting  and  solid  towns- 
man ;  one  that  is  little  moved  by  the  light  opinions  of  the 
idle,  and  a  burgher  that  knoweth  his  own  rights,  which  is 
as  much  as  to  say,  his  own  interests,  and  one  that  well 
understandeth  the  necessity  of  preserving  all  of  our  vener- 
able usages  and  laws,  at  least  in  such  matters  as  touch  the 
permanency  of  the  welfare  of  those  that  may  lay  claim  to 
have  a  welfare.  I  speak  not  now  of  the  varlets  who  be- 
long, as  it  were,  neither  to  heaven  nor  earth,  being  con- 
demned of  both  to  the  misery  of  houseless  and  irresponsible 
knaves  ;  but  of  men  of  substance,  that,  like  thee  and  thy 
craft,  pay  scot  and  lot,  keep  bed  and  board,  and  are  other- 
wise to  be  marked  for  their  usefulness  and  natural  rights  ; 
— and  this  brings  me  to  my  point,  which  is  neither  more 
nor  less  than  to  say,  that  God  hath  created  all  men  equal, 
and  therefore  it  is  our  right,  no  less  than  our  duty,  to  see 
that  Duerckheim  is  not  wronged,  especially  in  that  part  of 
her  interests  that  belong  in  particularity,  to  her  substan- 


214  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

tial  inhabitants.      Do  I  say  that  which  is  reasonable,  or  da 
I  deceive  both  myself  and  thee,  friend  smith  ?" 

Heinrich  had  a  reputation  for  eloquence  and  logic,  es- 
pecially among  his  own  partisans,  and  his  appeal  was  now 
made  to  one  who  was  little  likely  to  refuse  him  any  honor. 
Dietrich  was  one  of  those  animal  philosophers  who  seem 
specially  qualified  by  nature  to  sustain  a  parliamentary 
leader,  possessing  a  good  organ,  with  but  an  indifferent  in- 
tellect to  derange  its  action.  His  mind  had  precisely  the 
description  of  vacuum  which  is  so  necessary  to  produce 
a  good  political  or  moral  echo,  more  particularly  wrhen  the 
proposition  is  false  ;  for  the  smallest  addition  to  his  ca- 
pacity might  have  had  such  an  effect  on  his  replies,  as  a 
sounding-board  is  known  to  possess  in  defeating  the  repe- 
titions of  the  voice. 

"By  St.  Benedict,  Master  Heinrich,"  he  answered,  "  for 
it  is  permitted  to  invoke  the  saint,  though  we  so  little 
honor  his  monks,  it  were  well  for  Duke  Friedrich  had  he 
less  wine  in  his  Heidelberg  tuns,  and  more  of  your  wisdom 
in  his  councils !  What  you  have  just  proclaimed  is  no 
other  than  what  I  have  myself  thought  these  many  years, 
though  never  able  to  hammer  down  an  idea  into  speech  so 
polished  and  cutting  as  this  of  your  worship!  Let  them 
that  deny  what  I  say  take  up  their  weapons,  and  I  will  re- 
pose on  my  sledge  as  on  an  argument  not  to  be  answered. 
We  must,  in  sooth,  see  Duerckheim  righted,  and  more  is 
the  need,  since  there  is  this  equality  between  all  men,  as 
hath  just  been  so  well  said." 

"Nay,  this  matter  of  equality  is  one  much  spoken  of, 
but  as  little  understood.  Look  you,  good  Dietrich  ;  give 
me  thy  ear  for  a  few  minutes,  and  thou  shaltget  an  insight 
into  its  justice.  Here  are  we  of  the  small  towns  born  with 
all  properties  and  wants  of  those  in  your  large  capitals — 
are  we  not  men  to  need  our  privileges— or  are  we  not 
human,  that  air  is  unnecessary  for  breath — I  think  thou 
wilt  not  gainsay  either  of  these  truths." 

"  He  that  would  do  it  is  little  better  than  an  ass ! " 

"This  being  established,  therefore,  naught  remains  but 
to  show  the  conclusion.  We,  having  the  same  rights  as 
the  largest  towns  in  the  empire,  should  be  permitted  to 
enjoy  them  ;  else  is  language  little  better  than  mockery, 
and  a  municipal  privilege  of  no  more  value  than  a  serf's 
oath." 

"  This  is  so  clear  I    marvel    any    should   deny  it !     And 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  215 

what  say  they  of  the  villages,  Master  Burgomaster  ?    Will 
they,  think  you,  sustain  us  in  this  holy  cause  ? " 

"Nay,  I  touch  not  on  the  villages,  good  smith,  since 
they  have  neither  burgomasters  nor  burghers  ;  and  where 
there  is  so  little  to  sustain  a  cause,  of  what  matter  is  re- 
sistance. I  speak  chiefly  of  ourselves,  and  of  towns  hav- 
ing means,  which  is  a  case  so  clear,  that  it  were  manifest 
weakness  to  confound  it  with  any  other.  He  that  hath 
right  of  his  side  were  a  fool  to  enter  into  league  with  any 
of  doubtful  franchises.  All  have  their  natural  and  holy 
advantages,  but  those  are  the  best  which  are  most  clear  by 
their  riches  and  force." 

"  I  pray  you,  worshipful  Heinrich,  grant  me  but  a  single 
favor,  an'  you  love  me  so  much  as  a  hair  ?" 

"  Name  thy  will,  smith." 

"  That  I  may  speak  of  this  among  the  townsmen  ! — such 
wisdom,  and  conclusion  so  evident,  should  not  be  cast  to 
the  winds." 

"  Thou  knowest  I  do  not  discourse  for   vain   applause." 

"  By  my  father's  bones  !  I  will  touch  upon  it  with  dis- 
cretion, most  honorable  Burgomaster,  and  not  as  one  of 
vain  speech — your  honor  knows  the  difference  between  a 
mere  street  babbler  and  one  that  hath  a  shop." 

"  Have  it  as  thou  wilt  ;  but  I  take  not  the  merit  of  orig- 
inality, for  there  are  many  good  and  substantial  citizens, 
and  some  statesmen,  who  think  much  in  this  manner." 

"Well,  it  is  happy  that  God  hath  not  gifted  all  alike, 
else  might  there  have  been  great  and  unreasonable  equal- 
ity, and  some  would  have  arrived  to  honors  they  were  lit- 
tle able  to  bear.  But  having  so  clearly  explained  your 
most  excellent  motives,  worshipful  Heinrich,  wilt  conde- 
scend to  lighten  the  march  by  an  application  of  its  truth 
to  the  enterprise  on  which  we  go  forth  ?  " 

"  That  may  be  done  readily,  for  no  tower  in  the  Palati- 
nate is  more  obvious.  Here  is  Limburg,  and  yon  is  Duerck- 
heim  ;  rival  communities,  as  it  were,  in  interests  and 
hopes,  and  of  necessity  but  little  disposed  to  do  each  other 
favor.  Nature,  which  is  a  great  master  of  all  questions  of 
right  and  wrong,  sayeth  that  Duerckheim  shall  not  harm 
Limburg,  nor  Limburg.  Duerckheim. — Is  this  clear  ?  " 

"  Himmel !  as  the  flame  of  a  furnace,  honorable  Burgo- 
master." 

"  Now,  it  being  thus  settled,  that  there  shall  be  no  inter 
ference  in  each  other's  concerns,  we  yield  to  necessity, 


216  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

and  go  forth  armed  in  order  to  prevent  Limburg  doing 
wrong  to  a  principle  that  all  just  men  admit  to  be  invio- 
lable. You  perceive  the  nicety  ;  we  confess  that  what  we 
do  is  weak  in  argument,  and  the  greater  need  it  should  be 
strong  in  execution.  We  are  no  madcaps  to  unsettle  a 
principle  to  gain  our  ends,  but  then  all  must  have  heed  to 
their  interests,  and  what  we  do  is  with  a  reserve  of  doc- 
trine." 

"This  relieves  my  soul  from  a  mountain!"  exclaimed 
the  smith,  who  had  listened  with  a  sort  of  earnestness  that 
denotes  honesty  of  purpose  ;  "naught  can  be  more  just, 
and  woe  to  him  that  shall  gainsay  it,  \vhile  back  of  mine 
carries  harness  ! " 

In  this  manner  did  Heinrich  and  his  lieutenant  lighten 
the  way  by  subtle  discourse,  and  by  arguments  that  we 
feel  some  consciousness  may  subject  us  to  the  imputation 
of  plagiarisms,  but  for  which  we  can  vouch  as  genuine,  on 
'the  authority  of  Christian  Kinzel,  already  so  often  named. 

The  high  and  disinterested  intellect  that  is  active  in 
regulating  the  interests  of  the  world  has  been  so  often 
alluded  to,  in  other  places  and  on  different  occasions,  thn': 
it  is  quite  useless  to  expatiate  on  it  here.  We  have  already 
said,  that  Heinrich  Frey  was  a  stout  friend  of  the  conserv- 
ative principle,  which,  reduced  to  practice,  means  little 
more  than  that 

"  They  shall  get,  who  have  the  power, 
And  they  shall  keep,  who  can." 

Justice,  like  liberality,  has  great  reservations,  and  perhaps 
there  are  few  countries  in  the  present  advanced  condition 
of  the  human  species,  that  does  not  daily  employ  some 
philosophy  of  the  same  involved  character  as  this  of  Hein- 
rich, supported  by  reasoning  as  lucid,  irresistible,  and  ncr- 
Vous. 

The  direction  in  which  the  band  of  Duerckheimers  pro- 
ceeded, led  them  by  a  tortuous  way,  it  is  true,  but  surely, 
io  the  side  of  the  valley  on  which  the  castle  of  Hartenburg 
stood.  Heinrich,  however,  brought  his  followers  to  a  halt 
long  before  they  had  made  the  circuit  which  would  have 
been  necessary  to  reach  the  hold  of  Count  Emich.  The 
place  he  chose  for  the  collection  and  review  of  the  band, 
was  about  midway  between  Duerckheim  and  the  castle, 
pursuing  a  line  that  conformed  to  the  sinuosities  and  varia- 
tions of  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  It  was  in  an  open  grove, 


THE  HEIDRNMAUF.R. 


217 


where  the  shadows  of  the  trees  effectually  concealed  the 
presence  of  the  unusual  company.  Here  refreshments 
were  taken  by  all,  for  the  good  people  of  the  town  were 
much  addicted  to  practices  of  this  consolatory  nature,  and 
the  occasion  must  have  been  doubly  urgent  that  could  in- 
duce them  to  overlook  the  calls  of  the  appetite. 

"  Seest  thou  aught  of  our  allies,  honest  smith?"  de- 
manded Heinricr*-of  his  lieutenant,  who  had  been  sent  a 
short  distance  along  the  brow  of  the  hill  to  reconnoitre. 
"  It  were  unseemly  in  men  so  trained  as  our  friends,  to  be 
lacking  at  need." 

"  Doubt  them  not,  Master  Heinrich.  I  know  the  knaves 
well  ;  they  merely  tarry  to  lighten  their  packs  by  the 
way,  in  consumptions  like  this  of  our  own.  Dost  see  the 
manner  in  which  the  Benedictines  affect  tranquillity,  wor- 
shipful Burgomaster  ? " 

"  'Tis  their  usual  ghostly  hypocrisy,  brave  Dietrich  ;  but 
we  shall  uncloak  them  !  Good  will  come  of  our  enter- 
prise, for,  of  a  truth,  by  this  spirit  on  our  part,  which  shall 
for  ever  demonstrate  the  necessity  of  not  meddling  in  the 
concerns  of  a  neighbor,  we  settle  all  uncertainties  between 
us.  By  the  Kings  of  Koeln  !  is  it  to  be  tolerated,  that  a 
gownsman  shall  hoodwink  a  townsman  to  the  day  of  judg- 
ment ? — Is  there  not  a  light  in  the  Abbey-chapel  ?  " 

-''The  reverend  fathers  pray  against  their  enemies. 
Dost  think,  worshipful  Burgomaster,  that  the  tale  concern- 
ing the  manner  in  which  those  heavy  stones  were  carried 
upon  Limburg  hill,  has  received  small  additions  by  oft  tell- 
ing ? " 

"  It  may  be  thus,  Dietrich  ;  for  naught,  unless  it  may 
be  damp  snow,  gaineth  more  by  repeated  rolling,  than 
your  story." 

"  And  gold,"  rejoined  the  smith,  chuckling  in  a  manner 
not  to  displease  his  superior,  since  it  palpably  intimated 
the  idea  he  entertained  of  the  Burgomaster's  success  in 
accumulating  money,  an  idea  that  is  always  pleasant  to 
those  who  deem  prosperity  of  this  nature  to  be  the  princi- 
pal end  of  life — "  Gold  well  rolled  increases  marvellously ! 
I  am  of  your  mind,  Master  Heinrich  ;  for  to  speak  truth, 
I  much  question  whether  the  Evil  Spirit  would  have 
troubled  himself  with  so  light  an  affair  as  carrying  the 
smaller  materials  a  foot. — As  to  the  heavy  columns,  and 
the  hewn  key-stones,  with  other  loads  of  weight,  it  was  so 
much  beneath  his  character,  and  may  be  considered  as 


2i8  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

probable.  I  have  never  contradicted  that  part  of  the 
legend,  for  it  hath  likelihood  to  back  it,  but — ha!  here 
cometh  the  succor." 

The  approach  of  a  band  of  men,  who  came  from  the  di- 
rection of  Hartenburg,  always  keeping  along  the  margin  of 
the  hills,  and  within  the  shadows,  absorbed  all  attention. 
This  second  party  was  treble  the  force  of  the  townsmen, 
like  them  it  was  armed,  and,  like  them,  it  showed  every 
sign  of  military  preparation.  When  it  had  halted,  which 
it  did  at  a  little  distance  from  the  band  of  Heinrich,  as  if 
it  were  not  deemed  advisable  to  blend  the  two  bodies  in 
one,  a  warrior  advanced  to  the  spot  where  the  Burgo- 
master had  taken  post.  The  new  comer  was  well  but 
lightly  armed,  wearing  head-piece  and  harness,  and  carry- 
ing his  sword  at  rest. 

"Who  leadeth  the  Duerckheirners  !"  he  demanded,  when 
near  enough  to  trust  his  voice. 

"Their  poor  Burgomaster,  in  person;  would  there  had 
been  a  better  for  the  duty  !  " 

"Welcome,  worshipful  sir,"  said  the  other,  bowing  with 
more  than  usual  respect.  "  In  my  turn,  I  come  at  the 
head  of  Count  Emich's  followers." 

"  How  art  thou  styled,  brave  captain  ?" 

"'Tis  a  name  but  little  worthy  to  be  classed  with  yours, 
Herr  Frey.  But  such  as  it  is,  I  disown  it  not.  I  am 
Berchthold  Hintermayer." 

"  Umph  ! — A  young  leader  for  so  grave  an  enterprise  ! 
—I  had  hoped  for  the  honor  of  thy  lord's  company." 

"  I  am  commanded  to  explain  this  matter  to  your  wor- 
ship." Berchthold  then  walked  aside  with  the  Burgo- 
master, while  Dietrich  proceeded  to  take  a  nearer  view  of 
the  allied  force. 

It  is  well  known  to  most  of  our  readers,  that  every  baron 
of  note,  at  the  time  of  which  \ve  write,  entertained  more 
or  fewer  dependants,  who,  succeeding  to  the  regularly 
banded  vassals  of  the  earlier  ages,  held  a  sort  of  middle 
station  between  the  servitor  and  the  soldier.  There  stands 
a  noble  ruin,  called  Pierrefont,  within  a  day's  ride  of  Paris, 
and  on  the  very  verge  of  a  royal  forest, — a  forest  that  in 
some  of  its  features  approaches  nearer  to  an  American 
wood  than  any  we  have  yet  met  in  the  other  hemisphere 
— which  castle  of  Pierrefont  is  known  to  have  been  the 
hold  of  one  of  these  warlike  nobles,  who  did  many  and 
manifest  wrongs  to  the  lieges  of  the  king,  even  in  an  age 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  219 

considerably  later  than  this  of  our  tale.  In  short,  European 
society,  just  then,  was  in  the  state  of  transition,  beginning 
to  reject  the  trammels  of  feudalism,  and  struggling  to  wear 
its  bonds,  at  least  in  a  new  and  less  troublesome  form.  But 
the  importance  and  political  authority  of  the  Counts  of 
Leiningen  fully  entitled  them  to  preserve  a  train  that 
barons  of  lesser  note  were  beginning  to  abandon,  and  con- 
sequently all  of  their  castles  had  many  of  these  loose  fol- 
lowers, who  have  since  been  entirely  superseded  by 
the  regularly  embodied  and  trained  troops  of  our  own 
time. 

The  smith  found  much  to  approve,  and  something  to 
censure,  in  the  party  that  Berchthold  had  led  to  their  sup- 
port. So  far  as  recklessness  of  character  and  object,  au- 
dacity in  acts,  and  indifference  to  moral  checks,  were  con- 
cerned, a  better  troop  could  not  have  been  desired,  for 
more  than  half  of  them  were  men  who  lived  by  the  ex- 
cesses of  the  community,  occupying  exactly  that  position 
in  the  social  scale  that  fungi  do  in  the  vegetable,  or  that 
sores  and  blotches  fill  in  the  physical  economy  of  the 
species.  But  in  respect  to  thews  and  sinews,  a  primary 
consideration  with  the  smith  in  estimating  the  value  of 
every  man  he  saw,  they  were  much  inferior,  as  a  body,  to 
the  townsmen,  in  whom  orderly  living,  gainful  and  regular 
industry,  had  permitted  the  animal  to  become  developed. 
There  was,  however,  a  band  of  peasants,  drawn  from  among 
the  mountains,  or  inhabitants  of  the  hamlet  beneath  the 
castle  walls,  who,  though  less  menacing  in  air,  and  bold  of 
speech,  were  youths  that  Dietrich  thought  only  required 
the  Duerckheim  training  to  become  heroes. 

When  Heinrich  and  Berchthold  rejoined  their  respective 
followers,  after  the  private  discourse,  all  discontent  was 
banished  from  the  former's  brow,  and  both  immediately 
occupied  themselves  in  making  the  dispositions  necessary 
to  the  success  of  the  common  enterprise.  The  wood,  in 
which  they  had  halted,  lay  directly  opposite  to  the  inner 
extremity  of  the  Abbey  hill,  from  which  it  was  separated 
by  a  broad  and  perfectly  even  meadow.  The  distance, 
though  not  great,  was  sufficient  to  render  it  probable,  that 
the  approach  of  the  invaders  would  be  seen  by  some  of 
the  sentinels,  who,  there  was  little  doubt,  the  men-at-arms, 
lent  by  the  Elector  to  the  monks,  maintained,  were  it  only 
for  their  own  security.  Limburg  was  not  a  fortress,  its 
impunity  being  due  altogether  to  the  moral  power  that  tfe« 


220  THE   HEIDENMAUEK. 

Church,  to  which  it  belonged,  still  wielded,  though  it  were 
so  much  weakened  in  that  part  of  Germany  ;  but  its  walls 
were  high  and  solid,  its  towers  numerous,  its  edifices  mas- 
sive, and  all  was  so  disposed  that  a  body  within,  resolutely 
bent  on  resistance,  might  well  have  set  at  defiance  a  force 
like  that  which  now  came  against  it. 

Of  all  these  truths  Heinrich  was  sensible,  for  he  had 
shown  courage  and  gained  experience  in  the  defence  of 
places,  during  a  life  that  was  now  past  its  meridian,  and 
which  had  been  necessarily  spent  amid  the  tumults  and 
contentions  of  that  troubled  age.  He  looked  about  him, 
therefore,  with  greater  seriousness,  in  order  to  ascertain 
on  whom  he  might  rely,  and  the"  fine  and  collected  deport- 
ment of  Berchthold  Hintermayer  gave  him  that  sort  of 
satisfaction  which  brave  men  feel  by  communion  with 
kindred  spirits  in  the  moment  of  danger.  When  every 
necessary  disposition  was  made,  the  party  advanced, 
moving  deliberately  to  preserve  their  order,  and  conscious 
that  breath  would  be  necessary  in  mounting  the  steep  ac- 
clivity. 

Perhaps  there  is  no  time  in  which  the  ingenuity  of  man 
is  more  active,  than  in  those  moments  when  he  has  a  sen- 
sitive consciousness  of  being  wrong,  and  consequently  a 
feverish  desire  to  vindicate  his  works  or  acts  to  himself,  as 
well  as  to  others.  A  deep  conviction  of  truth,  and  the  cer- 
tainty of  being  right,  fortifies  the  mind  with  a  high  moral 
dignity,  that  even  disinclines  it  to  the  humility  of  vindica- 
tion. 'Thus  he  who  rushes  from  a  dispute  in  which  his 
own  convictions  cause  him  to  distrust  his  own  arguments, 
into  rash  and  general  asseverations,  betrays  the  goadings 
of  conscience  rather  than  spirit,  and  weakens  the  very 
cause  that  it  may  be  his  wish  to  establish.  An  arrogant 
assumption  of  knowledge,  especially  in  matters  that  our 
previous  habits  and  education  rather  disqualify  than  teach 
us  to  comprehend,  can  only  lead  to  contradiction  and  de- 
tection ;and  although  circumstances  may  lend  a  momentary 
and  fallacious  support  to  error,  the  triumph  of  truth  is  as 
certain  as  its  punishments  are  severe.  Happily,  this  is  an 
age,  in  which  no  sophistry  can  long  escape  unscathed,  nor 
any  injury  to  natural  justice  go  long  unrequited.  No 
matter  where  the  wrong  to  truth  has  been  committed — oh 
the  throne,  or  in  the  cabinet,  in  the  senate,  or  by  means  of 
the  press — society  is  certain  to  avenge  itself  for  the  decep- 
tions of  which  it  has  been  the  dupe,  and  its  final  judg' 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  221 

ments  are  recorded  on  that  opinion  which  lasts  long  after 
the  specious  triumphs  of  the  plausible  are  forgotten.  It 
were  well  that  they  who  abuse  their  situations,  by  a  reck- 
less disregard  of  consequences,  in  order  to  obtain  a  mo- 
mentary object,  oftener  remembered  this  fact,  for  they 
would  spare  themselves  the  mortification,  and  in  some 
cases  the  infamy,  that  is  so  sure  to  rest  on  him  who  disre- 
gards right  to  attain  an  end. 

Heinrich  Frey  greatly  distrusted  the  lawfulness  of  the 
enterprise  in  which  he  was  engaged  ;  for,  unlike  his  com- 
panions, he  had  the  responsibility  of  advising,  as  well  as 
that  of  execution,  on  his  head.  He  had,  therefore,  a  rest- 
less wish  to  find  reasons  of  justification  for  what  he  did  ; 
and  as  he  marched  slowly  across  the  meadows,  with  Bercht- 
hold  and  the  smith  at  his  side,  his  tongue  gave  utterance  to 
his  thoughts. 

"  There  cannot  be  any  manner  of  doubt  of  the  necessity 
and  justice  of  what  we  do  to  Limburg,  Master  Hinter- 
mayer,"  he  said  ;  for  men  usually  affirm  in  all  dubiouscases 
with  a  confidence  precisely  in  an  inverse  ratio  to  the  dis- 
trust they  feel  of  the  rectitude  of  their  cause  : — "else  why 
are  we  here  ?  Is  Limburg  forever  to  trouble  the  valley 
and  the  plain,  with  its  accursed  exactions  and  avarice,  or 
are  we  slaves  for  shaven  monks  to  trample  on  ?  " 

"  There  are  sufficient  reasons,  of  a  truth,  for  what  we  do, 
Herr  Burgomaster,"  answered  Berchthold,  whose  mind 
had  taken  a  strong  bias  to  the  new  change  in  religious 
opinions,  that  were  then  fast  gaining  ground.  "When  we 
have  so  good  motives,  let  us  look  no  farther." 

"  Nay,  young  man,  I  am  certain  that  the  honest  smith 
here  will  say,  no  nail  that  he  drives  into  a  hoof  can  be  too 
well  clenched." 

"  That  fact  is  out  of  all  question,  Master  Berchthold," 
answered  Dietrich,  "  and  therefore  must  his  worship  be 
right  in  the  whole  argument." 

"  Let  it  be  so  ;  I  shall  never  gainsay  the  necessity  of 
breaking  up  a  nest  of  drones." 

"I  call  them  not  drones,  young  Berchthold,  nor  do  I 
come  to  break  them  up  ;  but  simply  to  show  the  world, 
that  he  who  would  deal  with  the  affairs  of  Duerckheim, 
hath  need  of  a  lesson  to  teach  him  not  to  enter  his  neigh- 
bor's grounds." 

"  This  is  wholesome,  and  will  bring  great  credit  on  out 
town!"  responded  the  smith.  "The  more  the  pity  that 


222  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

we  do  not  press  the  same  matter  home  upon  the  Elector  too, 
who  hath  of  late  raised  new  pretensions  to  our  earnings." 

"  With  the  Elector  the  affair  may  not  be  discussed,  for 
his  interference  is  of  too  strong  a  quality  to  call  upon  our 
manhood  in  maintaining  the  right  of  non-interference. 
These  subtle  questions  of  law  are  not  to  be  learned  over  a 
furnace,  but  need  nice  capacities  to  render  them  clear  ; 
but  clear  they  are, — to  all  who  have  the  power  to  under- 
stand them.  It  is  more  than  probable,  that  to  thee,  Diet- 
rich, they  are  not  so  manifest  ;  but  wert  thou  one  of  the 
town  council,  thou  shouldst  look  into  the  question  with 
different  eyes." 

"  That  I  doubt  not,  honorable  Heinrich,  that  I  doubt 
not.  Could  but  such  an  honor  light  on  one  of  my  name 
and  breeding — Himmel  !  the  worshipful  council  should 
find  a  man  ready  to  believe  any  nicety  of  this  sort,  or  in- 
deed of  any  other  sort  !  " 

'*  Ha  !  There  is  a  light  at  yonder  loop  ! "  exclaimed 
Berchthold.  "  This  bodes  well." 

"  Hast  a  friend  in  the  Abbey  ?  " 

"  Go  to,  Herr  Burgomaster — This  touches  on  excommu- 
nication ; — but  I  much  like  yon  light  at  the  loop  !" 

"Let  there  be  silence,"  whispered  Heinrich  to  those  in 
his  rear,  who  passed  the  order  to  their  fellows.  "  We 
draw  near." 

The  party  was  now  at  the  foot  of  the  hill.  Not  a  sign 
of  their  approach  being  known  had  yet  met  them  ;  unless 
a  single  taper  placed  at  a  dungeon-loop  could  thus  be  in- 
terpreted. On  the  contrary,  the  stillness  already  described 
in  the  approach  of  Ulrike,  reigned  over  the  whole  of  the 
vast  pile.  But,  neither  Heinrich  nor  his  companion  liked 
this  fearful  quiet,  for  it  boded  a  defence  the  more  serious 
when  it  did  come.  They  would  have  greatly  preferred  an 
open  resistance,  and  nothing  would  have  more  relieved  the 
minds  of  the  two  leaders,  than  to  have  been  able  to  com- 
mand a  rush,  under  a  hot  discharge  from  the  arquebusiers 
of  Duke  Friedrich.  But  this  relief  was  refused  them,  and 
the  whole  band  reached  a  point  of  the  hill,  under  a  flank- 
ing tower,  where  it  became  necessary  to  abandon  all  idea 
of  cover,  and  to  make  a  swift  movement,  to  gain  the  road. 
It  was  the  rush  of  this  evolution  which  first  disturbed  the 
monks  in  the  chapel.  The  second  interruption  proceeded 
from  the  ruder  sounds  of  the  assault,  that  immediately  after1 
\vas  made  upon  the  outer  gate,  itself. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  123 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

"I'll  never 

Be  such  a  ghostling  to  obey  instinct,  but  stand 
As  if  a  man  were  author  of  himself, 
And  knew  no  other  line." — Coriolanus. 

THE  assailants,  as  has  been  seen,  were  led  by  the  Burgo 
master,  and  his  two  lieutenants,  Berchthold  and  the  smith. 
Close  at  the  heels  of  the  latter  followed  three  of  his  own 
journeymen,  each,  like  his  master,  armed  with  a  massive 
sledge.  No  sooner  did  the  party  reach  the  gate,  than 
these  artisans  commenced  the  duty  of  pioneers,  with  great 
readiness  and  skill.  At  the  third  blow,  from  Dietrich's 
brawny  arm,  the  gate  flew  open,  and  those  in  front  rushed 
into  the  court. 

"  Who  art  thou  ? "  cried  Berchthold,  seizing  a  man  who 
knelt  with  a  knee  on  another's  breast,  immediately  across 
his  passage  ;  "  speak,  for  this  is  not  a  moment  of  trifling  !  " 

"  Master  Forester,  be  less  hot,  and  remember  thy  friends. 
Dost  not  see  it  is  Gottlob,  that  holdeth  the  convent  porter, 
lest  the  knave  should  use  the  additional  bars  ?  There  are 
strangers  within,  and,  to  consult  his  ease,  the  faithless  var- 
let  hath  not  done  his  fastenings  properly,  else  mightest 
thou  have  pounded  till  Duke  Friedrich's  men  were  upon 
thee." 

"  Bravely  done,  foster-brother  !  Thy  signal  was  seen  and 
counted  on  ;  but,  since  thou  knowest  the  ways  so  well,  lead 
on,  at  once,  against  the  men-at-arms." 

"  Himmel  !  The  rogues  have  bristly  beards,  well  griz- 
zled with  war,  and  may  not  like  to  have  their  sleep  thus 
suddenly  broken  ;  but  service  must  be  done — Choose  the 
most  godly  of  thy  followers,  worshipful  Burgomaster,  to  go 
against  the  monks,  who  are  fortified  in  their  choir,  and  well 
armed  with  prayer  ;  while  I  will  lead  the  more  carnal  to 
another  sort  of  work  against  the  Elector's  people." 

While  this  short  dialogue  had  place,  the  whole  of  the  as- 
sailants poured  through  the  gate,  their  officers  endeavoring 
to  maintain  something  like  order  among  the  ill-trained 
band.  All  felt  the  imperious  necessity  of  first  disposing  of 
the  troops  ;  for  as  respects  the  monks  themselves,  there 
was  certainly  no  cause  of  immediate  apprehension.  A  few 


224  THE   IIEinEKMAUER. 

were  left,  therefore,  to  guard  the  gate,  while  Heinrich, 
guided  by  the  cow-herd,  led  his  followers  toward  the  build- 
ings where  the  men-at-arms  were  known  to  lodge. 

If  we  were  to  say  that  the  party  advanced  to  this  attack 
without  concern,  we  should  overrate  their  valor,  and  do  the 
reputation  of  the  Elector's  men  injustice.  There  was  sacri- 
lege in  the  invasion  of  the  convent,  according  to  the  pre- 
dominant opinions  of  the  age  ;  for  though  Protestantism 
had  made  great  progress,  even  reformers  had  grievous 
doubts  in  severing  the  bonds  of  habit  and  long-established 
prejudices.  To  this  lurking  sentiment  was  added  the  un- 
accountable silence  that  still  reigned  among  the  men-at- 
arms,  who,  as  Gottlob  had  said,  were  known  to  be  excel- 
lent soldiers  at  need.  They  lay  in  the  rear  of  the  Abbot's 
dwelling,  and  were  sufficiently  intrenched  behind  walls, 
and  among  the  gardens,  to  make  a  fierce  resistance. 

But  all  these  considerations  rather  flashed  upon  the 
minds  of  the  leaders,  than  they  were  maturely  weighed. 
In  the  moment  of  assault  there  is  little  leisure  for  thought, 
especially  when  the  affair  gets  to  be  as  far  advanced  as  this 
we  are  now  describing.  The  men  rushed  toward  the  point 
of  attack,  accordingly,  beset  by  misgivings  rather  than  en- 
tertaining any  very  clear  ideas  of  the  dangers  they  ran. 

Gottlob  had  evidently  .made  the  best  of  the  time  he  had 
been  at  liberty  in  the  Abbey,  to  render  himself  master  of 
the  intricate  windings  of  the  different  passages.  He  was 
soon  at  the  door  of  the  Abbot's  abode,  which  was  dashed 
into  splinters  by  a  single  blow  of  Dietrich's  sledge,  when 
there  poured  a  stream  of  reckless,  and  we  may  add  lawless, 
soldiery  through  the  empty  apartments.  In  another  mo- 
ment, the  whole  of  the  assailants  were  in  the  grounds,  in 
the  rear  of  this  portion  of  the  dwellings. 

As  there  is  nothing  that  more  powerfully  rebukes  vio- 
lence than  a  calm  firmness,  so  is  there  nothing  so  appalling 
to  or  so  likely  to  repulse  an  assault,  as  a  coolness  that 
seems  to  set  the  onset  at  defiance.  In  such  moments,  the 
imagination  is  apt  to  become  more  formidable  than  the 
missiles  of  an  enemy  ;  conjuring  dangers  in  the  place  of  those 
which,  in  the  ordinary  course  of  warfare,  might  be  lightly 
estimated,  were  they  seen.  Every  one  knows  that  the 
moment  which  precedes  the  shock  of  battle  is  by  far  the 
most  trying  to  the  constancy  of  man,  and  a  reservation  of 
the  means  of  resistance  is  prolonging  that  moment,  and  of 
course  increasing  its  influence. 


THE  &EIDBN&AUE&  £25 

Every  man  among  the  hostile  band,  even  to  the  leaders, 
felt  the  influence  of  this  mysterious  quiet  among  the  troops 
of  the  Elector.  So  imposing  in  fact  did  it  become,  that 
they  halted  in  a  group,  a  position  of  all  others  most  likely 
to  expose  them  to  defeat, — and  there  was  a  low  rumor  of 
mines  and  ambuscades. 

Berchthold  perceived  that  the  moment  was  critical,  and 
that  there  was  imminent  danger  of  defeat. 

"  Follow  !  "  he  cried,  waving  his  sword,  and  springing 
toward  the  silent  buildings  in  which  it  was  known  the 
men-at-arms  were  quartered.  He  was  valiantly  seconded 
by  the  Burgomaster  and  the  smith,  when  the  whole  party 
resumed  its  courage,  and  advanced  tumultuously  against 
the  doors  and  windows.  The  sounds  of  the  sledges  and 
the  yielding  of  bars  and  bolts  came  next ;  after  which 
the  rush  penetrated  to  the  interior.  The  cries  of  the  as- 
sailants rang  among  empty  vaults.  There  was  the  straw, 
the  remnants  of  food,  the  odor  of  past  debauches,  and  all 
the  usual  disgusting  signs  of  ill-regulated  barracks  ;  for 
in  that  day,  neatness  and  method  did  not  descend  far  be- 
low the  condition  of  the  affluent  ;  but  no  cry  answered  cry, 
no  sword  or  arquebuse  was  raised  to  meet  the  blow  of  the 
invader.  Stupor  was  the  first  feeling,  on  gaining  the 
knowledge  of  this  important  fact.  Then  Heinrich  and 
Berchthold  both  issued  orders  to  bring  the  captured 
porter,  who  was  in  the  centre  of  the  assailants,  before 
them. 

"  Explain  this,"  said  the  Burgomaster,  authoritatively  ; 
"  what  hath  become  of  Duke  Friedrich's  followers  ?  " 

"  They  departed  at  the  turn  of  the  night,  worshipful 
Herr,  leaving  Limburg  to  the  care  of  its  patron  saint." 

"  Gone  !  whither,  and  in  what  manner  ? — If  thou  deceiv- 
est  me,  knave,  thy  saint  Benedict  himself  shall  not  save 
thee  from  a  flaying  !  " 

"  I  pray  you  be  not  angered,  great  magistrate,  for  I  say 
nothing  but  truth.  There  came  an  order  from  the  Elector, 
as  the  sun  set,  recalling  his  meanest  warrior;  for,  it  is  said, 
he  is  sore  pressed,  and  hath  great  need  of  succor." 

The  silence  which  followed  this  explanation  was  suc- 
ceeded by  a  shout,  and  individuals  began  to  steal  eagerly 
away  from  the  main  body,  bent  on  their  own  designs  of 
pillage. 

"  What  road  took  the  Duke's  men  ?  " 

"  Worshipful   Heinrich,  they  went  down  by  the  horse- 

15 


226  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

path,  in  great  secrecy  and  order,  and  passed  up  the  oppo 
site  mountain,  in  order  to  escape  troubling  the  townsmen 
to  open  the  gates  at  that  late  hour.  It  was  their  intention 
t  to  cross  the  cedars  of  the  Heidenmauer,  and,  descending 
on  the  other  side  of  the  camp,  to  gain  the  plain  in  the  rear 
of  Duerckheim." 

There  no  longer  remained  a  doubt  that  the  conquest 
was  achieved,  and  the  entire  party  broke  off  in  bands  ; 
some  to  execute  their  private  orders,  and  others,  like  those 
who  had  already  proved  delinquent,  to  look  after  their  own 
particular  interests. 

Until  this  moment  not  a  solitary  straggler  had  gone  near 
the  chapel.  As  it  was  not  the  wish  of  those  who  had 
planned  the  assault  to  do  personal  injury  to  any  of  the  fra- 
ternity, the  orders  had  been  so  worded  as  to  leave  this  por- 
tion of  the  Abbey  for  a  time  unvisited,  in  the  expectation 
that  the  monks  would  profit  by  the  omission,  to  escape  by 
some  of  the  many  private  posterns  that  communicated  with 
the  cloisters.  But,  as  there  no  longer  was  an  armed  en- 
emy to  subdue,  it  now  became  necessary  to  think  of  the 
fraternity.  The  process  of  sacking  their  dormitories  was 
already  far  advanced,  and  the  bursts  of  exultation  that  be- 
gan to  issue  from  the  buildings,  announced  that  the  rich 
and  commodious  dwelling  of  the  Abbot  himself  was  un- 
dergoing a  similar  summary  process. 

"  Himmel !  "  muttered  Gottlob,  who  from  the  moment  of 
his  liberation  had  not  quitted  the  side  of  his  foster-brother  ; 
"  our  castle  rogues  are  taking  deep  looks  into  the  books 
of  the  most  reverend  Bonifacius,  Master  Berchthold  !  It 
were  good  to  tell  them  which  are  Latin,  at  least,  lest 
they  burthen  their  shoulders  with  learning  they  can  never 
use." 

"Let  the  knaves  plunder,"  replied  Heinrich,  gruffly; 
"  as  much  evil  as  good  hath  come  from  that  store  of 
letters,  and  it  will  be  all  the  better  for  Duerckheim,  were 
the  damnable  ammunition  of  the  Benedictines  a  little  less 
plenty.  There  are  those  on  the  plains  who  doubt  that 
necromancy  is  bound  up  in  some  of  the  volumes  that  bear 
a  saint's  name  on  their  backs." 

Perhaps  Berchthold  might  have  remonstrated,  had  not 
his  instinct  told  him,  that  remonstrance  on  such  a  subject, 
in  that  moment  of  riot  and  confusion,  would  have  been 
worse  than  useless.  The  consequence  was,  that  valuable 
works  and  numerous  manuscripts,  which  had  been  col- 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  227 

lected  during  centuries  of  learned  ease,  were  abandoned  to 
the  humor  of  men  incapable  of  estimating  their  value,  or 
even  of  understanding  their  objects. 

"Let  us  to  the  monks,"  said  Heinrich,  sheathing  his 
heavy  blade,  for  the  first  time  since  they  had  quitted  the 
wood.  "  Friend  smith,  thou  wilt  look  to  the  duties  here, 
and  see  that  what  is  done  is  done  thoroughly.  Remem- 
ber that  thy  metal  is  well  heated,  and  on  the  anvil,  waiting 
thy  pleasure  ;  it  must  be  beaten  flat,  lest  at  another  day 
it  be  remoulded  into  a  weapon  to  do  us  harm.  Go  to, 
Dietrich  ;  thou  knowest  what  we  of  the  town  would  have, 
and  what  we  expect  of  thy  skill." 

Taking  Berchthold  by  the  arm,  the  Burgomaster  led  the 
way  toward  that  far-famed  pile,  the  Abbey-church.  They 
were  followed  by  a  body  of  some  twenty  chosen  artisans, 
who,  throughout  the  whole  of  that  eventful  night,  kept 
close  to  the  two  leaders,  like  men  who  had  been  selected 
for  this  particular  duty. 

The  same  ominous  silence  reigned  around  the  chapel  as 
had  rendered  the  approach  to  the  quarters  of  the  men-at- 
arms  imposing.  But  here  the  invaders  went  against  a  dif- 
ferent enemy.  With  most  then  living,  the  mysterious 
power  of  the  Church  still  possessed  a  deep  and  fearful  in- 
terest. Dissenters  had  spoken  boldly,  and  the  current  of 
public  opinion  had  begun  to  set  strongly  against  the 
Romish  Church,  in  all  that  region,  it  is  true ;  but  it  is  not 
easy  to  eradicate  by  the  mere  efforts  of  reason,  the  deep 
roots  that  are  thrown  out  by  habit  and  sentiment.  At  this 
very  hour,  we  see  nearlv  the  entire  civilized  world  com- 
mitting gross  and  evident  wrongs,  and  justifying  its  acts, 
if  we  look  closely  into  its  philosophy,  on  a  plea  Mttle  better 
than  that  of  a  sickly  taste  formed  by  practices  which  in 
themselves  cannot  be  plausibly  vindicated.  The  very 
vicious  effects  of  every  system  are  quoted  as  arguments  in 
favor  of  its  continuance  ;  for  change  is  thought  to  be,  and 
sometimes  is,  a  greater  evil  than  the  existing  wrong  ;  and 
men,  in  millions,  are  doomed  to  continue  degraded,  igno- 
rant, and  brutal,  simply  because  vicious  opinions  refuse 
all  sympathy  with  those  whose  hopeless  lot  it  has  been  to 
have  fallen,  by  the  adventitious  chances  of  life,  beneath  the 
ban  of  society.  In  this  manner  does  error  beget  error,  until 
even  philosophy  and  justice  are  satisfied  with  making 
abortive  attempts  to  palliate  a  disease  that  a  bolder  and 
better  practice  might  radically  cure.  It  will  not  occasion 


228  THE   HKIDE  \MAUER. 

surprise,  therefore,  when  we  say,  that  both  Heinrich  and 
Berchthold  h«.d  heavy  misgivings  concerning  the  merit  of 
their  enterprise,  as  they  drew  near  the  church.  Perhaps 
no  man  ever  much  preceded  his  age,  without  at  moments 
distrusting  Lis  own  principles ;  and  it  is  certain,  thai 
Luther  himself  was  often  obliged  to  wrestle  with  harassing 
doubts.  Berchthold  was  less  troubled,  however,  than  his 
companion,  for  he  acted  under  the  orders  of  a  superior, 
and  was  both  younger  and  better  taught  than  the  Burgo- 
master. The  first  of  these  facts  was  sufficient  of  itself, 
under  his  habits,  to  remove  a  load  of  responsibility  from 
his  shoulders,  while  the  latter  not  only  weakened  the  in- 
fluence of  previous  opinions,  but  caused  those  which  he 
adopted  to  be  well  fortified.  In  short,  there  existed  be- 
tween Heinrich  and  Berchthold  that  sort  of  difference 
\vhich  all  must  have  remarked,  in  the  advancing  age  in 
which  we  live,  between  him  who  has  inherited  his  ideas 
from  generations  that  have  passed,  and  him  who  obtains 
them  from  his  contemporaries.  The  young  Forester  had 
grown  into  manhood  since  the  voice  of  the  Reformer  was 
first  heard  in  Germany,  and  as  it  happened  to  be  his  lot 
to  dwell  among  those  who  listened  to  the  new  opinions,  he 
had  imbibed  most  of  their  motives  of  dissent,  without 
ever  having  been  much  subject  to  the  counteracting  in- 
fluence of  an  opposite  persuasion.  It  is  in  this  gradual 
manner,  that  nearly  all  salutary  moral  changes  are  ef- 
fected, since  they  who  first  entertain  them,  are  rarely  able 
to  do  more,  in  their  generation,  than -to  check  the  prog- 
ress of  habit  ;  while  the  duty  of  causing  the  current  to 
How  backward,  and  to  take  a  new  direction,  devolves  on 
their  successors. 

In  believing  that  Wilhelm  of  Venloo  would  be  foremost 
in  deserting  his  post,  in  this  moment  of  outrage  and  tumult, 
the  authors  of  the  assault  did  him  injustice.  Though  little 
likely  to  incur  the  hazards,  or  to  covet  the  honors  of  mar- 
tyrdom, the  masculine  mind  of  the  Abbot  elevated  him 
altogether  above  the  influence  of  any  very  abject  passion  ; 
and  if  he  had  not  self-command  to  curtail  the  appetites,  he 
had  a  dignity  of  intellect  which  rarely  deserts  the  mentally- 
gifted  in  situations  of  difficulty.  When  Heinrich  and 
Berchthold,  therefore,  entered  the  church,  they  found  the 
entire  community  in  the  choir  remaining,  like  Roman 
senators,  to  receive  the  blow  in  their  collective  and  official 
character.  There  might  have  been  artifice,  as  well  as  mag- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  229 

nanimity,  in  the  resolution  which  had  decided  Bonifacius 
to  adopt  this  course  ;  for,  coming  as  they  did  from  the 
scene  of  brutal  violence  without,  those  who  entered  the 
church  were  much  impressed  by  the  quiet  solemnity  which 
met  them. 

The  candles  still  burned  before  the  altar,  the  lamps  threw 
their  flickering  light  on  the  quaint  architecture  and  the 
gorgeous  ornaments  of  the  chapel,  while  every  pale  face 
and  shaven  head  beneath,  looked  like  some  consecrated 
watchman,  placed  near  the  shrine  to  protect  it  from  pollu- 
tion. Each  monk  was  in  his  stall,  with  the  exception  of 
the  Prior  and  Father  Johan,  who  had  stationed  themselves 
on  the  steps  of  the  altar  ;  the  first  as  the  officiating  priest 
of  the  late  mass,  and  the  latter  under  an  impulse  of  his 
governing  and  natural  exaggeration,  which  moved  him  to 
throw  his  person  as  a  shield  before  the  vessel  that  con- 
tained the  Host.  The  Abbot  was  on  his  throne,  motionless, 
indisposed  to  yield,  and  haughty,  though  with  features 
that  betrayed  great  and  condensed  passion. 

The  Burgomaster  and  Berchthold  advanced  into  the 
choir  alone,  for  their  followers  remained  in  the  body  of  the 
rhurch,  in  obedience  to  a  sign  from  the  former.  Both 
were  uncovered,  and  while  they  walked  slowly  up  the 
choir,  scarce  a  head  moved.  Every  eye  seemed  riveted,  by 
a  common  spell,  on  the  crucifix  of  precious  stones  and  ivory 
that  stood  upon  the  altar.  The  blood  of  Heinrich  crept 
under  the  influence  of  this  solemn  calm,  and  by  the  time 
he  had  reached  the  steps,  where  he  stood  confronted 
equally  to  the  Abbot  and  the  Prior,  for  the  former  of  whom 
he  had  quite  as  mifch  fear  as  hatred,  and  for  the  latter  an 
unfeigned  love  and  reverence,  the  resolution  of  the  honest 
Burgomaster  was  sensibly  weakened. 

"Who  art  thou  ?"  demanded  Bonifacius,  admirably  tim- 
ing his  question,  by  the  indecision  and  the  quailing  eye  of 
him  he  addressed. 

"  By  St.  Benedict !  my  face  is  no  such  stranger  in  Lim- 
burg  that  you  put  this  question,  most  holy  Abbot,"  an- 
swered Heinrich,  making  an  effort  to  imitate  the  other's 
composure,  that  was  very  sensible  to  himself,  but  better 
concealed  from  others  ;  "  though  not  shaven  and  blessed, 
like  a  monk,  I  am  one  well  known  to  most  that  dwell  in  or 
near  Duerckheim  ! " 

"I  had  better  said,  '  What  art  thou?'  Thy  name  and 
office  are  known  to  me,  Heinrich  Frey  ;  but  in  what  char- 


S30 


THE   HEIDENMA  UEK. 


acter  dost  thou  now  presume  to  enter  Limburg  church, 
and  to  show  this  want  of  reverence  to  our  altars?" 

"To  speak  thee  fairly,  reverend  Bonifacius,  'tis  in  the 
character  of  the  head-man  of  Duerckheim,  a  much-injured 
and  long-abused  town,  that  is  tired  of  monkish  exactions 
and  monkish  pride,  and  which  hath  at  length  assumed  the 
office  of  doing  itself  justice,  that  I  appear.  We  are  here 
to-night,  not  as  peaceful  citizens  bent  on  prayers  and 
hymn-singing,  but  armed,  as  thou  seest,  and  bold  in  the 
intention  to  do  away  a  nuisance  from  the  neighborhood 
forever." 

"Thy  words  are  as  little  friendly  as  thy  guise,  and  what 
thou  sayest  here  but  too  well  answers  to  that  which  thy 
rude  followers  perform  beyond  the  walls  of  this  conse- 
crated spot.  Hast  thou  well  pondered  on  this  bold  step  of 
thy  town,  Herr  Heinrich  ? " 

"  If  often  pondering  be  well  pondering,  it  hath  been  be- 
fore us,  Bonifacius,  at  different  meetings,  and  in  various 
discussions,  any  time  this  year  past." 

"  And  hast  thou  no  dread  of  Rome  ?  " 

"That  is  an  authority  which  lessens  daily  in  this  region, 
holy  Benedictine.  Not  to  deal  doubly  by  thee,  of  the  two 
we  have  most  distrusted  the  anger  of  Duke  Friedrich  ;  but 
that  fear  is  diminished  by  the  certainty  that  he  hath  so 
much  on  his  hands  just  now  that  his  thoughts  cannot  easi- 
ly turn  to  other  affairs.  We  did  not  know,  in  sooth,  that 
he  had  recalled  his  men-at-arms,  but  had  counted  on  some 
angry  discussion  with  those  obstinate  warriors  ;  and  thou 
wilt  easily  comprehend  that  their  absence  hath,  in  no  man- 
ner, lessened  our  faith  in  our  own  cause." 

"  The  Elector  may  regain  his  power,  when  a  day  of 
reckoning  will  come  for  those  who  have  dared  to  profit  by 
his  present  distress." 

"  We  are  traders  and  artisans,  good  Bonifacius,  and 
have  made  our  estimates  with  some  nicety.  If  the  Abbey 
must  be  paid  for — an  event  by  no  means  certain — we  shall 
count  the  bargain  profitable  so  long  as  it  cannot  be  re- 
built. Brother  Luther,  we  think,  is  laying  a  corner-stone 
that  will  prevent  the  devil  from  ever  attempting  to  set  up 
that  which  we  now  propose  to  throw  down." 

"  This  is  thy  final  answer,  Burgomaster?" 

"Nay,  I  say  not  that,  Abbot.  Send  in  thy  terms  to  the 
town-council  to-morrow,  and,  if  we  can  entertain  them,  it 
may  happen  that  a  present  accommodation  shall  stop  all 


THE   ITRinRXMAURR.  231 

further  claims.  But  what  has  here  been  so  happily  com- 
menced, must  be  as  happily  finished." 

"Then  before  I  quit  these  holy  walls,  hearken  to  my 
malediction,"  returned  Bonifacius,  rising  with  priestly  and 
practised  dignity  ; — "on  thee  and  on  thy  town — on  all  that 
call  thee  magistrate — parent 

"  Stay  the  dreadful  words  !  "  cried  a  piercing  female 
voice  from  among  the  columns  behind  the  choir.  "  Rever- 
end and  holy  Abbot,  have  mercy  !  "  added  Ulrike,  pale, 
trembling,  and  shaken  equally  with  horror  and  alarm, 
though  her  eye  was  bright  and  wild,  like  that  of  one  sus- 
tained by  more  than  human  purpose  :  "  Holy  Priest,  for- 
bear !  He  knows  not  what  he  does.  Madness  hath  seized 
on  him  and  on  the  town.  They  are  but  tools  in  the  hands 
of  one  more  powerful  than  they." 

At  the  appearance  of  Ulrike,  Bonifacius  resumed  his 
seat,  disposed  to  await  the  effect  of  her  appeal. 

"  Thou  here  !  "  said  Heinrich,  regarding  his  wife  with 
surprise,  but  entirely  without  anger  or  suspicion. 

"  Happily  here,  to  avert  this  fearful  crime  from  thee  and 
thy  household." 

"  I  had  thought  thee  at  thy  prayers  with  the  poor  Herr 
von  Ritterstein,  in  his  comfortless  hermitage  of  the  Heiden- 
mauer  ! " 

"  And  canst  thou  think  of  the  deed  wrhich  hath  driven 
the  Herr  Odo  to  this  penitence  and  suffering,  and  stand 
here  armed  and  desperate  I  Thou  seest  that  years  do  not 
suffice  to  relieve  a  soul  on  which  the  weight  of  sacrilege 
rests  ;  oh  !  hadst  thou  been  with  me,  to  witness  the  agony 
that  preyed  upon  poor  Odo,  as  he  knelt  at  yonder  step, 
listening  to  the  mass  that  hath  this  night  been  said  in  his 
behalf,  thou  mightest  better  know  how  deep  is  the  wound 
made  on  the  heart  that  hath  been  seared  by  God's  anger !  " 

"This  is  most  strange  !  "  rejoined  the  wondering  Burgo- 
master ;  "  that  those  whom  I  had  hoped  well  disposed  of, 
and  that  in  a  manner  neither  to  suspect  nor  to  trouble  our 
enterprise,  should  cross  us  at  the  moment  when  all  is  so 
near  completion  !  Sapperment !  young  Berchthold,  thou 
seest  in  what  manner  matrimony  clogs  the  stoutest  of  us, 
though  girded  with  the  sword." 

"And  thou,  Berchthold  Hintermayer,  son  of  my  dearest 
friend — child  of  my  fondest  hope, — thou  comest,  too,  on 
this  unholy  errand,  like  the  midnight  robber,  stealing  upon 
the  unarmed  and  consecrated  !  " 


g32  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

"  None  love,  or  none  reverence  thee,  more  than  I,  Mad- 
ame Ulrike,"  answered  the  youth,  bowing  with  sincere 
respect  ;  "  but  wert  thou  to  address  thy  speech  to  the  Heri 
Heinrich,  it  would  go  at  once  to  him  who  directs  our  move- 
ments." 

"  Then  on  thee,  Burgomaster,  will  be  thrown  the  heavi- 
est load  of  Heaven's  displeasure,  as  on  the  leader  of  the 
outrage.  What  matters  it  that  the  Benedictines  are  grasp- 
ing, or  overweening  in  their  respect  for  themselves,  or  that 
some  among  them  have  forgotten  their  vows  ?  Is  not  this 
temple  devoted  to  God  ?  Are  not  these  His  altars,  before 
which  thou  hast  dared  to  come,  with  a  hostile  heart  and 
an  angry  purpose  ?" 

"  Go  to,  good  Ulrike,"  returned  Heinrich,  saluting  the 
cold  but  ever  handsome  cheek  of  his  wife,  who  leaned  her 
head  on  his  shoulder  to  recall  her  faculties,  while  she 
firmly  held  his  hand  with  both  her  own,  as  if  to  stay  his 
acts  ;  "  Go  to,  thou  art  excellent  in  thy  way,  but  what  can 
thy  sex  know  of  policy  ?  This  matter  hath  been  had  up 
before  many  councils  ;  and — by  my  beard  ! — tongue  of 
woman  cannot  shake  the  resolutions  of  Duerckheim.  Go, 
depart  with  thy  nurse,  and  leave  us  to  do  our  pleasure." 

"  Is  it  thy  pleasure,  Heinrich,  to  brave  Heaven  ?  Dcst 
thou  not  know,  that  the  crimes  of  the  parent  are  visited  on 
the  child — that  the  wrong  done  to-day,  however  we  may 
triumph  in  present  success,  is  sure  to  revisit  us  in  the 
dread  shape  of  punishment  ?  Were  there  no  other  power 
than  conscience,  so  long  as  that  fearful  scourge  remains 
on  earth,  'tis  vain  to  expect  immunity.  Dost  thou  owe  all 
to  thy  Duerckheim  council  and  its  selfish  policy  ?  Hast 
thou  forgotten  the  hour  that  my  pious  parents  gave  thee 
my  hand,  and  the  manner  in  which  thou  then  plighted  thy 
faith  to  protect  me  and  mine,  to  assume  the  place  of  these 
departed  friends,  to  be  father,  and  mother,  and  husband, 
to  her  thou  took  to  thy  bosom  ?  Is  Meta — that  child  of 
our  mutual  esteem — naught,  that  thou  triflest  with  her 
peace  and  hopes  ?  Lay  aside,  then,  these  hasty  intentions, 
and  turn  thy  mind  to  thine  own  abode  ;  bethink  thee  of 
those  whom  nature  and  the  law  condemn  to  suffer  for  thy 
faults,  or  to  whom  both  have  given  the  dearer  right  to  re- 
joice in  thy  clemency  and  mercy." 

"  Was  ever  woman  so  bent  on  crossing  the  noble  duties 
of  man ! "  said  the  Burgomaster,  who,  spite  of  himself, 
had  been  sensibly  moved  by  this  hasty  and  comprehensive 


TIIK   HEIDENMAUER.  233 

picture  of  his  domestic  duties,  and  who  was  greatly 
troubled  to  find  the  means  of  extricating  himself  from  the 
position  in  which  he  stood. — "  Thou  art  better  in  thy 
chamber,  good  Ulrike.  Meta  will  hear  of  this  onset,  and 
have  her  fears. — Go  then,  and  calm  the  child  ;  thou  shalt 
have  such  escort  as  becometh  my  quality  and  thy  de- 
serts." 

"  Berchthold,  I  make  the  last  appeal  to  thee.  This  cruel 
father,  this  negligent  husband,  is  too  madly  bent  on  his 
council,  and  on  the  wild  policy  of  the  town,  to  remember 
God  !  But  thou  hast  young  hopes,  and  sentiments  that 
become  thy  years  and  virtue.  Dost  think,  rash  boy,  that 
one  like  Meta  will  dare  trust  the  last  chance  of  happiness 
to  a  participator  in  this  crime,  when  such  an  inheritance 
of  guilt  will  be  the  portion  that  shall  descend  from  her 
own  father  ?" 

A  stir  among  the  monks,  who  had  hitherto  listened  with 
an  attention  that  vacillated  between  hope  and  fear,  inter- 
rupted the  answers  of  the  wavering  Burgomaster  and  his 
young  companion.  The  movement  was  caused  by  the  en- 
trance of  the  group,  which,  until  now,  had  stood  aloof  in 
the  obscurity  of  the  great  aisle,  but  which  seized  the  mo- 
ment of  doubt  to  advance  into  the  centre  of  the  choir. 
One,  closely  muffled,  walked  from  out  its  centre,  and 
throwing  aside  the  cloak  that  had  concealed  his  form, 
showed  the  armed  person  of  Emich  of  Leiningen.  The 
moment  Ulrike  recognized  the  unbending  eye  of  the 
Baron,  she  buried  her  face  in  her  hands,  and  quitted  the 
place.  She  went  not  unattended,  however,  for  both  her 
husband  and  Berchthold  followed  anxiously  ;  nor  did 
either  return  to  the  work  of  the  night,  until  he  had  seen 
the  heart-stricken  wife  and  mother  under  the  protection  of 
a  well-chosen  company  of  the  townsmen. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

"He,  who  the  sword  of  heaven  will  bear, 
Should  be  as  holy  as  severe — "  Measure  for  Measure. 

THE  first  glances  between  Emich  and  Bonifacius  were 
filled  with  those  passions  which  each  had  so  long  dis- 
sembled, and  of  which  the  reader  has  already  had  glimjx 


234  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

ses  during  the  more  unguarded  moments  of  the  recent 
debauch.  In  the  eyes  of  the  Count,  triumph  mingled 
with  hatred  ;  while  there  still  remained  a  slight  covering 
of  artifice  and  caution  about  the  lineaments  of  the  Abbot, 
masks  that  he  scarcely  thought  it  yet  expedient  to  throw 
entirely  aside. 

"We  owe  this  visit,  then,  to  thee,  Herr  Emich  ? "  said 
the  latter,  struggling  to  appear  calm. 

"And  to  thine  own  desert,  most  holy  Bonifacius." 

"What  wouldst  thou,  audacious  Baron  ?" 

"  Peace  in  this  oft-violated  valley — humility  in  shaven 
crowns — religion  without  hypocrisy — and  mine  own." 

"  I  will  not  talk  to  thee  of  Heaven,  bold  man,  for  the 
word  were  blasphemy  in  such  a  presence  ;  but  thou  art  not 
yet  so  lost  to  worldly  policy  as  to  overlook  the  punishment 
of  the  empire.  Hast  thou  well  counted  thy  gold,  and  art 
thou  sure  thy  coffers  are  sufficiently  stored  to  rebuild  the 
sainted  pile  which  thy  hand  would  fain  destroy — or  dost 
think  thy  riches  can  replace  all  that  pious  princes  have 
here  bestowed,  during  ages  in  which  the  Church  hath  been 
duly  reverenced  ? " 

"  As  to  thy  vessels  and  precious  stones,  reverend  Abbot, 
it  shall  be  my  heed  to  preserve  them  to  meet  this  demand, 
which  haply  may  never  be  made  ;  and  as  to  the  cost  of 
rebuilding  the  Abbey,  why,  the  same  notable  workman 
that  helped  first  to  set  it  up,  will  owe  me  a  good  turn  for 
punishing  those  that  outwitted  him,  and  sent  him  away 
without  the  promised  boon  of  souls.  Though,  God's  truth  ! 
were  the  fact  fairly  dived  into,  I  am  of  opinion  that  Lim- 
burg,  after  all,  hath  sent  more  customers  to  his  furnaces 
than  all  the  drinking-inns  and  pot-houses  of  the  Palati- 
nate ! " 

This  sally  of  their  lord  produced  a  general  and  derid- 
ing laugh  among  his  followers,  who  now  began  to  flock 
into  the  church  from  other  parts  of  the  Abbey,  with  the  ex- 
pectation that  there  was  rich  plunder  to  be  had  in  the  sanc- 
tuary. It  was  about  this  time,  too,  that  a  brand  was  cast 
among  the  straw  of  the  barracks,  and  the  strong  light 
which  glared  through  the  stained  windows  very  effect- 
ually told  the  monks  of  the  inefficiency  of  further  remon« 
strances. 

Notwithstanding  his  known  licentiousness,  and  the  gen- 
eral freedom  of  his  life,  the  Abbot  had  imbibed  from  the 
high  objects  of  his  calling,  by  that  secret  process  that  ren* 


THE   HEIDENAMUER.  235 

ders  even  the  least  deserving  in  some  measure  subject  to 
the  influence  of  their  professions,  a  cast  of  dignity,  and 
perhaps  we  might  add  even  of  sincerity  (for  there  is  often 
a  strange  admixture  of  inherent  faith  and  practical  unbe- 
lief about  the  dissolute)  that  caused  him  frequently  to  rise 
to  the  level  of  his  most  solemn  duties.  A  character  strong 
and  masculine  as  his  could  not  be  aroused  without  dis 
playing  some  of  its  latent  energies,  be  it  for  good  or  be  it 
for  evil  ;  and  Emich  had  doubts  of  the  result  when  he 
witnessed  the  manner  in  which  his  enemy  succeeded  in  re- 
pressing his  fierce  resentment,  and  the  expression  of  cleri- 
cal dignity  and  official  calmness  that  reigned  in  his  coun- 
tenance. The  Abbot  arose,  like  a  prelate  in  the  undis- 
turbed exercise  of  his  functions,  and  raising  his  voice,  so 
as  to  send  his  words  to  the  deepest  recesses  of  the  chapel, 
he  spoke  after  the  manner  of  the  peculiar  rites  of  the 
Church  he  served. 

"  God,  in  his  hidden  wisdom,  hath  permitted  to  the 
wicked  a  momentary  triumph,"  he  said;  "we  search  not 
now  into  the  reasons  of  this  mysterious  dispensation  ;  the 
truth  will  be  known  in  His  own  time  : — but,  as  servitors  of 
the  altar — as  guardians  of  this  holy  sanctuary — as  the 
sworn  and  professed  of  Heaven — as  one  consecrated  and 
blessed — there  remaineth  a  solemn,  an  imperative  duty  to 
perform." 

"  Bonifacius,  beware  ! "  interrupted  the  Count  of  Lein- 
ingen  ;  "  thou  dealest  not  now  with  burgomasters  and  weep- 
ing wives." 

"  In  the  behalf,  then,  of  that  God  to  whom  this  shrine 
hath  been  raised,"  continued  the  unmoved  Abbot,  "  in  His 
holy  interest,  and  in  His  holy  name — 

"  At  thy  peril,  priest ! "  and  Emich  shook,  partly  in 
anger,  and  partly  in  a  terror  he  could  scarce  explain. 

"  As  his  unworthy  but  necessary  minister — as  consecra- 
ted and  blessed — gifted  with  the  power  by  the  head  of  the 
Church,  and  now  required  to  use  it,  do  I  pronounce 
thee— 

"Where  are  ye,  followers  of  Hartenburg?  Down  with 
the  silly  maledictions  of  this  mad  monk  ;  remember  ye  are 
not  trembling  women,  to  need  a  Benedictine's  blessing  !  " 

The  voice  of  Emich  was  drowned,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
Abbot,  by  the  noises  that  were  now  raised  in  the  chapel. 
The  first  interruption  came  from  a  long  dark  instrument, 
that  was  thrust  from  out  of  the  aisle  behind  the  throne  of 


236  THE  IfEIDENMAUER. 

Bonifacius,  and  within  a  few  feet  of  his  head ;  an  interrup- 
tion that  filled  the  whole  edifice  with  the  wild,  plaintive 
strains  of  the  mountains. 

This  signal,  which  came  from  the  cherry-wood  trumpet 
of  Gottlob,  who  rarely  went  abroad  without  this  badge  of 
his  profession,  was  immediately  followed  by  a  general 
shout  from  the  band  of  the  Count,  and  by  a  variety  of  simi- 
lar sounds,  that  were  raised  by  different  instruments  that 
had  hitherto  been  mute.  The  effect  of  these  shrill  strains, 
echoing  among  the  vaulted  arid  fretted  roofs,  which  were 
brightly  illuminated  by  the  growing  and  fierce  light  that 
now  pervaded  the  church,  and  of  the  seeming  calm  of  the 
Abbot,  who  ended  his  malediction,  spite  of  the  uproar,  is 
left  to  the  reader's  imagination.  When  he  had  finished 
the  unheard  curse,  Bonifacius  looked  about  him  in  gloomy 
observation. 

It  was  evident  to  his  cool  and  instructed  mind,  which 
was  far  too  earthly  in  its  habits  to  cling  to  any  hopes  of  a 
merely  spiritual  nature,  that  the  outrage  had  already  gone 
so  far,  as  to  render  it  more  hazardous  to  his  enemy  to 
retreat  than  to  advance.  Signing  to  the  community,  he 
descended  slowly,  and  with  dignity,  from  his  throne,  and 
led  the  way  from  the  choir.  The  ready  monks  obeyed,  the 
fraternity  walking  from  that  extraordinary  scene,  in  their 
customary  silent  order.  Emich  followed  the  dark  proces- 
sion with  a  troubled  eye,  for  even  the  conqueror  regards 
the  calm  retreat  of  his  foes  with  uneasiness,  and  there  was 
an  instant  of  painful  distrust  of  hrs  own  purpose,  as  the 
last  flowing  robe  vanished  through  a  private  door  that  led 
to  a  secret  postern,  by  which  the  routed  Benedictines  quit- 
ted a  mountain,  where  they  had  so  long  dwelt  in  the  calm, 
and,  we  might  add,  in  the  ease,  of  an  affluent  and  privi- 
leged seclusion. 

The  invaders  of  the  Abbey  took  this  open  abandonment 
of  the  place  by  its  ancient  possessors,  to  be  an  unequivocal 
admission  of  their  triumph.  There  is  no  moment  so  likely  to 
produce  excesses  as  that  in  which  the  uncertainty  of  strife 
is  changed  to  the  certainty  of  victory.  The  feelings  seem 
willing  to  avenge  themselves  for  all  their  previous  doubts, 
and  man  is  ever  too  ready  to  ascribe  his  successes  to  some 
inherent  qualities,  which  give  him  an  apparent  right  to 
abuse  any  advantages  that  may  happen  to  be  their  conse- 
quence. The  band  of  the  castle  and  the  people  of  the 
town,  among  whom  a  large  proportion  had  to  the  last  dis- 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  237 

trusted  the  presence  of  the  community,  to  which  vulgar 
opinion  attributed  the  power  of  working  miracles,  no  sooner 
found  themselves,  as  they  believed,  in  undisputed  posses' 
sion  of  the  mountain,  than  the  reaction  of  feeling,  to  which 
there  has  just  been  allusion,  urged  them  to  increase  their 
violence,  and  to  redouble  those  efforts  which  had  momen 
tarily  been  checked. 

A  shout  of  triumph  was  the  common  signal  for  renew- 
ing the  assault.  It  was  followed  by  the  crashing  of  win- 
dows, and  the  overthrow  of  every  fixture  in  the  body  of  the 
church  that  was  not  too  solid  to  resist  their  first  and  ill- 
directed  efforts,  and  a  general  mutilation  of  the  monuments 
and  labored  statuary.  Marble  cherubs  fell  on  every  side, 
wings  and  limbs  of  angels  separated  from  the  trunks,  and 
the  grave  and  bearded  visages  of  many  an  honored  saint 
were  doomed  to  endure  contumely  and  fractures.  Even 
the  inferior  altars  were  no  longer  respected,  but  they  and 
their  decorations  were  ruthlessly  scattered,  as  if  the  enmity 
of  the  conquerors  was  transferred  from  those  who  had  ad- 
ministered at  them,  to  the  dreaded  Being  in  whose  name 
the  rites  had  been  celebrated. 

The  reader  will  imagine  the  confusion  and  tumult  that 
attended  a  scene  like  this.  During  the  uproar,  Emich  bur- 
ied his  face  in  his  mantle,  and  paced  to  and  fro  in  the  choir, 
which  his  presence,  and  perhaps  some  lingering  rever- 
ence for  the  sacred  spot,  still  preserved  from  violence. 
He  was  joined  only  by  the  Burgomaster  and  Berchthold, 
the  remainder  of  the  party  having  mingled  with  those 
who  were  destroying  the  chapels  and  decorations  of  the 
church.  Heinrich  seated  himself  in  one  of  the  vacant 
stalls,  for  the  recent  scene  and  the  subsequent  parting  with 
his  wife  had  shaken  his  resolution  ;  while  the  young  For- 
ester advanced  respectfully  to  the  side  of  his  lord. 

"Is  the  Herr  Count  troubled?"  demanded  the  latter, 
after  a  moment  of  deferential  silence. 

Emich  dropped  the  cloak,  and  leaning  a  hand  familiarly 
on  the  shoulder  of  his  young  servitor,  he  stood  regarding 
the  gorgeous  riches  and  elaborate  beauty  of  the  high  altar, 
all  of  which  was  rendered  doubly  imposing  by  the  power- 
ful light  that  now  illuminated  the  whole  interior  of  the 
edifice,  which  was  never  more  beautiful  than  as  then  seen, 
with  its  strong  relief  and  deep  shadows. 

"  Berchthold,  there  is  a  God  !  "  he  said  with  emphasis. 

"  None  but  the  fool  doubts  it,  Herr  Emich." 


238  THE  HEIDENMAVER. 

"  And  he  hath  His  ministers  on  earth — those  whom  He 
hath  commissioned  to  do  Him  pleasure,  and  to  burn  His 
incense." 

"  We  have  high  authority  for  this  belief,  my  good  Lord." 

"We  have — the  authority  is  high,  that  hath  so  much 
antiquity — which  so  suits  our  secret  desires — which  de- 
scends to  us  from  our  fathers." 

"  And  which  is  so  supported  by  proofs,  sacred  and  pro- 
fane." 

"Thou  Hast  been  well  schooled,  good  Berchthold," 
said  the  Count,  looking  earnestly  at  his  companion. 

"  Heaven  left  me  a  pious  and  tender  mother,  when  it 
took  my  father  away." 

Emich  continued  to  lean  on  the  shoulder  of  Bercht- 
hold, while  his  eye,  in  which  sternness  of  purpose  was  sin- 
gularly blended  with  the  waverings  of  doubt,  never  turned 
from  its  contemplation  of  the  altar.  Above  the  chased  and 
gilded  cabinet  which  contained  the  host,  was  a  small  pict- 
ure of  the  Mother  of  Christ,  delineated  in  those  mild  and 
attractive  colors  with  which  the  pencil  is  accustomed  to 
portray  the  Virgin  Wife  of  Joseph.  Her  eye  seemed  to 
meet  the  gaze  of  Emich  in  sorro\v.  It  was  easy  to  fancy 
the  gentle  expression  was  in  reproach  of  the  sacrilege. 

"These  Benedictines  are  at  length  unhoused" — he  con- 
tinued, trying  fruitlessly  to  avert  his  look  from  that  mild 
but  expressive  image  ;  "  they  have  too  long  ridden  roughly 
on  their  betters." 

Berchthold  bowed. 

"  Dost  thou  see  aught  strange,  youth,  in  that  image  of 
Maria  ?" 

"  'Tis  a  skilful  design,  Herr  Count,  and  a  fair  face  to  re- 
gard." 

"  Methinks  it  looks  upon  this  violence  with  an  evil 
eye  !  " 

"  'Tis  but  the  work  of  an  ingenious  man,  my  Lord,  and 
cannot  look  other  than  it  hath  always  seemed." 

"  Dost  think  thus,  Berchthold  ?  There  are  many  who 
pretend  that  images  and  paintings  have  been  known  to 
speak,  when  it  was  Heaven's  pleasure." 

"  They  relate  such  legends,  my  good  Lord,  but  these  are 
events  that  are  little  wont  to  touch  those  who  are  not  much 
disposed  to  see  them." 

"  And  yet  in  these  facts  had  my  fathers  faith,  and  in  this 
belief  was  I  trained  !  " 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  239 

Berchthold  was  mute,  his  own  education  having  been 
more  suited  to  the  growing  opinions  of  the  times. 

"  That  God  can  surpass  the  ordinary  workings  of  nature, 
to  effect  His  pleasure,"  continued  Emich,  "  we  may  at  least 
believe." 

"  It  may  be  believed,  Herr  Count,  but  is  it  necessary  ? 
He  who  made  nature  may  use  it  at  his  pleasure." 

"  Ha  !  thou  has  no  faith  in  miracles,  boy  !  " 

"  I  am  myself  a  miracle,  that  tells  me  every  moment  of 
the  existence  of  a  superior  power  ;  and  in  that  much  I 
bend  to  its  control.  But  it  hath  never  been  my  fortune  to 
hear  an  image  speak,  or  see  it  do  aught  else  that  belongs 
to  the  will." 

"  By  my  father's  bones  !  but  thou  art  fit  to  deal  with  the 
cunningest  knave  that  wears  a  cowl  !  How  now,  brave  fol- 
lowers !  "  turning  toward  his  people  ;  "  leave  no  vestige  of 
the  roguery  and  abominations  that  have  so  long  been  done 
within  these  polluted  walls  !  " 

"  Herr  Count ! "  said  Berchthold  eagerly,  presuming  in 
his  haste  to  touch  the  cloak  of  Emich,  "  here  are  the 
Benedictines !  " 

The  word  caused  the  bold,  and  at  that  moment  the  in- 
dependent, Baron  to  turn  suddenly,  laying  a  hand  on  his 
sword,  as  he  did  so.  But  the  hand  released  its  grasp,  and 
the  features  of  Emich  immediatety  reverted  to  their  former 
expression  of  anxiety  and  doubt,  at  what  he  now  be- 
held. 

By  this  time  all  of  the  different  edifices  which  composed 
the  Abbey  of  Limbtirg  were  fired,  the  church  and  its  imme- 
diate appendages  alone  excepted.  The  consequence  was 
such  an  increase  of  light  within  the  latter,  as  penetrated 
the  most  obscure  of  its  Gothic  recesses.  The  choir,  above  all, 
received  the  strongest  illumination  ;  and  young  Berchthold 
thought  its  tracery  never  appeared  so  beautiful  as  in  that 
fearful  moment  of  impending  destruction.  The  candles 
and  lamps  of  the  great  altar  began  to  look  dim,  and  all 
around  prevailed  the  glorious  and  fiery  brightness  which 
accompanies  a  fierce  conflagration.  During  the  instant 
that  Emich  was  turned  toward  his  people,  two  monks 
had  come  from  the  sacristy,  and  placed  themselves  on 
the  steps  of  the  altar.  They  were  the  Prior  and  Father 
Johan.  The  former  bore  a  small  ivory  crucifix,  which 
from  time  to  time  he  kissed,  while  the  latter  placed  at  his 
feet  a  massive  and  curiously  carved  chest,  of  sufficient  size 


240  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

and  weight  to  have  required  the  aid  of  a  lay-brother  to 
bring  it  from  its  repository. 

The  countenance  of  the  Prior  was  mild,  persuasive,  and 
filled  with  holy  concern.  That  of  his  companion  flushed, 
excited,  and  bearing  the  look  of  feverish  fire,  which  is  the 
effect  of  an  enthusiasm  that  springs  as  much  from  temper- 
ament as  from  conviction. 

Emich  looked  at  the  Benedictines  uneasily,  and  he  ad- 
vanced so  near,  always  attended  by  the  Forester,  as  to  be 
within  reach  of  his  arm. 

"  'Fore  God,  but  ye  are  tardy,  Fathers,"  he  said,  deter- 
mined to  assume  an  indifference  he  was  far  from  feeling  ; 
"  the  pious  Bonifacius  hath  departed  many  minutes,  and 
quickened,  as  he  is,  by  love  of  his  person,  I  make  no 
question  that  his  footsteps  have  already  gone  down  the 
mountain  side  !  " 

"  Thou  hast  at  length  yielded  to  the  whispering  of  the 
devil,  Count  of  Leiningen  !"  returned  the  Prior  ;  "them 
art  resolute  that  this  blot  shall  rest  upon  thy  soul  ! " 

"We  are  not  at  confession,  holy  Arnolph,  but  engaged 
in  a  knightly  redressing  of  our  rights  ;  if  thou  hast  aught 
here  that  is  dear  to  thee,  take  it,  of  God's  name,  and  go 
thy  way.  Thou  shalt  have  safe  conduct,  were  it  to  the 
gates  of  Rome  ;  for,  of  all  thy  fraternity,  thou  art  he  for 
whom  alone  I  feel  regret  or  amity,  in  this  just  enterprise." 

"  I  know  not  this  difference  in  love,  when  it  touches  the 
existence  of  our  shrine,  or  the  duty  that  ties  us  to  its  ser- 
vice. This  question  is  not  between  thee  and  me,  Lord 
Emich,  but  between  thee  and  God." 

"  Have  it  as  thou  wilt,  Herr  Prior,  so  thou  dost  but  de- 
part in  peace." 

"  I  am  not  weak  enough  to  resist  when  resistance  is 
vain,"  mildly  answered  the  Monk  ;  "  nor  am  I  quick  to 
desert  my  post,  while  there  is  hope.  Thou  hast  not  wrell 
bethought  thee  of  this  act,  Emich  ;  thou  hast  not  remem- 
bered thy  posterity,  nor  thy  kind  interest  in  the  noble 
Ermengarde  !" 

"  Dost  fancy  me  an  uxurious  citizen,  reverend  Arnolph, 
that  thou  wouldest  fain  stop  a  knight  in  his  onset  by  speak- 
ing of  the  good  wife  and  her  babes  ?" 

As  he  concluded,  Emich  laughed. 

"  Thou  hast  not  well  conceived  me.  This  is  not  a  ques- 
tion of  death  in  battle,  or  of  the  grief  of  those  who  sur- 
vive ;  for  such  thoughts  are,  unhappily,  but  too  commop. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  241 

with  those  who  rule  the  earth,  to  raise  disquiet  ;  but  I 
would  speak  to  thee  of  the  long  future  and  of  its  pains. 
Dost  thou  know,  irreverend  Baron,  that  the  God  of  Israel 
— who  is  my  God  and  thine — the  God  of  Israel  hath  said 
that  he  will  visit  the  sins  of  the  parent  upon  the  descend- 
ant, from  generation  to  generation  ?  and  yet,  blinded  by 
this  specious  success,  thou  seemest  to  court  his  anger." 

"  This  may  be  so  or  not  ;  for  ye  of  the  cloisters  have 
many  subtle  ways  of  reasoning  as  you  wish  ;  but  to  me  it 
seemeth  better  that  each  should  suffer  for  his  own  sins ; 
and  such,  I  take  it,  is  what  the  community  of  Limburg 
doth  now  undergo." 

"  That  we  have  done  much  evil,  and  neglected  much 
good,  is,  alas,  too  true  ! " 

"  By  the  kings  of  Koeln  !  thou  art  getting  to  be  of  our 
side,  holy  Arnolph  !  " 

"  For  such  is  the  common  course,"  continued  the  un- 
moved Prior, — "  but  that  thou  art  not  our  judge  is  equally 
certain.  That  each  does  and  will  suffer  for  his  own  acts  is 
beyond  denial,  but  the  fearful  consequences  of  crime  do 
not  stop  with  him  who  hath  committed  it.  This  much 
is  taught  us  by  reason,  and  what  is  still  more  sure,  it  is 
consecrated  by  words  from  God's  own  mouth.  Ponder, 
then,  while  thou  may,  on  the  load  of  sorrow  thou  art 
heaping  on  thy  descendants  ;  remember  that  thou  standest 
there,  subject  to  goading  passions,  the  miserable  being 
thou  art,  simply  that  in  thy  person  thou  payest  the  price 
of  a  parent's  sins.  What  our  common  father  did  is  still 
avenged  on  us  his  children." 

"  How  now,  Herr  Prior,  thou  pushest  my  pedigree  much 
beyond  its  pretensions.  Noble  and  princely,  if  thou  wilt, 
but  I  pass  not  the  dark  ages  in  any  of  my  claims.  Let 
them  that  have  greater  ambition  pay  for  the  purchase  in 
the  way  thou  namest ;  I  am  content  with  more  modern 
honors." 

Emich  spoke  jeeringly,  but  the  attentive  Monk  saw  that 
he  was  troubled. 

"  If  thou  hast  no  thought  for  posterity — none  for  thyself 
— none  for  thy  God,  Emich,"  the  latter  resumed,  "bethink 
thee  of  those  who  have  gone  before.  Hast  already  for- 
gotten thy  visit  to  the  tombs  of  thy  family  ?" 

''Thou  hast  me  there,  Arnolph! — those  sacred  vaults 
have  been  thy  convent's  shield  these  many  months  !  " 

"  And  thou  art  now  disposed  to  forget  them  ? " 
16 


242  THE  HE1DENMAUER. 

"  If  thou  wilt  ask  yon  honest  men,  they  will  tell  thee, 
Prior,  they  have  no  order  to  spare  the  meanest  of  thy  mar- 
ble  cherubs,  even  though  it  hover  over  a  grave  of  mine  own 
house." 

"  Then  do  I  indeed  despair  of  touching  thy  heart  !  "  an- 
swered Father  Arnolph,  sorrowing  as  much  for  the  crime 
as  for  its  consequences.  "  Then  indeed  art  thou  madly 
and  ruthlessly  bent,  not  only  on  our  destruction,  but  on 
thine  own  ;  for  pity  for  the  child,  and  love  of  the  parent, 
are  equally  despised.  Emich  of  Leiningen,  I  curse  thee 
not — this  is  a  weapon  too  fearful  for  human  hands  lightly 
to  wield.  I  bless  thee  not  ;  duty  to  God  forbids  the  holy 
office." 

"  Hold  !  reverend  Arnolph,  let  us  not  part  in  anger — I 
would,  in  sooth,  crave  from  thy  worthy  hands  some  touch 
of  consolation — if — aye — if  there  be  chapel  in  this  church, 
for  which  thou  hast  more  than  usual  reverence,  let  it  be 
named,  and  I  swear,  by  knight's  faith,  unless  the  work  be* 
already  done,  it  shall  stand  unscathed  amid  the  ruins,  in 
testimony  of  my  love  for  thee — or  if  thou  hast  aught  here 
of  price,  whether  of  monkish  or  worldly  value,  point  it  out, 
that  it  may  be  held  safe  for  thy  better  leisure.  In  return, 
I  ask  but  the  parting  words  of  peace." 

"  'Tis  forbidden  to  those  who  war  against  God,"  re- 
turned the  grieved  Prior,  releasing  his  robe  from  the  eager 
grasp  of  the  Baron. — "  I  can  and  will  pray  for  thee,  Emich  ; 
but  to  bless  thee  were  treachery  to  Heaven  !  " 

So  saying,  the  pious  Arnolph  buried  his  face  in  his 
dress,  to  shut  out  the  view  of  the  profanation  that  was 
working  around  him,  and  withdrew  slowly  from  the  choir. 


CHAPTER    XXL 

"  Avaunt ! 

Incarnate  Lucifer  !  'tis  holy  ground  : 
A  martyr's  ashes  now  lie  there,  which  make  it 
A  shrine." — BYRON. 

DURING  the  foregoing  scene,  the  Benedictine,  already 
known  to  the  reader  as  Father  Johan,  had  awaited  its  issue 
with  a  species  of  lofty  patience  on  the  steps  of  the  altar. 
But  in  a  character  so  exaggerated,  there  remained  little 


THE  IJEIDENMAUER.  243 

that  was  purely  natural ;  even  the  forbearance  of  the  Monk 
partook  of  the  forced  and  fervid  qualities  of  his  mind. 
Conventual  discipline,  deep  and  involuntary  respect  for 
the  Prior,  and  that  very  disdain  which  he  felt  for  all  gentle 
means  of  recalling  a  sinner  to  the  fold,  kept  him  tolerably 
tranquil,  while  Emich  and  his  spiritual  superior  held  their 
parley  ;  but  there  was  a  gleam  of  wild  delight  in  his  eye, 
when  he  found,  of  all  that  powerful  and  boasted  fraternity, 
that  he  alone  remained  to  defend  the  altars.  The  feeling 
of  the  moment  in  such  a  breast,  notwithstanding  the  scene 
of  tumult  that  rather  increased  than  diminished  in  the 
church,  was  that  of  triumph.  He  exulted  in  his  own  con- 
stancy, and  he  anticipated  the  effects  which  were  to  follow 
from  his  firmness,  wTith  the  self-complacency  of  a  prurient 
confidence,  and  with  the  settled  conviction  of  an  enthusiast. 

Emich  took  little  heed  of  his  presence,  during  the  first 
moments  that  succeeded  the  departure  of  the  Prior.  There 
is  a  majesty  and  a  quiet  energy  in  truth  and  sound  prin- 
ciples, that  happily  form  their  constant  buttresses.  With- 
out this  wise  provision  of  Providence,  the  world  would  be 
hopelessly  abandoned  to  the  machinations  of  those  who 
consider  all  means  lawful,  provided  the  ends  tend  to  their 
own  success.  All  near  the  Abbey  of  Limburg  had  felt  the 
influence  of  these  high  qualities  in  Father  Arnolph,  and  it 
is  more  than  probable  that,  as  in  the  case  of  the  city  of 
Canaan,  had  the  community  contained  four  of  his  spiritual 
peers,  the  Abbey  would  not  have  fallen. 

The  Count,  in  particular,  who,  like  all  that  first  break 
from  mental  servitude,  was  so  often  troubled  with  strong 
doubts,  had  long  entertained  a  deep  respect  for  this  monk  ; 
and  it  is  not  improbable,  that  had  the  pious  Arnolph  fully 
understood  his  own  power,  by  an  early  and  more  vigilant 
use  of  his  means,  he  might  have  found  a  way  to  avert  the 
blow  that  had  now  alighted  on  Limburg.  But  the  meek- 
ness and  modesty  of  the  Prior  were  qualities  as  strongly 
marked  as  his  more  active  virtues,  and  the  policy  of 
Limburg  was  not  of  a  character  to  rely  on  either  for  its 
security. 

"  There  is  good  in  that  brother,"  said  Emich  to  Bercht- 
hold,  when  his  thoughtful  eye  again  rose  to  the  face  of  the 
young  Forester. — "  Had  he  been  mitred,  instead  of  Boni- 
facius,  our  rights  might  have  still  suffered." 

"  Few  are  more  beloved  than  Father  Arnolph,  Her* 
Count,  and  none  so  deserve  to  be." 


244  THE  IIEIDENMAURR. 

"  Thou  art  of  this  mind!  How  now,  Master  Heinrich! 
art  in  monkish  meditation  in  thy  stall,  or  dost  dispose  of 
the  lesson  of  the  virtuous  Ulrike,  more  at  thy  ease,  in  a 
seat  where  so  much  substantial  carnal  aliment  hath  been 
digested  by  godly  Benedictines  !  Come  to  the  front,  like  a 
stout  soldier,  and  give  us  the  savor  of  thy  good  wisdom  in 
this  strait." 

"  Methinks,  our  work  is  well-nigh  done,  Lord  Emich," 
itiswered  Heinrich,  complying  with  the  request ;  "  my 
laithful  townsmen  are  not  idle  in  the  chapels  and  among 
the  tombs,  and  the  sledge  of  yon  smith  dealeth  with  an 
angel  an'  it  were  a  bar  of  molten  iron.  Each  stroke  leaves 
a  mark  that  no  chisel  will  repair !  " 

"Let  the  knaves  amuse  themselves;  every  blow  is 
quickened  by  the  recollection  of  some  hard  penance.  Thou 
seest  that  they  place  the  confessionals  in  a  pile  ready  for 
the  torch  !  This  is  attacking  the  enemy  in  his  citadel.  But 
Heinrich,  is  the  'excellent  Ulrike  wont  to  come  forth  with 
thee  in  thy  frays  against  the  Church  ?  God's  judgments  ! 
Were  Ermengarde  of  this  humor,  we  should  have  no  hope 
of  salvation  in  our  castle  !  " 

"  You  do  my  wife  injustice,  Herr  Count ;  Ulrike  was  here 
to  pray,  and  not  to  encourage." 

"Thou  mightest  have  spared  the  explanation,  for  truly 
such  encouragement  never  did  soldier  need  !  Wert  privy  to 
the  visit, — ha! — wert  privy,  worthy  Burgomaster  ?" 

"  To  speak  you  honestly,  Herr  Emich,  I  thought  the 
woman  otherwise  bestowed." 

"  By  the  Magi ! — in  her  bed  ?  " 

"  Nay,  at  her  prayers,  but  in  a  different  place.  But  we 
do  her  too  much  honor,  noble  Emich,  to  let  the  movements 
of  a  mere  housewife  occupy  our  high  thoughts  in  this  busy 
moment." 

"  Nothing  that  touches  thee  is  of  light  concern  with  thy 
friends,  good  Burgomaster,"  answered  the  Baron,  who 
pondered  with  instinctive  uneasiness,  even  in  that  mo- 
ment of  tumult,  on  this  visit  of  Ulrike  to  the  Benedictines, 
at  anjhour  so  unusual. 

"  Thou  art  well  wived,  Herr  Heinrich,  and  all  that  know 
thy  consort  do  her  honor  ! " 

The  Burgomaster  was  a  man  by  far  too  well  satisfied 
with  his  own  superior  merits  to  harbor  jealousy.  Self-com- 
placency might  have  been  at  the  bottom  of  his  security, 
though  it  were  scarce  possible  for  one  even  much  more  ad* 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  245 

dieted  by  nature  to  that  tormenting  passion,  to  have  lived 
so  long  in  perfect  familiarity  with  the  pure  mind  of  Ulrike, 
without  feeling  reverence  for  its  principles  and  virtue.  The 
sentiments  of  the  Baron  were  very  different ;  for  though  in 
his  heart  equally  convinced  of  the  character  of  her  to 
whom  he  alluded,  he  could  not  altogether  exclude  the  sus- 
picions of  a  man  of  loose  habits,  nor  the  uneasiness  of  one 
who  had  himself  been  discarded.  The  answer  of  the  hus- 
band, however,  served  to  turn  the  discourse,  by  giving  the 
Burgomaster  an  opportunity  of  placing  himself  in  the  most 
prominent  relief. 

"A  thousand  thanks,  illustrious  Herr,"  he  said,  raising 
his  cap  ;  "  the  woman  is  not  amiss,  though  much  troubled 
with  infirmity  on  the  score  of  altars  and  penances.  When 
we  shall  have  fairly  disposed  of  Limburg,  another  reign 
will  commence  among  our  wives  and  daughters,  and  we 
can  hope  for  more  quiet  Sabbaths.  As  to  this  grace  of 
your  present  speech,  Lord  Count,  I  take  it,  as  was  no 
doubt  meant,  to  be  another  pledge  of  our  lasty  amity  and 
close  alliance." 

"Thou  talkest  well,"  quickly  answered  Emich,  losing 
the  passing  feeling  of  distrust  in  the  recollection  of  his 
present  purpose  ;  "  no  words  of  friendship  are  lost,  on  a 
true  and  sworn  supporter.  Well,  Heinrich,  is  our  affair 
finally  achieved  ? " 

"Sapperment !  Herr  Count,  if  not  finished,  it  is  in  a  fair 
way  to  be  so  quickly." 

"  Here  remaineth  a  Benedictine ! "  said  Berchthold, 
drawing  their  attention  to  the  Monk,  who  still  maintained 
his  post  on  the  steps  of  the  altar. 

"  The  bees  do  not  relish  quitting  their  hive,  while  any 
of  the  hard  earnings  are  left,"  said  the  Count,  laughing ; 
"  what  wouldst  thou,  Father  Johan  ? — if  thy  careful  mind 
hath  had  thought  of  the  precious  vessels,  make  thy  choice 
and  depart." 

The  Benedictine  returned  the  laugh  of  the  noble,  with  a 
smile  of  deep  but  quiet  exultation. 

" Assemble  thy  followers,  rude  Baron,"  he  said;  "call 
all  within  thy  control  to  this  sanctified  spot,  for  there  yet 
remaineth  a  power  to  be  overcome  of  which  thou  hast  not 
taken  heed  ;  at  the  moment  when  thou  fanciest  thyself 
most  secure,  art  thou  nearest  to  disgrace  and  to  destruc- 
tion." 

As  the  excited  Monk  suited  his  words  by  a  correspond- 


246  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

ing  energy  of  emphasis  and  tone,  Emich  recoiled  a  step, 
like  one  who  distrusted  a  secret  mine.  The  desperate  char- 
acter of  Father  Johan's  enthusiasm  was  well-known  and 
neither  of  the  three  listeners  was  without  apprehension 
that  the  fraternity,  aware  of  the  invasion,  had  plotted 
some  deep  design  of  vengeance,  which  this  exaggerated 
brother  had  been  deputed  to  execute. 

"  Ho  !  without  there  !  "  cried  the  Count — "  Let  a  party 
descend  quickly  to  the  crypt,  and  look  to  the  villanies  of 
these  pretended  saints  ;  cousin  of  Viederbach,"  revealing  in 
the  eagerness  of  the  moment  the  presence  of  this  sworn 
soldier  of  the  Cross,  "  see  thou  to  our  safety,  for  the  Rho- 
dian  warfare  hath  made  thee  familiar  with  these  treacheries." 

The  call  of  the  Count,  which  was  uttered  like  a  battle 
cry,  stayed  the  hands  of  the  destroyers.  Some  rushed  to 
obey  the  order,  while  most  of  the  others  gathered  hastily 
into  the  choir.  It  is  certain  that  the  presence  of  fellow- 
sufferers  diminishes  the  force  of  fear,  even  though  it  may 
in  truth  increase  the  danger  ;  for  such  is  the  constitution 
of  our  minds,  that  they  willingly  admit  the  influence  of 
sympathy  whether  it  be  in  pain  or  pleasure.  When  Emich 
found  himself  backed  by  so  many  of  his  band,  he  thought 
less  of  the  apprehended  mine,  and  he  turned  to  question 
the  Monk,  with  more  of  the  calmness  that  became  his  con- 
dition. 

"  Thou  wouldst  have  the  followers  of  Hartenburg,  Fa- 
ther," he  said,  ironically,  "and  thou  seest  how  readily  they 
come  ! " 

"  I  would  that  all  who  have  listened  to  schismatics — all 
who  refuse  honor  to  the  holy  Church — all  who  deny 
Rome— and  all  that  believe  themselves  on  earth  freed  from 
the  agency  of  Heaven,  now  stood  before  me  ! "  answered 
the  Benedictine,  examining  the  group  of  heads  that  clus- 
tered among  the  stalls,  with  the  bright  but  steady  eye  of 
one  engrossed  with  the  consciousness  of  his  force.  "  Thou 
art  in  hundreds,  Count  Leiningen — would  it  were  God's 
pleasure  that  it  had  been  in  millions  !  " 

"  We  are  of  sufficient  strength  for  our  object,  Monk.' 

"  That  remaineth  to  be  seen.  Now,  listen  to  a  voice 
from  above  ! — I  speak  to  you,  unhallowed  ministers  of  the 
will  of  this  ambitious  Baron — to  you,  misguided  and  ig- 
norant tools  of  a  scheme  that  hath  been  plotted  of  evil, 
and  hath  been  brought  forth  from  the  prolific  brain  of  the 
restless  Father  of  Sin.  Ye  have  come  at  the  heels  of  vour 


•  THE  HEIDENMAUER.  247 

lord,  vainly  rejoicing  in  a  visible  but  impotent  power- 
impiously  craving  the  profits  of  your  unholy  enterprise, 
and  forgetting  God  ! 

"By  the  mass,  priest!"  interrupted  Emich  ;  "thou  hast 
once  already  given  us  a  sermon  to-day,  and  time  presseth. 
If  thou  hast  an  enemy  to  present,  bring  him  forth  ;  but  we 
tire  of  these  churchly  offices." 

"Thou  hast  had  thy  moment  of  wanton  will,  abandoned 
Emich,  and  now  cometh  the  judgment — seest  thou  this 
box  of  precious  relics  ! — dost  thou  forget  that  Limburg  is 
rich  in  these  holy  remains,  and  that  their  virtues  are  yet 
untried  ? — Woe  to  him  who  scoffeth  at  their  character,  and 
despiseth  their  power  !  " 

"  Stay  thy  hand,  Johan  ! "  cried  the  Count  hastily,  when 
he  saw  that  the  Monk  was  about  to  expose  some  of  those 
well-known  vestiges  of  mortality  to  which  the  Church  of 
Rome  then,  as  now,  attributed  miraculous  interventions ; 
"  this  is  no  moment  for  fooleries  !  " 

"  Callest  thou  this  sacred  office  by  so  profane  a  name  ! 
— abide  the  issue,  foul-mouthed  asperser  of  our  holy  au- 
thority, and  triumph  if  thou  canst ! " 

The  Count  was  much  disturbed,  for  his  reason  had  far 
less  influence  now  in  supporting  him  than  his  ambition. 
The  party  in  the  rear,  too,  began  to  waver,  for  opinion  was 
not  then  sufficiently  confirmed  to  render  the  mass  indif- 
ferent to  such  an  exposure  of  clerical  power.  Whatever 
may  be  the  difference  that  exists  between  Christian  sects 
concerning  the  validity  of  modern  miracles,  all  will  allow, 
that,  when  trained  in  the  belief  of  their  reality,  the  mind 
is  less  prepared  to  resist  their  influence  than  that  of  any 
other  engine  by  which  it  can  be  assailed,  since  it  is  placing 
the  impotency  of  man  in  direct  and  obvious  collision  with 
the  power  of  the  Deity.  Before  such  an  exhibition  of 
force,  nature  offers  no  means  of  resistance  ;  and  the  myste- 
rious and  unseen  agency  by  which  the  wonder  is  produced, 
enlists  in  its  interest  both  the  imagination  and  that  innate 
dread  of  omnipotence  which  all  possess. 

"  Twere  well  this  matter  went  no  farther ! "  said  Emich, 
uneasily  whispering  his  principal  agents. 

"Nay,  my  Lord  Count,"  answered  Berchthold,  calmly, 
"  it  may  be  good  to  know  the  right  of  the  matter.  If  we 
are  not  of  Heaven's  side  in  this  affair,  let  it  be  shown  in 
our  own  behalf  ;  and  if  the  Benedictines  are  no  better 
than  pretenders,  our  consciences  will  be  all  the  easier." 


248  THE   HEIDENMAUER.  4 

"  Thou  art  presuming,  boy — none  know  the  end  of  this! 
— Herr  Heinrich,  thou  art  silent  ? " 

"  What  would  you  have,  noble  Emich,  of  a  poor  Burgo- 
master ?  I  will  own,  I  think  it  were  more  for  the  advantage 
of  Duerckheim  that  the  matter  went  no  farther." 

"Thou  hearest,  Benedictine  !"  said  the  Count,  laying 
the  point  of  his  sheathed  sword  on  the  richly  chased  and 
much  reverenced  box  that  the  Monk  had  already  unlocked, 
— "  this  must  stop  here  !  " 

"  Take  away  the  weapon,  Emich  of  Leiningen,"  said  Fa- 
ther Johan,  with  dignity. 

The  Count  obeyed,  though  he  scarce  knew  why. 

"  This  is  a  fearful  instant  for  the  unbeliever,"  continued 
the  Monk  ;  "  the  moment  is  near  when  our  altars  shall  be 
avenged — nay,  recoil  not,  bold  Baron — remain  to  the  end, 
ye  dissolute  and  forsaken  followers  of  the  wicked,  for  in 
vain  ye  hope  to  flee  the  judgment." 

There  was  so  much  of  tranquil  enthusiasm  in  the  air  and 
faith  of  Father  Johan,  that,  spite  of  a  general  wish  to  be  at 
a  distance  from  the  relics,  curiosity,  and  the  inherent  prin- 
ciple of  religious  awe,  held  each  man  spell-bound  ;  though 
every  heart  beat  quicker  as  the  Monk  proceeded,  calmly, 
and  with  a  reverential  mien,  to  expose  the  bones  of  saints, 
the  remnants  of  mantles,  the  reputed  nails  of  the  true 
cross,  and  morsels  of  its  wood,  with  divers  other  similar 
memorials  of  holy  events,  and  of  sainted  martyrs.  Nut  a 
foot  had  power  to  retire.  When  all  were  laid,  in  solemn 
silence,  on  the  bright  and  glowing  shrine,  Father  Johan, 
crossing  himself,  again  turned  to  the  crowd. 

"  What  may  be  Heaven's  purpose  in  this  strait,  I  know 
not,"  he  said  ;  "  but  withered  be  the  hand,  and  for  ever 
accursed  the  soul,  of  him  who  dareth  violence  to  these  holy 
vestiges  of  Christian  faith  !  " 

Uttering  these  ominous  words,  the  Benedictine  faced 
the  crucifix,  and  kneeled  in  silent  prayer.  The  minute 
that  followed  was  one  of  fearful  portent  to  the  cause  of 
the  invaders.  Eye  sought  eye  in  doubt,  and  one  regarded 
the  fretted  vault,  another  gazed  intently  at  the  speaking 
image  of  Maria,  as  if  each  expected  some  miraculous  mani- 
festation of  divine  displeasure.  The  issue  would  have 
been  doubtful,  had  not  the  cherry-wood  trumpet  of  the 
cow-herd  again  sounded  most  opportunely  in  his  master's 
behalf.  The  wily  knave  blew  a  well-known  and  popular 
imitation  of  the  beasts  of  his  herd,  among  the  arches  of 


THE   ITRTDRNMAURR.  249 

the  chapel,  striking  at  the  effect  of  what  had  just  passed 
by  the  interposition  of  a.  familiar  and  vulgar  idea.  The  in- 
fluence of  the  ludicrous,  at  moments  when  the  passions 
vacillate,  or  the  reason  totters,  is  too  well  known  to  need 
elucidation.  It  is  another  of  those  caprices  of  humanity 
that  baffle  theories,  proving  how  very  far  we  are  removed 
from  being  the  exclusively  reasoning  animal  we  are  fond 
of  thinking  the  species. 

The  expedient  of  the  ready-witted  Gottlob  produced  its 
full  effect.  The  most  ignorant  of  the  castle  followers, 
those  even  whose  dull  minds  had  been  on  the  verge  of  an 
abject  deference  to  superstition,  took  courage  at  the  daring 
of  the  cow-herd  ;  and,  as  the  least  founded  in  any  belief 
are  commonly  the  most  vociferous  in  its  support,  this  por- 
tion of  the  band  echoed  the  interruption  from  fifty  hoarse 
throats.  Emich  felt  like  a  man  reprieved  ;  for  under  the 
double  influence  of  his  own  distrust,  and  the  wavering  of 
his  followers,  the  Count  for  a  moment  had  fancied  his  long- 
meditated  destruction  of  the  community  of  Limburg  in 
great  danger  of  being  frustrated. 

Encouraged  by  each  other's  cries,  the  invaders  returned 
to  their  work  laughing  at  their  own  alarm.  The  chairs  and 
confessionals  had  been  already  heaped  in  the  great  aisle, 
and  a  brand  was  thrown  into  the  pile.  Fire  was  applied 
to  the  church  wherever  there  wns  food  for  the  element,  and 
some  of  the  artisans  of  Duerckheim,  better  instructed  than 
their  looser  associates,  found  the  means  to  light  the  con- 
flagration in  such  parts  of  the  roofs  and  the  other  superior 
stories,  as  would  insure  the  destruction  of  the  pile.  In  the 
meantime,  all  the  exterior  edifices  had  been  burning,  and 
the  whole  hill,  to  the  eye  of  him  who  dwelt  in  the  valley 
beneath,  presented  volumes  of  red  flame,  or  of  lurid 
smoke. 

During  the  progress  of  this  scene,  Emich  paced  the 
choir,  partly  exulting  in  his  success,  and  partly  doubting 
of  its  personal  fruits.  Over  the  temporal  consequences 
he  had  well  pondered  ;  but  the  motionless  attitude  of 
Father  Johan,  the  presence  of  the  long-reverenced  relics, 
and  the  denunciations  of  the  Church,  still  had  their  terrors 
for  one  whose  mind  had  few  well-  grounded,  resources  to 
sustain  it.  From  this  state  of  uneasiness  he  was  aroused 
by  the  noise  of  the  sledge,  at  work  in  the  crypt.  Followed 
by  Heinrich  and  Berchthold,  the  Count  hastened  to  de- 
scend to  this  place,  which  it  will  be  remembered  contained 


250  THE   HEIDENMAUEK. 

the  tombs  and  the  chapel  of  his  race.  Here,  as  above,  all 
was  in  bright  light,  and  all  was  in  confusion.  Most  of  the 
princely  and  noble  tombs  had  already  undergone  mutila- 
tion, and  no  chapel  had  been  respected.  Before  that  of 
Hartenburg,  however,  Albrecht  of  Viederbach  stood, 
with  folded  arms  and  a  thoughtful  eye.  The  cloak  which, 
during  the  commencement  of  the  attack,  had  served  to  con- 
ceal his  person,  was  now  neglected,  and  he  seemed  to  for- 
get the  prudence  of  disguise,  in  deep  contemplation. 

"We  have  at  length  got  to  the  monuments  of  our  fathers, 
cousin  ;"  said  the  Count,  joining  him. 

"  To  their  very  bones,  noble  Emich  !  " 

"  The  worthy  knights  have  long  slept  in  evil  company  ; 
there  shall  be  further  rest  for  them  in  the  chapel  of  Harten- 
burg." 

"  I  hope  it  may  be  found,  Herr  Graf,  that  this  adventure 
is  lawful ! " 

"  How ! — dost  thou  doubt,  with  the  work  so  near  accom- 
plished? " 

"  By  the  mass  !  a  soldier  of  Rhodes  might  better  be 
fighting  your  turbaned  infidel,  than  awakening  the  nobles 
of  his  own  house  from  so  long  a  sleep,  at  so  short  a  sum- 
mons ! " 

"  Thou  canst  retire  into  my  hold,  Herr  Albrecht,  if  thy 
arm  is  wearied,"  said  Emich,  coldly  ;  "  not  a  malediction 
can  reach  thee  there." 

"  That  would  be  poor  requital  for  a  free  hospitality, 
cousin  ;  the  travelling  knight  is  the  ally  of  the  last  friend, 
even  though  there  be  some  wrong  to  general  duties.  But 
we  cavaliers  of  the  island  well  know,  that  a  retreat,  to  be 
honorable,  must  be  orderly,  and  not  out  of  season.  I  am 
with  thee,  Emich,  for  the  hour,  and  so  no  more  parley. 
This  was  the  image  of  the  good  Bishop  of  our  line  ?" 

"  He  had  some  such  reverend  office,  I  do  believe  ;  but 
speak  of  him  as  thou  wilt,  none  can  say  he  was  a  Bene- 
dictine." 

"  It  had  been  better,  cousin,  since  this  church  is  to  be 
sacked,  that  our  predecessors  had  found  other  conse- 
crated ground  for  their  dust.  Well,  we  sworn  soldiers  pass 
uneven  lives  !  It  is  now  some  twelve  months  or  so,  that 
like  a  loyal  and  professed  Rhodian,  I  stood  to  my  knees  in 
water,  making  good  a  trench  against  your  believer  in 
Houris  and  your  unbeliever  in  Christ ;  and  now,  forsooth, 
I  am  here  as  a  spectator  (none  call  me  more  with  honesty), 


THE   HEJDENMAUER.  251 

whflle  a  Christian  altar  is  overturned,  and  a  brotherhood  of 
shaven  monks  are  sent  adrift  upon  earth,  like  so  many 
disbanded  mercenaries  !  " 

"  By  the  Three  Kings  !  my  cousin,  thou  makest  a  fit 
comparison  ;  for  like  disbanded  mercenaries  have  they 
gone  forth  to  prey  upon  society  in  a  new  shape. — Spare 
the  angel  of  my  grandfather,  good  smith,"  cried  Emich, 
interrupting  himself;  "if  there  be  any  virtue  in  the 
image,  'tis  for  the  benefit  of  our  house  !  " 

Dietrich  stayed  his  uplifted  arm,  and  directed  the  in- 
tended blow  at  another  object.  The  marble  flew  in  vast 
fragments  at  each  collision  with  his  sledge,  and  the  leaders 
of  the  party  soon  found  it  necessary  to  retire,  to  avoid  the 
random  efforts  of  the  heated  crowd. 

There  no  longer  remained  a  doubt  of  the  fate  of  these 
long  known  and  much  celebrated  conventual  buildings. 
Tomb  fell  after  tomb,  monuments  were  defaced,  altars 
were  overturned,  chapels  sacked,  and  every  object  that  was 
in  the  least  likely  to  resist  the  action  of  fire  received  such 
indelible  injuries  as  rendered  its  restoration  difficult  or 
impossible. 

During  the  continuance  of  their  efforts,  the  conflagration 
had  advanced,  as  the  fierce  element  that  had  been  called 
in  to  assist  the  destroyers  is  known  to  do  its  work.  Most 
of  the  dormitories,  kitchens,  and  outer  buildings  were  con- 
sumed, so  far  as  the  materials  allowed,  beyond  redress  ; 
and  it  became  apparent  that  the  great  church  and  its  de- 
pendencies would  soon  be  untenable. 

Emich  and  his  companions  were  still  in  the  crypt,  when 
a  cry  reached  them,  admonishing  all  within  hearing  to  re- 
treat, lest  they  become  victims  to  the  flames.  Berchthold 
and  the  smith  drove  before  them  the  crowd  from  the 
crypt,  and  there  was  a  general  rush  to  gain  the  outer 
door. 

When  the  interior  of  the  church  was  clear,  the  Count 
and  his  followers  paused  in  the  court,  contemplating  the 
scene,  with  curious  eyes,  like  men  satisfied  with  their 
work.  No  sooner  was  the  common  attention  directed 
back  towards  the  spot  from  whence  they  had  just  escaped, 
than  a  general  cry,  that  partook  equally  of  wonder  and 
horror,  broke  from  the  crowd.  As  the  doors  were  all 
thrown  wide,  and  every  cranny  of  the  building  was  illu- 
minated by  the  fierce  light  of  the  flames  that  were  raging 
in  the  roofs,  the  choir  was  nearly  as  visible  to  those  with' 


252  THE  HEIDENMAU&R. 

out  as  if  it  stood  exposed  to  the  rays  of  a  noon-day  gun. 
Father  Johan  was  still  kneeling  before  the  altar. 

In  obedience  to  the  commands  of  Emich,  the  sacred 
shrine  had  been  stript  of  its  precious  vessels,  but  none 
had  presumed  to  touch  a  relic.  On  these  long  venerated 
memorials,  the  Benedictine  kept  his  eyes  riveted,  in  the 
firm  conviction  that,  sooner  or  later,  the  power  of  God 
would  be  made  manifest  in  defence  of  his  violated  temple. 

"  The  monk  !  the  monk  !  "  exclaimed  fifty  eager  voices. 

"  I  would  fain  save  the  fanatic  !  "  said  Emich,  with  great 
and  generous  concern. 

"  He  may  listen  to  one  who  beareth  this  holy  emblem," 
cried  the  Knight  of  Rhodes,  releasing  his  cross  from  the 
doublet  in  which  it  had  been  concealed.  "  Will  any  come 
with  me  to  the  rescue  of  this  mad  Benedictine  ?" 

There  was  as  much  of  repentant  atonement  in  the  offer 
of  Albrecht  of  Viederbach,  as  there  was  of  humanity.  But 
the  impulse  which  led  young  Berchthold  forward,  was 
purely  generous.  Notwithstanding  the  imminent  peril  of 
the  attempt,  they  darted  together  into  the  building,  and 
passed  swiftly  up  the  choir.  The  heat  was  getting  to  be  op- 
pressive, though  the  great  height  of  the  ceilings  still  ren- 
dered it  tolerable.  They  approached  the  altar,  advising 
the  monk  of  his  danger  by  their  cries. 

"  Do  ye  come  to  be  witnesses  of  Heaven's  power  ?"  de- 
manded Father  Johan,  smiling  with  the  calm  of  an  invet- 
erate enthusiast  ;  "  or  do  ye  come,  sore-stricken  penitents 
that  ye  have  done  this  deed  ?" 

"Away,  good  father!"  hurriedly  answered  Berchthold  ; 
"  Heaven  is  against  the  community  to-night  ;  in  another 
minute,  yon  fiery  roof  will  fall." 

"  Hearest  thou  the  blasphemer,  Lord  ?  Is  it  thy  holy 
will,  that — 

"Listen  to  a  sworn  soldier  of  the  cross,"  interrupted  Al- 
brecht, showing  his  Rhodian  emblem — "we  are  of  one 
faith,  and  we  will  now  depart  together  for  another  trial." 

"  Away  !  false  servant  !  and  thou,  abandoned  boy  ! — See 
ye  these  sainted  relics  !  — 

At  a  signal  from  the  knight,  Berchthold  seized  the  monk 
by  one  side,  while  Albrecht  did  the  same  thing  on  the 
other,  and  he  was  yet  speaking  as  they  bore  him  down 
the  choir.  But  they  struggled  with  one  that  a  long  en- 
couraged and  morbid  view  of  life  had  rendered  mad.  Be- 
fore they  reached  the  great  aisle,  the  fanatic  had  liberated 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  253 

himself,  and,  while  his  captors  were  recovering  breath,  he 
was  again  at  the  foot  of  the  altar.  Instead  of  kneeling, 
however,  Father  Johan  now  seized  the  most  venerated  of 
the  relics,  which  he  held  on  high,  audibly  imploring 
Heaven  to  hasten  the  manifestation  of  its  majesty. 

"  He  is  doomed  !  "  said  Albrecht  of  Viederbach,  retiring 
from  the  church. 

As  the  Knight  of  Rhodes  rushed  through  the  great 
door,  a  massive  brand  fell  from  the  ceiling  npon  the  pave- 
ment, scattering  its  coals  like  so  many  twinkling  stars. 

"  Berchthold  !  Berchthold  !  "  was  shouted  from  a  hun- 
dred throats. 

"  Come  forth,  rash  boy  ! "  cried  Emich,  with  a  voice  in 
which  agony  was  blended  with  the  roar  of  the  conflagra- 
tion. 

Berchthold  seemed  spell-bonnd.  He  gazed  wistfully  at 
the  monk,  and  darted  back  again  towards  the  altar.  An 
awful  crashing  above,  which  resembled  the  settling  of  a 
mountain  of  snow  about  to  descend  in  an  avalanche,  grated 
on  the  ear.  The  very  men  who,  so  short  a  time  before, 
had  come  upon  the  hill  ready  and  prepared  to  slay,  now 
uttered  groans  of  horror  at  witnessing  the  jeopardy  of 
their  fellow-creatures  ;  for,  whatever  we  may  be  in  mo- 
ments of  excitement,  there  are  latent  sympathies  in  human 
nature,  which  too  much  use  may  deaden,  but  which  noth- 
ing but  death  can  finally  extinguish. 

""Come  forth,  young  Berchthold!  come  forth,  my  gal- 
lant forester!  "  shouted  the  voice  of  the  Count  above  the 
clamor  of  the  crowd,  as  if  rallying  his  followers  with  a 
battle-cry.  "  He  will  die  with  the  wretched  monk  ! — The 
youth  is  mad  !  " 

Berchthold  was  struggling  with  the  Benedictine,  though 
none  knew  what  passed  between  them.  There  was  another 
crash,  and  the  whole  pavement  began  to  glow  with  fallen 
brands.  Then  came  a  breaking  of  rafters,  and  a  scatter- 
ing of  fire  that  denoted  the  end.  The  interior  of  the 
chapel  resembled  the  burning  shower  which  usually  closes 
a  Roman  girandola,  and  the  earth  shook  with  the  fall  of 
the  massive  structure.  There  are  horrors  on  which  few 
human  eyes  can  bear  to  dwell.  At  this  moment  nearly 
every  hand  veiled  a  face,  and  every  head  was  averted.  But 
the  movement  lasted  only  an  instant.  When  the  interior 
was  again  seen,  it -appeared  a  fiery  furnace.  The  altar 
still  stood,  however,  and  Johan  miraculously  kept  his 


254  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

post  on  its  steps.  Berchthold  had  disappeared.  The  ges« 
ticulations  of  the  Benedictine  were  wilder  than  ever,  and 
his  countenance  was  that  of  a  man  whose  reason  had  hope- 
lessly departed.  He  kept  his  feet  only  for  a  moment,  but 
withering  fell.  After  which  his  body  was  seen  to  curl  like 
a  green  twig  that  is  seared  by  the  flames. 


CHAPTER   XXII. 

"Masters,  you  ought  to  consider  with  yourselves." 

— Midsummer  Night's  Dream. 

THE  constant  moral  sentinel  that  God  hath  set  on  watch 
in  every  man's  breast,  but  which  acts  so  differently  in  dif- 
ferent circumstances,  though,  perhaps,  in  no  condition  of 
humiliation  and  ignorance  does  it  ever  entirely  desert  its 
trust,  is  sure  to  bring  repentance  with  the  sense  of  error. 
It  is  vain  to  say  that  this  innate  sentiment  of  truth,  which 
we  call  conscience,  is  the  mere  result  of  opinion  and  habit, 
since  it  is  even  more  apparent  in  the  guileless  and  untrained 
child  than  in  the  most  practised  man,  and  nature  has  so 
plainly  set  her  mark  upon  all  its  workings  as  to  prove  its 
identity  with  the  fearful  being  that  forms  the  incorporeal 
part  of  our  existence.  Like  all  else  that  is  good,  it  may 
be  weakened  and  perverted,  or  be  otherwise  abused  ;  but, 
like  everything  that  comes  from  the  same  high  source, 
even  amid  these  vicious  changes,  it  will  retain  traces  of  its 
divine  author.  We  look  upon  this  unwearied  monitor  as 
a  vestige  of  that  high  condition  from  which  the  race  fell  : 
and  we  hold  it  to  be  beyond  dispute,  that  precisely  as  men 
feel  and  admit  its  influence,  do  they  approach,  or  recede 
from,  their  original  condition  of  innocence. 

The  destruction  of  the  ^bbey  was  succeeded  by  most  of 
those  signs  which  attend  all  acts  of  violence,  in  degrees 
that  are  proportioned  to  previous  habits.  Even  they  who 
had  been  most  active  in  accomplishing  this  long-meditated 
blow  began  to  tremble  for  its  consequences  ;  and  few  in 
the  Palatinate  heard  of  the  deed,  without  holding  their 
breaths  like  men  who  expected  Heaven  would  summarily 
avenge  the  sacrilege.  But  in  order  that  the  thread  of  the 
narrative  should  not  be  broken,  we  will  return  to  our  in- 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  255 

cidents  in  their  proper  order,  advancing  the  time  but  a  few 
days  after  the  night  of  the  conflagration. 

The  reader  will  have  to  imagine  another  view  of  the 
Jaegerthal.  There  was  the  same  smiling  sun,  and  the  same 
beneficent  season  ;  the  forest  was  as  green  and  waving, 
the  meadows  were  as  smooth  and  dark,  the  hill-sides  as 
bright  beneath  the  play  of  light  and  shade,  while  the  mur- 
muring brook  was  as  limpid  and  swift,  as  when  first  present- 
ed to  his  eye  in  these  pages.  Not  a  hut  or  cottage  was  dis- 
turbed, either  in  the  hamlets  or  along  the  travelled  paths, 
and  the  Hold  of  Hartenburg  still  frowned  in  feudal  power 
and  baronial  state,  on  the  well-known  pass  of  the  moun- 
tains, gloomy,  massive,  and  dark.  But  the  hill  of  Limburg 
presented  one  of  those  sad  and  melancholy  proofs  of  the 
effects  of  violence  which  are  still  scattered  over  the  face  of 
the  old  world,  like  so  many  admonitory  beacons  of  the 
scenes  through  which  its  people  have  reached  their  present 
state  of  comparative  security  : — beacons  that  should  be  as 
useful  in  communicating  lessons  for  the  future,  as  they  are 
pregnant  with  pictures  of  the  past. 

The  outer  wall  remained  unharmed,  with  the  single  ex- 
ception of  the  principal  gate,  which  bore  the  indelible 
marks  of  the  smith's  sledges  ;  but  above  this  barrier  the 
work  of  devastation  appeared  in  characters  not  to  be  mis- 
taken. Every  roof,  and  there  had  been  fifty,  was  fallen  ; 
every  wall,  some  of  which  were  already  tottering,  was 
blackened  ;  and  not  a  tower  pointed  towards  the  sky  that 
did  not  show  marks  of  the  manner  in  which  the  flames  had 
wreathed  around  it's  slender  shaft.  Here  and  there  a 
small  thread  of  white  smoke  curled  upwards,  losing  itself 
in  the  currents  of  the  air,  resembling  so  many  of  the  les- 
sening symptoms  of  a  volcano  after  an  explosion.  A  small 
crucifix,  which  popular  rumor  said  was  wood,  but  which, 
in  fact,  was  of  painted  stone,  still  kept  its  place  on  a  gable 
of  the  ruined  church  ;  and  many  a  peasant  addressed  to  it 
his  silent  prayers,  firm  in  the  belief  that  God  had  protected 
this  image  of  His  sacrifice,  throughout  the  terrors  of  the 
memorable  night. 

In  and  about  the  castle,  there  appeared  the  usual  evi- 
dences of  a  distrustful  watch  ; — such  ward  as  is  kept  by 
him  who  feels  that  he  has  justly  become  obnoxious  to  the 
hand  of  the  constituted  powers.  The  gates  were  closed  ; 
the  sentinels  on  the  walls  and  bastions  were  doubled  ;  and, 
from  time  to  time,  signals  were  made  that  communicated 


256  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

with  lookouts,  so  stationed  on  the  hills  that  they  could 
command  views  of  the  roads  which  led  toward  the  Rhine, 
beyond  the  gorge  of  the  valley. 

The  scene  in  Duerckheim  was  different,  though  it  also 
had  some  points  of  resemblance  with  that  in  the  hold. 
There  was  the  same  apprehension  of  danger  from  without, 
the  same  watchfulness  on  the  walls  and  in  the  towers,  and 
the  same  unusual  display  of  an  armed  force.  But  in  a  town 
of  this  description,  it  was  not  easy  to  imitate  the  gloomy 
reserve  of  baronial  state.  The  citizens  grouped  together 
in  the  streets,  the  women  gossiped  as  in  all  sudden  and 
strong  cases  of  excitement,  and  even  the  children  appeared 
to  reflect  the  uneasiness  and  indecision  of  their  parents  ; 
for  as  the  hand  of  authority  relaxed  in  their  seniors,  most 
wandered  idly  and  vaguely  among  the  men,  listening  to 
catch  such  loose  expressions  as  might  enlighten  their 
growing  understandings.  The  shops  were  opened,  as 
usual,  but  many  stopped  to  discourse  at  the  doors,  while 
few  entered  ;  and  most  of  the  artisans  wasted  their  time  in 
speculations  on  the  consequence  of  the  hardy  step  of  their 
superiors. 

In  the  meantime  there  was  a  council  held  in  the  town- 
hall.  Here  were  assembled  all  who  laid  claim  to  civic 
authority  in  Duerckheim,  with  some  who  appeared  under 
the  claim  of  their  services  in  the  late  assault  upon  the 
monks.  A  few  of  the  anxious  wives  of  the  burghers,  also, 
were  seen  collected  in  the  more  public  rooms  of  the  build- 
ing ;  for  domestic  influence  was  neither  covert  nor  trifling 
in  that  uxorious  and  simple  community.  We  shall  resume 
the  narrative  within  the  walls  of  this  municipal  edifice. 

The  Burgomaster  and  other  chief  men  were  much  moved 
by  the  vague  apprehension  which  was  the  consequence  of 
their  hazardous  experiment.  Some  were  bold  in  the  au- 
dacity of  success ;  some  doubted  merely  because  the  de- 
struction of  the  brotherhood  seemed  too  great  a  good  to 
come  unmixed  with  evil  ;  some  held  their  opinions  in  sus- 
pense, waiting  for  events  to  give  a  value  to  their  predic- 
tions, and  others  shook  their  heads  in  a  manner  that  would 
appear  to  imply  a  secret  knowledge  of  consequences  that 
were  not  apparent  to  vulgar  faculties.  The  latter  class  was 
more  remarkable  for  its  pretension  to  exclusive  merit  than 
for  numbers,  and  would  have  been  equally  prompt  to  ex- 
aggerate the  advantages  of  the  recent  measure  had  the 
public  pulse  just  then  been  beating  on  the  access.  But 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  257 

the  public  pulse  was  on  the  decline,  and,  as  we  have  said, 
seeing  and  understanding  all  the  advantages  that  were  to 
be  hoped  from  the  defeat  of  Bonifacius,  uncertainty  quick- 
ened most  imaginations  in  a  manner  to  conjure  disagreea- 
ble pictures  of  the  future.  Even  Heinrich,  who  wanted  for 
neither  moral  nor  physical  resolution,  was  disturbed  at  his 
own  victory,  though  if  questioned  he  could  scarcely  have 
told  the  reason  why.  This  uneasiness  was  heightened  by 
the  fact  that  most  of  his  compeers  regarded  him  as  the 
man  on  whom  the  weight  of  the  Church's  and  of  the 
Elector's  displeasure  was  most  likely  to  fall,  though  it  is 
more  than  probable  that  his  situation  would  have  been  far 
less  prominent  had  there  been  no  question  of  any  results 
but  such  as  were  agreeable. 

This  sort  of  distinction,  so  isolated  in  defeat,  and  so  so- 
cial in  prosperity,  is  a  species  of  revenge  that  society 
is  very  apt  to  take  of  all  who  pretend  to  be  wiser  or 
better  than  itself  by  presuming  to  point  the  way  in 
cases  of  doubtful  expediency,  or  in  presuming  to  lead  the 
way  in  those  that  require  decision  and  nerve.  He  alone  is 
certain  of  an  unenvied  reputation  who,  in  preceding  the 
main  body  in  the  great  march  of  events,  leaves  no  very 
sensible  space  between  him  and  his  fellows  ;  while  he  alone 
can  hope  for  impunity  who  keeps  so  near  his  backers  as 
to  be  able  to  confound  himself  in  the  general  mass  when 
singularity  brings  comment  and  censure. 

Heinrich  fully  felt  the  awkwardness  of  his  position, 
and,  just  then,  he  would  gladly  have  compounded  for  less  of 
the  fame  acquired  by  the  bold  manner  in  which  he  had  led 
the  attack,  in  order  to  be  rid  of  some  of  his  anxiety.  Still 
a  species  of  warlike  instinct  led  him  to  put  the  best  face 
on  the  affair,  and  when  he  addressed  his  colleagues,  it  was 
with  cheerfulness  in  his  tones,  however  little  there  might 
have  been  of  that  desirable  feeling  in  his  heart. 

"Well,  brethren,"  he  said,  looking  around  at  the  knot  of 
well-known  faces  which  surrounded  him  in  the  gravity  of 
civic  authority,  "  this  weighty  matter  is,  at  length,  happily, 
and,  as  it  has  been  effected  without  bloodshed,  I  may  say, 
peaceably  over!  The  Benedictines  are  departed,  and 
though  the  excellent  Abbot  hath  taken  post  in  a  neighbor- 
ing Abbey,  whence  he  sends  forth  brave  words  to  frighten 
those  who  are  unused  to  more  dangerous  missiles,  it  will 
be  long  before  we  shall  again  hear  Limburg  bell  tolling  in 
the  Jaegerthal." 


258  TI-TK 

"  For  that  I  can  swear,"  said  the  smith,  who  was  among 
the  inferiors  that  crowded  a  corner  of  the  hall,  occupying 
as  little  space  as  possible  in  deference  to  their  head-men ; 
— "  my  own  sledge  hath  helped  to  put  the  fine-tuned  in- 
strument out  of  tune  ! " 

"  We  are  now  met  to  hear  further  propositions  from  the 
monks  ;  but  as  the  hour  set  for  the  arrival  of  their  agent 
is  not  yet  come,  we  can  lighten  the  moments  by  such 
discourse  as  the  circumstances  may  seem  to  require. 
Hast  anything  to  urge  that  will  ease  the  minds  of  the 
timid,  brother  Wolfgang? — if  so,  of  God's  name,  give  it 
utterance,  that  we  may  know  the  worst  at  once." 

The  affinity  between  Wolfgang  and  Heinrich  existed  al- 
together in  their  civic  relations.  The  former,  although  he 
coveted  the  anticipated  advantages  that  were  to  result 
from  the  downfall  of  Limburg,  had  a  constitutional  defer- 
ence for  all  superior  power,  and  was  unable  to  enjoy  the 
triumph  without  the  bitterest  misgivings  concerning  the 
displeasure  of  the  Elector  and  Rome.  He  was  aged,  too 
— a  fact  that  served  to  heighten  the  tremor  of  tones,  that, 
by  a  very  general  convention,  are  termed  raven. 

"  It  is  wise  to  call  upon  the  experienced  and  wise,  for 
counsel,  in  pressing  straits,"  returned  the  old  burgher, 
"  for  years  teach  the  folly  of  everything  human,  inclining 
us  to  look  at  the  world  with  moderation,  and  wTith  less  love 
for  ourselves  and  our  interests — 

"  Brother  Wolfgang,  thou  art  not  yet  yielding  so  fast  as 
thou  wouldest  have  us  believe,"  interrupted  Heinrich,  who 
particularly  disliked  any  discouraging  views  of  the  future. 
"  Thou  art  but  a  boy — the  difference  between  us  cannot  be 
greater  than  some  five-and-twenty  years." 

"  Not  that,  not  that ; — I  count  but  three-and-seventy, 
and  thou  mayest  fairly  number  fifty-and-five." 

"Thou  heapest  honors  on  me  I  little  deserve,  friend 
Wolfgang.  I  shall  not  number  the  days  thou  namest  these 
many  months,  and  time  marches  fast  enough  without  any 
fillips  from  us  to  help  him.  If  I  have  yet  seen  more  than 
fifty-four,  may  my  fathers  arise  from  their  graves  to 
claim  the  little  they  left  behind,  when  they  took  leave  of 
earth  ! " 

"  Words  will  make  neither  young,  but  I  could  wish  we 
had  found  means  to  lay  this  unquiet  spirit  of  Limburg, 
without  so  much  violence  and  danger  to  ourselves.  I  am 
old,  and  have  little  interest  in  life,  except  to  see  those  who 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  259 

will  come  after  me  happy  and  peaceful.  Thou  knowest 
that  I  have  neither  chick  nor  child,  neighbor  Heinrich, 
and  the  heart  of  such  a  man  can  only  beat  for  all.  'Twere, 
indeed,  folly  in  me  to  think  "of  much  else  than  of  that  great 
future  which  lies  before  us." 

"  Sapperment !  "  exclaimed  the  smith,  who  was  disposed 
to  presume  a  little  on  the  spirit. he  had  shown  in  the  late 
attack. — "Worshipful  Burgomaster,  were  Master  Wolfgang 
to  deal  out  some  of  his  stores  a  little  freely  to  the  Bene- 
dictines, the  whole  affair  might  be  quietly  settled,  and 
Duerckheim  would  be  a  great  gainer.  I  warrant  you  now, 
that  Bonifacius  would  be  glad  to  receive  a  well-told  sum 
in  gold,  without  question  or  farther  account,  in  lieu  of  his 
lodgings  and  fare  in  Limburg,  of  which  he  was  only  a  life- 
tenant  at  best.  At  least  such  had  been  my  humor,  an'  it 
had  pleased  Heaven  to  have  made  me  a  Benedictine,  and 
Bomfacius  a  smith." 

"  And  where  is  this  gold  to  be  had,  bold-speaking  arti- 
san ? "  demanded  the  aged  burgher,  severely. 

"Where  but  from  your  untouched  stores,  venerable 
Wolfgang,"  answered  the  single-minded  smith  ;  "thou  art 
old,  father,  and,  as  thou  truly  sayest,  without  offspring ; 
the  hold  of  life  is  getting  loose,  and  to  deal  with  thee  in 
frankness,  I  see  no  manner  in  which  the  evil  may  be  so 
readily  turned  from  our  town." 

"  Peace,  senseless  talker  !  dost  think  thy  betters  have  no 
other  employment  for  their  goods  than  to  cast  them  to  the 
winds,  as  thy  sparks  scatter  at  the  stroke  of  the  sledge  ? 
The  little  I  have  hath  been  gained  with  sore  toil  and  much 
saving,  and  it  may  yet  be  needed  to  keep  want  and  beg- 
gary from  my  door.  Nay,  nay,  when  we  are  young  we 
think  the  dirt  may  be  turned  to  gold  ;  hot  blood  and  lusty 
limbs  cause  us  to  believe  man  equal  to  any  labor,  aye,  even 
to  living  without  food  ;  but  when  experience  and  tribula- 
tion have  taught  us  truth,  we  come  to  know,  neighbors,  the 
value  of  pence.  I  am  of  a  long-living  stock,  Heaven  help 
us !  arid  there  is  greater  likelihood  of  my  yet  becoming  a 
charge  to  the  town  than  of  my  ever  doing  a  tithe  of  that 
this  heedless  smith  hath  hinted." 

"  By  St.  Benedict,  master !  I  hinted  naught ;  what  I  said 
was  in  plain  words,  and  it  is  this,  that  one  so  venerable  for 
his  years,  and  so  respected  for  his  means,  might  do  great 
good  in  this  strait!  Such  an  act  would  sweeten  the  few 
days  thou  yet  hast." 


S6o  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

"  Get  thee  away,  fellow ;  them  talkest  of  death  an'  it 
were  a  joke.  Do  not  the  young  go  to  their  graves  as  well 
as  the  old,  and  are  there  not  instances  of  thousands  that 
have  outlived  their  means  ?  No,  I  much  fear  that  this 
matter  will  not  be  appeased  without  mulcting  the  artisans 
in  heavy  sums  ; — but  happily,  most  that  belong  to  the 
crafts  are  young  and  able  to  pay !  " 

The  reply  of  the  smith,  who  was  getting  warm  in  a  dis- 
pute in  which  he  believed  all  the  merit  was  on  his  own 
side,  was  cut  short  by  a  movement  among  the  populace, 
who  crowded  the  outer  door  of  the  town-house  ;  the  burgh- 
ers seemed  uneasy,  as  if  they  saw  a  crisis  was  near,  and 
then  a  beadle  announced  the  arrival  of  a  messenger  from 
the  routed  community  of  Limburg.  The  civic  authorities 
of  Duerckheim,  although  assembled  expressly  with  the  ex- 
pectation of  such  a  visit,  were,  like  all  men  of  but  indif- 
ferently regulated  minds,  taken  by  surprise  at  the  moment. 
Nothing  was  digested,  no  plan  of  operations  had  been 
proposed,  and,  although  all  had  dreamed  for  several  nights 
of  the  very  subject  before  them,  not  one  of  them  all  had 
thought  upon  it.  Still  it  was  now  necessary  to  act,  and 
after  a  little  bustle,  which  had  no  other  object  than  an  idle 
attempt  to  impose  upon  the  senses  of  the  messenger  by  a 
senseless  parade,  orders  were  given  that  the  latter  should 
be  admitted. 

The  agent  of  the  monks  was  himself  a  Benedictine. 
He  entered  the  hall,  attended  only  by  the  city-guard  who 
had  received  him  at  the  gate,  with  his  cowl  so  far  drawn 
upon  his  head  as  to  conceal  the  features.  There  was  a  mo- 
ment of  curiosity,  and  the  name  of  "  Father  Siegfried"  was 
whispered  from  one  to  another,  as  each  judged  of  the  man 
by  the  exterior. 

"  Uncover,  of  Heaven's  mercy !  Father,"  said  Heinrich, 
"and  seat  thyself  as  freely  in  the  town-hall  of  Duerck- 
heim as  if  thou  wert  at  thy  ease  in  the  ancient  cloisters  of 
Limburg.  We  are  lions  in  the  attack,  but  harmless  as  thy 
marble  cherubs  when  there  is  not  occasion  for  your  true 
manly  qualities  ;  so  take  thy  seat,  of  God's  name  !  and  be 
of  good  cheer  ; — none  will  harm  thee." 

The  voice  of  the  Burgomaster  lost  its  confidence  as  he 
concluded.  The  Benedictine  was  calmly  removing  the 
cowl  ;  and  when  the  cloth  fell,  it  exposed  the  respected 
features  of  Father  Arnolph. 

"  He  that  comes  in  the  service  of  Him    I  call  master, 


THE  HEIDENMAUEK.  261 

needeth  not  this  assurance,"  answered  the  monk  ;  "  still  I 
rejoice  to  find  ye  in  this  mood,  and  not  bent  on  maintain- 
ing an  original  error,  by  further  outrages.  It  is  never  too 
late  to  see  our  faults,  nor  yet  to  repair  them." 

"  I  cry  thy  mercy,  Holy  Prior !  we  had  taken  thee  for  a 
very  different  member  of  the  fraternity,  and  thou  art  not 
the  less  welcome  for  being  him  thou  art." 

Heinrich  arose  respectfully,  and  his  example  was  fol- 
lowed by  all  present.  The  Prior  seemed  pleased,  and  a 
glow,  like  that  which  a  benevolent  hope  creates,  passed 
athwart  his  countenance.  With  perfect  simplicity  he  took 
the  offered  stool,  as  the  least  obtrusive  manner  of  induc- 
ing the  burghers  to  resume  their  seats.  The  experiment 
produced  the  effect  he  intended. 

"  I  should  pretend  to  an  indifference  I  do  not  feel,  were 
I  to  say,  Heinrich  Frey,  that  I  come  among  you,  men  to 
whom  I  have  often  administered  the  rites  of  the  Church 
during  long  and  watchful  years,  without  the  wish  to  find 
that  my  ministrations  are  remembered." 

"  If  there  dwelleth  knave  in  Duerckheim  whose  heart 
hath  not  been  touched  by  thy  good  works,  Father,  the 
hound  is  without  bowels,  and  unfit  to  live  among  honest 
people." 

"  Most  true  !  "  exclaimed  the  smith,  in  his  audible  by- 
play. "  The  Burgomaster  doth  us  all  justice  !  I  never 
struck  spark  from  iron  more  freely  than  I  will  render  re- 
spect to  the  most  reverend  Prior.  His  prayers  are  like 
tried  steel,  and  next  to  those  of  him  of  the  hermitage  are 
in  most  esteem  among  us.  Fill  me  an  abbey  with  such 
men,  and  for  one  I  shall  be  ready  to  trust  all  our  salvation 
to  their  godliness,  without  thought  or  concern  for  our- 
selves. Sapperment  !  could  such  a  community  be  found, 
it  would  be  a  great  relief  tovthe  laymen,  and  more  partic- 
ularly to  your  artisan,  who  might  turn  all  his  thoughts  to 
his  craft,  with  the  certainty  of  being  watched  by  men  ca- 
pable of  setting  the  quickest-witted  devil  at  defiance  !  " 

Arnolph  listened  to  this  digression  with  patience,  and 
he  acknowledged  the  courtesy  and  friendliness  of  his  re- 
ception by  a  slow  inclination  of  the  head.  He  was  too 
much  accustomed  to  hear  these  temporal  applications  of 
the  spiritual  interests  of  which  he  was  a  minister,  to  be 
surprised  at  anything  ;  and  he  was  too  meek  on  the  sub- 
ject of  his  own  deserving,  to  despise  any  because  they  were 
weaker  than  himself.  The  Christian  religion  seems  to  be 


262  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

divided  into  two  great  classes  of  worshippers  ;  those  who 
think  its  consolations  are  most  palpable  in  their  direct  and 
worldly  form,  and  those  whose  aspirations  are  so  spiritual- 
ized, and  whose  thoughts  are  so  sublimated  as  to  consider 
it  a  metaphysical  theory,  in  which  the  principal  object  is 
to  preserve  the  logical  harmony.  For  ourselves,  we  be- 
lieve it  to  be  a  dispensation  from  God  to  those  of  his 
creatures  who  are  fearfully  composed  of  the  material  and 
immaterial,  and  that  so  far  as  it  is  connected  with  our  pro- 
bation here,  it  is  never  to  be  considered  as  entirely  distinct 
from  one  or  the  other  of  the  great  attributes  of  our  nature. 
It  is  evident  that  such  were  not  the  views  of  the  honest 
smith  ;  and  it  is  probable  had  the  matter  been  thoroughly 
sifted,  it  would  have  been  found  that,  as  respects  Duerck- 
heim,  he  was  altogether  of  the  popular  party. 

"  Thou  comest,  Father,  like  the  dove  to  the  ark,  the 
bearer  of  the  olive  branch,"  resumed  Heinrich  ;  ''though 
for  our  northern  regions  a  leaf  of  the  oak  would  more 
likely  have  been  the  emblem,  had  Ararat  been  one  of  these 
well-wooded  hills  of  ours." 

"  I  come  to  offer  the  conditions  of  our  brotherhood,  and 
to  endeavor  to  persuade  the  misguided  in  Duerckheim  to 
accept  them.  The  holy  abbots,  with  the  right  reverend 
fathers  in  God,  the  Bishops  of  Spires  and  Worms,  now  as- 
sembled in  the  latter  city,  have  permitted  me  to  be  the 
bearer  of  their  terms,  an  office  I  have  sought,  lest 
another  should  forget  to  entreat  and  influence  in  the  de- 
sire to  menace." 

"  Gott  bewahre  !  thou  hast  done  well,  as  is  thy  wont,  ex- 
cellent Arnolph  !  Threats  are  about  as  useful  with 
Duerckheim  as  the  holy  water  is  in  our  rhenish,  both  be- 
ing well  enough  in  their  places  ;  but  he  that  cannot  be 
driven  must  be  led,  and  liquo/  that  is  right  good  in  itself 
needeth  no  flavor  from  the  Church.  As  for  this  old  mis 
understanding  between  Limburg  of  the  one  side,  and  the 
noble  Count  of  Hartenburg  with  our  unworthy  town  of 
the  other,  the  matter  may  be  said  to  be  now  of  easy  ad- 
justment, since  the  late  events  have  cleared  it  of  its 
greatest  difficulty  ;  and  so,  from  my  heart,  I  wish  thee  joy 
of  thy  mission,  and  felicitate  the  town  that  it  hath  to  treat 
with  one  so  skilful  and  so  reasonable.  Thou  wilt  find  us 
in  a  friendly  humor,  and  ready  to  meet  thee  half-wray  ;  for  I 
know  not  the  man  in  Duerckheim  that  desireth  to  push  the 
controversy  a  foot  further,  or  who  is  not  at  heart  content" 


THE  I1EIDENMAUER.  263 

"  No,  that  would  be  out  of  reason  and  charity,"  said 
the  smith,  speaking  again  among  the  auditors.  "  We 
ought  to  show  those  Benedictines  an  example  of  modera- 
tion, neighbors  ;  and  therefore  for  one,  though  no  better 
than  a  poor  artisan  that  gaineth  his  bread  by  blows  on  the 
anvil,  do  I  agree  with  the  worshipful  Heinrich,  and  say,  of 
God's  name  !  let  us  be  reasonable  in  our  demands,  and  be 
content  with  as  little  as  may  be,  in  the  settlement  of  our 
dispute." 

The  Prior  listened  patiently,  as  usual,  but  a  hectic 
glowed,  for  an  instant,  on  his  cheek.  It  disappeared,  and 
the  benevolent  blue  eye  was  again  seen  shining  amid 
features  that  the  cloister  and  the  closet  had  long  since 
robbed  of  all  other  bloom.  "Ye  know,  burghers,  of 
Duerckheim,"  he  answered,  "that  in  assailing  the  altars  of 
Limburg  ye  set  a  double  power  at  defiance  ; — that  of  the 
Church,  as  it  is  constituted  and  protected  on  earth,  and 
that  of  God.  My  errand,  at  this  moment,  is  to  speak  of 
the  first.  Our  Father  of  Worms  is  sorely  angered,  and  he 
has  not  failed  to  address  himself  directly  and  promptly  to 
our  Father  at  Rome.  In  addition  to  this  reverend  appeal, 
messengers  have  been  dispatched  to  both  the  Elector  and 
Emperor,  as  well  as  to  divers  of  the  Ecclesiastical  Princes 
who  rule  on  the  banks  of  the  Rhine.  This  is  a  fearful 
array  of  power  to  be  met  by  a  mountain  baron,  and  a  city 
whose  walls  can  be  measured  by  the  leg  in  so  short  a  time. 
But  chiefly  would  I  lay  stress  on  the  evil  that  may  flow 
from  the  displeasure  of  the  Head  of  the  Church." 

"And  should  he  read  the  late  exploit  with  severity,  rev- 
erend Prior,  what  are  we  to  look  to,  as  its  fruits  ? " 

"To  be  denounced  as  excluded  from  the  fold,  and  to  be 
left  to  the  wickedness  and  folly  of  your  own  hearts.  In  a 
word,  excommunication." 

"  Umph  ! — this  might  prove  a  short  way  of  recruiting  the 
followers  of  Brother  Luther !  thou  knowest,  holy  Arnolph, 
that  men  look  more  and  more  closely,  every  day,  into  these 
disputed  points." 

"  Would  that  they  looked  with  more  humility  and  under- 
standing !  If  ye  consider  the  denunciations  and  benedic- 
tions of  him  to  whom  has  been  confided  the  authority  to 
bless  and  to  curse  as  of  little  weight,  no  words  of  mine 
can  heighten  their  effect ;  but  all  among  ye  who  are  not 
prepared  to  go  the  length  that  your  Burgomaster  hath  just 
hinted,  may  deem  it  prudent  to  pause,  ere  they  incur  the 


264  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

heavy  risk  oi  living  under  such  a  weight  of  Heaven's  dis- 
pleasure." 

The  burghers  regarded  each  other  in  doubt,  few  among 
them  being  yet  prepared  to  push  resistance  so  far.  Some 
inwardly  trembled,  for  habit  and  tradition  were  too  strong 
for  the  new  opinions  ;  some  shrewdly  weighed  the  tempo- 
ral rather  than  the  spiritual  consequences,  and  others  ru- 
minated on  the  possibility  of  enduring  the  anathema  in  so 
good  company.  There  are  thousands  that  are  willing  to 
encounter  danger  in  large  bodies,  who  shrink  from  its  haz- 
ards alone  ;  and  perhaps  the  soldier  goes  to  the  charge 
quite  as  much  stimulated  by  the  sympathy  of  association, 
as  he  is  sustained  by  the  dread  of  shame  or  the  desire  of 
renown.  The  civic  counsellors  of  Duerckheim  now  found 
themselves  in  some  such  plight,  and  each  man  felt  assur- 
ance or  doubt,  much  as  he  happened  to  meet  with  either 
of  those  feelings  expressed  in  the  eyes  of  his  neighbor. 

"  Have  ye  any  less  godly  proposition  to  make  ?  "  asked 
Heinrich,  who  perceived  that  the  moral  part  of  his  civic 
support  began  to  waver,  "  for  these  are  points  in  which  we 
are  better  skilled  than  on  those  that  touch  your  doctrinal 
niceties." 

"  I  am  commanded  to  say,  that,  as  becomes  their  divine 
office,  the  brotherhood  of  Limburg  is  disposed  to  pardon 
and  forget,  inasmuch  as  duty  will  allow,  the  late  act  of 
Duerckheim,  on  conditions  that  may  be  named." 

"  Aye,  this  is  Christian-like,  and  will  meet  with  a  ready 
return,  in  our  dispositions.  On  our  side,  too,  holy  Prior, 
there  is  every  wish  to  forget  the  past,  and  to  look  only  to 
a  quiet  and  friendly  future — do  I  interpret  the  intentions 
of  the  town  well,  my  neighbors  ? " 

"To  the  letter  !— no  clerk  could  do  it  better."—"  Yes,  we 
are  of  the  community's  mind  ;  it  is  wise  to  live  at  peace, 
and  to  pardon  and  overlook  ; "  were  ready  answers  to  this 
appeal. 

"Thou  nearest,  Father!  a  better  mood  no  minister  or 
messenger  need  wish  !  'Fore  Heaven  !  we  are  all  of  one 
mind  in  this  particular  ;  and  I  kno\v  not  that  the  man 
would  find  safety  in  Duerckheim  who  should  talk  of  aught 
but  peace  ! " 

"  It  is  to  be  mourned  that  ye  have  not  always  been  of 
this  humor  ;  I  come  not,  however,  to  reproach,  but  to  re- 
claim ;  not  to  defy,  but  to  persuade  ;  not  to  intimidate,  but 
to  convince.  Here  are  the  written  propositions  of  the  holy 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  265 

divines  by  whom  I  am  charged  with  this  office  of  mediator, 
and  I  leave  it  for  a  time  to  your  private  consultations. 
When  ye  shall  have  well  digested  this  fit  offer,  I  will  come 
among  ye  in  peace  and  friendliness." 

The  written  proposals  were  received,  and  the  whole  as- 
sembly rose  to  do  the  Prior  honor.  As  the  latter  left  the 
hall,  he  asked  permission  of  several  of  the  burghers,  among 
whom  was  Heinrich  Frey,  to  visit  their  families,  in  the 
spirit  of  Christian  guardianship.  The  desired  consents 
were  obtained  without  demur  or  doubt,  on  the  part  of  any  ; 
for  whatever  may  be  said  or  thought  of  the  errors  of  pub- 
lic opinion,  it  is  usually  right  where  the  means  are  pos- 
sessed of  at  all  giving  it  a  true  direction.  The  high  esti- 
mation in  which  Arnolph  was  held,  by  the  mere  force  of 
popular  instinct,  was  never  more  plainly  seen  than  on  the 
present  occasion,  when  even  those  who  had  so  lately  warred 
against  the  community,  threw  open  their  doors  without 
reserve  ;  though  it  was  well  known  that  the  late  policy  of 
the  town  had  many  a  secret  enemy,  and  many  a  bitter  com- 
mentator, in  that  sex  which  is  sometimes  as  slow  to  incite 
to  violence  and  resistance,  as  at  others  it  is  thoughtless  and 
hasty. 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 

"What well-appointed  leader  fronts  us  here?" — King Henry  IV. 

THE  missive  of  the  monks  was  written  in  Latin.  At  that 
period  few  wrote  but  the  learned,  and  every  noble  or  town 
was  obliged  to  maintain  a  scholar  to  perform  what  are  now 
the  commonest  duties  of  intercourse.  The  clerkly  agent 
of  Duerckheim  had  been  educated  for  the  Church,  and  had 
even  received  the  tonsure  ;  but  some  irregularities  of  life, 
which,  as  it  would  appear,  were  not  within  the  pale  of 
clerical  privileges,  or  which  had  been  so  unguarded  as  to 
bring  scandal  on  the  profession,  compelled  him  to  give  his 
destinies  a  new  direction.  As  happens  with  most  men  who 
have  expended  much  time  and  labor  in  qualifying  them- 
selves for  any  particular  pursuit,  and  who  are  unexpect- 
edly driven  from  its  exercise,  this  individual,  who  was 
named  Ludwig,  and  who  was  often  ironically  styled  in 
common  parlance  Father  Ludwig,  never  completely  suc- 
ceeded in  repairing  the  injury  done  by  the  first  false  step 


266  THE   IIEIDENMAUER. 

he  had  made.  His  acquirement  procured  for  him  a  certain 
amount  of  consideration,  but  as  he  was  known  to  be  some- 
what free  in  his  manner  of  life,  and,  especially  as  schism 
grew  strong  in  Germany,  a  bold  skeptic  on  most  of  the 
distinctive  doctrines  of  the  Catholic  Church,  he  ever  wore 
about  his  character  some  of  that  fancied  looseness,  which 
insensibly  attaches  itself  to  all  renegades,  whether  their 
motives  be  more  or  less  corrupt.  Still,  as  he  was  known  to 
be  instructed,  the  multitude  ascribed  more  virtue  to  his 
secession  than  it  would  have  imputed  to  the  withdrawal 
from  the  fold  of  fifty  sincere  believers  ;  for  most  believed 
there  were  means  of  judging  that  belonged  to  the  initiated, 
which  did  not  fall  to  the  lot  of  those  who  worshipped  in 
the  outer  court.  We  have  daily  proofs  that  this  weakness 
reaches  into  the  temporal  interests  of  life,  and  that  opin- 
ions are  valued  in  proportion  as  there  is  believed  to  be 
some  secret  means  of  acquiring  information  ;  though  men 
rarely  conceal  anything  that  they  know  which  may  be  re- 
vealed, and  few  indeed  are  disposed  to  "  hide  their  lights 
under  a  bushel." 

Ludwig  forgot  no  part  of  the  intonation  or  emphasis, 
while  he  uttered  the  unintelligible  phrases  of  the  monkish 
missive.  His  auditors  listened  the  more  attentively,  be- 
cause they  did  not  understand  a  syllable  of  what  was  said  ; 
attention  seeming  usually  to  be  riveted  in  an  inverse  ratio 
to  the  facilities  of  comprehension.  Perhaps  some  of  the 
higher  dignitaries  flattered  themselves  that  their  inferiors 
might  be  duped  into  the  belief  of  their  attainments  ;  a  fact 
that  could  not  fail  to  increase  their  influence,  since  there 
is  no  better  evidence  of  the  innate  aspirations  of  our  in- 
tellectual being  than  the  universal  deference  that  is  paid 
to  knowledge.  We  have  hazarded  this  supposition 
against  the  civic  authorities  of  Duerckheim,  because  we 
believe  it  depends  upon  a  general  principle  of  human  am- 
bition ;  and  because  in  our  own  case,  we  well  remember 
hearing  out  a  sermon  of  more  than  an  hour's  duration  de- 
livered in  Low  Dutch,  and  in  a  damp  church  in  Holland, 
when  not  a  word,  from  the  text  to  the  benediction,  was 
understood. 

"  Right  learnedly  worded,  and  no  doubt  of  proper  cour- 
tesy !  "  exclaimed  Heinrich,  when  the  letter  was  ended,  and 
while  the  clerk  was  clearing  his  spectacles,  preparatory  to 
the  more  vulgar  version — "  It  is  a  happy  strife,  neighbors, 
in  which  such  language  passes  between  the  parties  ;  for  it 


THE  HElDEXMAt'ER.  267 

proves  that  charity  is  stronger  than  malice,  and  that  rea- 
son is  not  forgotten  merely  because  there  have  been 
blows  !" 

"  I  have  rarely  heard  braver  words,"  answered  a  fellow- 
burgher,  "or  those  that  are  better  penned  !  " 

"  Potz-tausend  !  "  muttered  the  smith  ;  "it  were  almost 
a  sin  to  dispossess  men  that  can  write  thus  ! " 

Murmurs  of  approbation  passed  through  the  crowd,  and 
not  an  individual  was  there,  with  the  solitary  exception  of 
a  gaping  idiot  that  had  stolen  into  the  hall,  who  did  not 
affect  to  have  received  more  or  less  pleasure  from  the  com- 
munication. Even  the  idiot  had  his  share  of  satisfaction, 
for,  by  the  pure  force  of  sympathy,  he  caught  gleamings 
of  a  delight  that  seemed  so  strong  and  so  general. 

Ludwig  now  commenced  translating  the  letter  into  the 
harsh,  energetic  German  of  the  Rhine.  The  wonderful 
capabilities  of  the  language  enabled  him  to  convert  the 
generalities  and  comprehensive  terms  of  the  Latin,  with  a 
minuteness  of  signification,  which  put  the  loss  of  any  shade 
of  idea  utterly  out  of  the  question. 

What  the  monks  had  meant,  and  perhaps  even  more, 
was  laboriously,  and  with  malignant  pleasure,  rendered  ; 
and  so  rendered,  as  to  give  to  each  expression  the  fullest 
weight  and  meaning. 

We  have  no  intention  of  attempting  the  office  of  trans- 
lating this  harsh  summons  ourselves,  but  must  be  content 
with  a  brief  summary  of  its  contents.  The  instrument 
opened  with  a  greeting  that  was  not  unlike  those  which 
were  sent,  in  the  first  ages  of  the  present  dispensation, 
from  the  apostles  to  the  churches  of  the  east.  It  then  con- 
tained a  short  but  pointed  narrative  of  the  recent  events, 
which  were  qualified  in  a  way  that  the  reader  can  easily 
imagine  ;  it  proceeded  to  refer  to  the  spiritual  and  tem- 
poral authorities  from  which  the  brotherhood  had  assur- 
ances of  support  ;  and  it  concluded  by  demanding,  under 
the  penalty  of  incurring  every  earthly  and  heavenly  risk, 
an  enormous  sum  in  gold,  as  a  pecuniary  reparation  for 
the  injury  done — a  complete  and  absolute  submission  of 
the  town  to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  community,  even  more 
than  was  ever  before  pretended  to — a  public  and  general 
acknowledgment  of  error,  with  a  variety  of  penances  and 
pilgrimages  to  be  performed  by  functionaries  that  were 
named — and  the  delivery  of  Heinrich  Frey,  with  eleven 
others  of  the  principal  inhabitants,  into  the  Abbot's  hands 


268  THE  HEWENMAUER. 

as  hostages,  until  all  of  these  exactions  and  conditions 
should  be  completely  and  satisfactorily  fulfilled. 

"Wh — e — e — e — w  !"  whistled  Heinrich,  when  Ludwig 
ended,  after  a  most  provoking  prolixity,  that  had  com- 
pletely exhausted  the  Burgomaster's  patience.  "  Himmel ! 
here  is  a  victory  that  is  likely  to  cost  us  our  means,  our 
characters,  our  liberties,  our  consciences,  and  our  ease  ! 
Are  the  monks  mad,  Master  Ludwig,  or  art  thou  sporting 
with  our  credulity  : — Do  they  really  speak  of  hostages, 
and  of  gold  ? " 

"  Of  a  surety,  worshipful  Herr,  and  seemingly  with  a 
right  good  will." 

"  Wilt  read  the  part  touching  the  hostages  again,  in  the 
Latin  ;  thou  mayest  have  indiscreetly  overlooked  a  con- 
junction or  a  pronoun,  as  I  think  thou  callest  these  notable 
figures  of  speech." 

"Aye,  it  were  well  to  judge  of  the  letter  by  the  Latin," 
echoed  the  smith  ;  u  one  never  knows  the  quality  of  his 
metal,  at  the  first  touch  of  the  hammer." 

Ludwig  read,  a  second  time,  extracts  in  the  original,  and, 
through  a  species  of  waggery,  by  which  he  often  took  a  se- 
cret and  consolatory  revenge  for  the  indignities  he  fre- 
quently received  from  the  ignorant,  and  which  served  him 
as  food  of  merriment  and  as  a  vent  to  his  confined  humors 
in  occasional  interviews  with  others  of  his  own  class,  he 
gave  with  singular  emphasis  the  terms  of  greeting,  which 
were,  as  usual,  embellished  with  phrases  of  priestly  bene- 
diction, as  the  part  that  especially  demanded  the  prompt 
delivery  of  Heinrich  Frey  and  his  fellows  into  the  hands  of 
the  Benedictines. 

"  Gott  bewahre ! "  cried  the  Burgomaster,  who  had 
shifted  a  leg  each  time  the  clerk  glanced  an  eye  at  him 
over  his  spectacles — "  I  have  other  concerns  than  to  sit  in 
a  cell,  and  Duerckheim  would  fare  but  badly  were  the 
town  left  without  so  large  a  share  of  its  knowledge  and  ex- 
perience. Prithee,  Master  Ludwig,  give  us  the  kinder  lan- 
guage of  these  Benedictines  ;  for  methinks  there  may  be 
found  some  words  of  peace  in  the  blessings  they  bestow." 

The  crafty  clerk  now  read,  in  the  original,  the  strongest 
of  the  denunciations,  and  the  parts  of  the  letter  which  so 
peremptorily  demanded  the  hostages. 

"  How  now,  knave  !  "  said  the  hasty  Burgomaster, "thou 
hast  not  been  faithful  in  thy  former  readings.  Thou  near- 
est, neighbors,  I  am  named  especially  in  their  benedictions  ; 


Ttf£  1IE1DENMAUER.  269 

for  you  must  know;  worthy  burghers,  that  Henricus  means 
Heinrich,  and  Frey  well  pronounced/is  much  the  same  in 
all  languages.  This  I  know  from  long  experience  in  these 
cunning  instruments.  I  owe  the  reverend  Benedictines 
grace  for  their  good  wishes,  expressed  with  this  particu- 
larity ;  though  the  manner  in  which  they  introduce  the  host- 
ages is  unseemly." 

"  I  thought  when  it  came  to  the  worst,"  muttered  the 
smith,"  that  Master  Heinrich  would  be  considered  with  es- 
pecial favor.  This  it  is,  brother  artisans,  to  be  honored  in 
one's  town,  and  to  have  a  name  ! " 

"  There  sounds  a  parley  !  "  interrupted  the  Burgomaster. 
"  Can  these  crafty  monks  have  dared  to  trifle  with  us,  by 
sending  the  choicest  of  their  flock  to  hold  us  in  discourse, 
while  they  steal  upon  us  in  armor  ? " 

The  idea  was  evidently  unpleasant  to  most  of  the  coun- 
cil, and  to  none  more  so  than  to  the  aged  Wolfgang,  whose 
years  would  seem  to  have  given  less  value  to  his  personal 
safety  than  to  the  rest.  Many  quitted  the  hall,  while  those 
that  remained  appeared  to  be  detained  more  by  their  ap- 
prehensions than  by  their  fortitude.  Heinrich,  who  was 
constitutionally  firm,  continued  the  most  undisturbed  of 
them  all,  though  even  he  went  from  window  to  window 
like  a  man  that  was  uneasy. 

"  If  the  godly  villains  have  done  this  treachery,  let  them 
look  to  it — we  are  not  vassals  to  be  hoodwinked  with  a 
cowl !  •" 

"  Perhaps,  worshipful  and  wise  Heinrich,"  said  the  crafty 
Ludwig,"  they  send  the  trumpet,  in  readiness  to  receive  the 
hostages." 

"  The  holy  Magi  curse  them,  and  their  impudent  long- 
winded  musician  ! — How  now,  fellow  ! — who  maketh  this 
tan — ta— ra — ra — at  our  gate  ? " 

"  The  noble  Count  of  Hartenburg  is  at  the  valley  side 
of  the  town,  honorable  Burgomaster,  with  a  stout  troop  of 
mounted  followers,"  announced  the  breathless  runner, 
who  came  on  this  errand.  "  He  chafes  at  the  delay,  but 
as  the  order  to  keep  fast  is  so  rigid,  the  captain  of  the 
watch  dares  not  unbar  and  unbolt  without  permission 
had." 

"  Bid  the  valiant  and   faithful  burgher  undo  his  fasten 
ings,  o'  Heaven's  name  ! — and  right   speedily.     We  should 
have  bethought  us,  excellent   neighbors,  of  the  chances  of 
this  visit,  and  had  a  care   that  our  princely  friend  were 


270  THE  HEIDEN-M AUER. 

without  this  cause  of  complaint.  But  we  should  rejoice, 
too,  that  our  people- are  so  true,  as  to  keep  their  trust  even 
against  one  so  known  and  honored.  I  warrant  ye,  neigh- 
bors, were  it  the  imperial  Karl  himself,  he  would  fare  no 
better— 

Heinrich  was  interrupted  while  vaunting  and  extolling 
the  civic  discipline,  by  the  tramping  of  horses'  feet  on  the 
pavement  below  the  windows,  and  on  looking  out  he  saw 
Emich  and  all  his  cortege  coolly  alighting. 

"  Umph  !  "  ejaculated  the  Burgomaster — "  go  forth,  and 
do  reverence  to  my  Lord  the  Count." 

The  council  awaited  in  deep  silence  the  appearance  of 
their  visitor.  Emich  entered  the  hall  with  the  assured  step 
of  a  superior,  and  with  a  countenance  that  was  clouded. 
He  bowed  to  the  salutations  of  the  council,  signed  for  his 
armed  followers  to  await  at  the  door,  and  walked  himself 
to  the  seat  which  Heinrich  had  previously  vacated,  and 
\vhich  in  truth  was  virtually  the  throne  of  Duerckheim. 
Placing  his  heavy  form  in  the  chair,  with  the  air  of  one 
accustomed  to  fill  it,  he  again  bowed,  and  made  a  gesture 
of  the  hand,  which  the  burghers  understood  to  be  an  invi- 
tation to  be  seated.  With  doubting  faces  the  awed  authori- 
ties submitted,  receiving  that  permission  as  a  boon,  which 
they  were  ready  so  lately  themselves  to  urge  as  a  civility. 
Heinrich  looked  surprised,  but,  accustomed  to  pay  great 
deference  to  his  noble  friend,  he  returned  the  bow  and 
smile — for  he  was  especially  saluted  with  a  smile — and 
took  the  second  place. 

"It  was  not  well,  my  worthy  townsmen,  to  close  your 
gates  thus  churlishly  against  me,"  commenced  the  baron  ; 
"  there  are  rights  and  honors  that  ought  to  be  respected, 
at  all  hours  and  seasons,  and  I  marvel  that  this  need  be 
taught  to  the  Duerckheimers  by  a  Count  of  Leiningen. 
I  and  my  train  were  held  at  parlance  at  your  barriers,  an' 
we  had  been  so  many  wandering  gipsies,  or  some  of  the 
free  bands  that  sell  their  arquebuses  and  lances  to  the 
highest  bidder ! " 

"  That  there  may  have  been  some  little  delay,  my  Lord 
Count — "  answered  Heinrich — 

"Little,  Burgomaster!  dost  thou  call  that  little  which 
keeps  a  noble  of  Leiningen  chafing  at  a  gate,  amid  dust 
and  heat,  and  gaping  mouths  ?  thou  knowest  not  the  spirit 
of  our  steeds,  Herr  Frey,  if  thou  imaginest  they  like  such 
sudden  checks  of  the  curb.  We  are  of  high  mettle, 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  271 

horses  and  riders,  and  must  have  our  way  when  fairly 
spurred ! " 

"There  was  every  desire,  nobly  born  Emich,  to  do  you 
honor,  and  to  undo  our  bolts  as  speedily  as  might  be  done ; 
for  this  end  we  were  about  to  depute  the  necessary  orders, 
when  we  were  suddenly  favored  with  your  gracious  and 
high  dispensing  company.  We  doubt  not  that  the  captain 
of  the  watch  reasoned  with  himself,  and  did  that,  of  good 
intention  and  of  his  own  accord,  which  he  would  speedily 
have  been  called  upon  to  do,  by  our  commands." 

"  God's  truth !  that  may  not  prove  so  true,"  answered 
Emich,  laughing.  "  Our  impatience  was  stronger  than 
your  bolts,  and  lest  the  same  oversight  might  renew  the 
inconvenience,  we  found  means  to  enter  with  little  for- 
mality." 

The  burghers  in  general  seemed  greatly  troubled,  and 
Heinrich  as  greatly  surprised.  The  baron  saw  that 
enough  had  been  said  for  the  moment  ;  and  assuming  a 
more  gracious  mien,  he  continued  in  another  strain. 

"Well,  loving  townsmen,"  he  said,  "it  is  now  a  happy 
week,  since  all  our  desires  have  been  accomplished.  The 
Benedictines  are  defeated,  the  Jaegerthal  is  at  peace  and 
under  the  sway  of  its  rightful  lord,  and  yet  the  sun  rises 
and  sets  as  before,  the  heavens  seem  as  smiling,  the  rains 
as  refreshing,  and  all  our  hopes  as  reasonable  as  of  old ! 
There  is. to  be  no  miracle  in  their  behalf,  Herr  Heinrich, 
and  we  may  fain  sleep  in  peace." 

"  That  may  depend,  Lord  Count,  on  other  humors  than 
ours.  Here  are  reports  abroad  that  are  anything  but 
pleasant  to  the  ear,  and  our  honest  townsmen  are  troubled 
lest,  after  doing  good  service  in  behalf  of  their  betters, 
they  may  yet  be  made  to  pay  all  the  charges  of  the 
victory." 

"Set  their  hearts  at  peace,  worthy  Burgomaster,  for  I 
have  not  thrust  a  hand  into  the  ecclesiastical  flame,  with- 
out thought  of  keeping  it  from  being  scorched.  Thou 
knowest  I  have  friends,  and  'twill  not  be  easy  to  put  a 
Count  of  Leiningen  to  the  ban." 

"  Nay,  we  doubt  but  little,  illustrious  noble,  of  your 
safety,  and  of  your  house's  ;  our  fear  is  for  ourselves." 

"  Thou  hast  only  to  lean  on  me,  Master  Frey.  When 
the  tie  between  us  shall  be  explained  more  clearly  to  the 
Emperor  and  the  Diet,  and  when  our  loving  wishes,  as  re- 
spects each  other,  shall  be  better  understood,  all  will  know 


272  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

that  to  strike  Duerckheim  is  to  aim  a  blow  at  me.  Whence 
cometh  this  sudden  fear,  for  last  reports  touching  your 
condition  said  that  the  town  was  firm  of  heart,  and  bent 
on  joining  Luther,  rather  than  confess  ? " 

"  Sapperment !  the  heart  must  not  always  be  judged  by 
the  countenance  !  Here  is  the  smith,  who  is  seldom  of  a 
bright  visage,  but  were  it  said  that  his  heart  is  as  black  as 
his  face,  great  injustice  would  Be  done  the  man." 

A  movement  and  a  murmur  betrayed  the  admiration  of 
those  who  crowded  the  door,  at  this  figure  of  the  Burgo- 
master. 

"  Thou  hast  some  reason  for  this  sudden  despondency  ? " 
rejoined  the  Count,  glancing  a  look  of  indifference  at  the 
artisans. 

"  Why,  to  speak  the  truth,  Lord  Emich,  Bonifacius  hath 
sent  us  a  missive,  written  in  very  fair  L'atin,  and  in  a 
scholarly  manner,  that  threatens  us  to  a  man  with  every 
Christian  wish,  from  plagues  to  downright  incurable  dam- 
nation." 

"  And  art  thou  troubled,  Heinrich,  at  a  scrawl  of  unin- 
telligible words  ! " 

"  I  know  not  what  is  to  be  understood,  Herr  Count,  if  a 
demand  for  Heinrich  Frey,  with  eleven  others  of  our  most 
respected,  as  hostages,  doubtless  to  be  kept  from  their  af- 
fairs in  some  convent  cells,  on  hard  fare,  and  hard  pen- 
ance, for  weary  months,  be  not  plain  !  To  this  .they  add 
demands  for  gold,  with  pilgrimages,  and  penances,  and 
other  godly  recreations." 

"  By  whose  hand  got  ye  this  ?  " 

"  By  that  of  the  honest  Prior,  a  man  of  so  much  bowels, 
that  I  marvel  he  should  be  the  bearer  of  a  message  so  un- 
welcome and  so  uncharitable.  But  the  best  of  us  have  our 
moments  of  weakness,  for  all  are  not  always  thoughtful  or 
just." 

"  Ha  !  Arnolph  is  afoot !— Hath  he  departed  ? " 

"  He  tarries,  my  good  lord  ;  for  look  you,  we  have  not 
yet  determined  on  the  fashion  of  our  reply." 

1  'Thou  wouldst  not  have  thought  of  sending  answer, 
without  taking  counsel  of  me,  Herr  Frey !  "  said  Emich, 
sharply,  and  much  in  the  manner  that  a  parent  reproves 
his  child.  "  I  am  luckily  arrived,  and  the  matter  shall  be 
looked  to.  Have  ye  bethought  ye  of  the  fitting  terms  ?  " 

"  No  doubt  all  have  bethought  them  much,  though  as 
yet,  none  have  uttered  their  secret  opinions.  For  one,  I 


THE   IIEIDENMAUER.  273 

cry  out  loudly  against  all  hostages,  though  none  could  be 
readier  than  I  to  undergo  this  risk  to  serve  the  town  ;  but 
it  is  admitting  an  error  in  too  plain  evidence,  and  carrieth 
with  it  a  confession  that  our  faith  is  not  to  be  depended 
on." 

This  sentiment,  which  had  long  been  struggling  in  Hein 
rich's  breast,  met  with  an  audible  echo  in  that  of  everyone 
of  the  eleven  who  were  likely,  by  situation  and  years,  to 
be  chosen  for  this  honorable  distinction  ;  and  every  man 
among  them  uttered  some  proper  phrase  concerning  the 
value  of  character,  and  the  necessity  of  so  demeaning  them- 
selves, as  not  to  cheapen  that  of  Duerckheim.  Emich  lis- 
tened coolly,  for  it  was  of  great  indifference  to  him  how 
much  the  burghers  were  alarmed,  since  their  fears  could 
only  induce  them  the  more  to  seek  support  from  his  in- 
terest and  power. 

"Thou  hast  then  refused  the  conditions  ?" 

"  We  have  done  nothing,  Herr  Count,  but  we  have 
thought  much  and  sorely,  as  hath  just  been  said.  I  take 
it,  the  gold  and  the  hostages  will  find  but  little  favor 
among  us  ;  but,  rather  than  keep  the  Palatinate  in  a  dis- 
turbed and  insecure  state,  and  as  we  are  quiet  burghers, 
who  look  to  peace  and  the  means  of  getting  their 
bread,  our  answer  may  not  be  so  short,  could  the 
matter  be  brought  down  to  a  few  chosen  penitents  and 
pilgrimages.  Though  half  of  Brother  Luther's  mind  in 
many  things,  it  were  well  to  get  quit  of  even  the  chances 
of  damnation,  for  a  few  sore  feet  and  stripes,  that  might  be 
so  managed  as  to  do  little  civic  harm." 

"  By  the  lineage  of  my  house  !  excellent  Heinrich,  thou 
dost  but  echo  my  thoughts.  The  Prior  is  a  man  with 
bowels,  and  this  matter  shall  be  speedily  arranged.  We 
must  bethink  us  of  the  details,  for  these  monks  are  close 
calculators,  and  on  a  time  are  said  to  have  outwitted  Luci- 
fer. First  then,  there  shall  be  an  offering  of  gold." 

"  Nay,  my  Lord  Count  will  consider  the  means  of  our 
town  !  " 

"  Peace,  honest  Heinrich,"  whispered  Emich,  leaning  to- 
ward the  place  where  the  Burgomaster  and  two  or  three 
of  the  principal  members  of  the  council  sat — "  We  have 
accounts  from  the  Hebrews  at  Koeln,  which  say  the  Lim- 
burg  treasures  may  be  well  applied,  in  this  manner,  to 
purchase  a  little  peace.  We  will  be  liberal  as  becomes  our 
names,"  he  now  spoke  to  all,  "and  not  send  the  brother- 
18 


274  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

hood  naked  into  a  world,  which  is  getting  every  day  less 
disposed  to  clothe  them  ;  we  must  drain  our  coffers  rather 
than  they  should  starve,  and  this  point  may  be  looked 
upon  as  settled.  As  for  our  penitents  and  pilgrims,  the 
castle  and  the  town  shall  equally  furnish  a  share.  I  can 
send  the  lieutenant  of  my  men-at-arms,  who  hath  a  nimble 
foot — Gottlob  the  cow-herd,  to  whom  punishment  is  fairly 
due,  on  many  general  accounts — and  others  doubtless  that 
may  be  found.  What  good,  of  this  nature,  can  Duerck- 
heim  supply?" 

"  We  are  a  homely  people,  high-born  Graf,  and  having 
fewer  virtues  than  our  betters,  are  not  so  well  gifted  either 
in  vices.  As  becometh  a  middle  state,  we  are  content 
with  no  great  excess  in  the  one  or  the  other  of  the  more 
striking  qualities  ;  and  yet  I  doubt  not,  neighbors,  that  at 
need  there  might  be  among  us  men  who  would  not  fare 
the  worse  for  wholesome  correction  and  fitting  penances  ? " 

Heinrich  looked  about  him,  in  an  inquiring  manner, 
while  each  burgher  passed  the  investigation  on  to  the  next, 
as  men  forward  a  glance  that  they  wish  to  think  has  no 
application  to  themselves.  The  crowd  at  the  door  recoiled 
a  pace,  and  heads  were  turned  curiously,  and  eyes  roamed 
among  the  inferiors,  with  quite  as  much  expression  as  had 
just  been  done  by  their  superiors. 

u  There  are  delinquents,  young  and  thoughtless  varlets, 
who  vex  the  town  with  their  ribaldry  and  noise,  that  it 
might  do  to  scourge  with  the  Church's  rod," — suggested 
the  tremulous  and  aged  Wolfgang. 

"  St.  Benedict  will  be  put  off  with  none  of  these,"  bluffly 
answered  the  Burgomaster  ;  "  he  must  have  men  of  sub- 
stance and  of  some  esteem,  or  the  affair  will  be  as  far  as 
ever  from  a  happy  conclusion.  What  thinkest  thou,  honest 
and  patriotic  Dietrich  ? — Thou  hast  a  constitution  to  en- 
dure, and  a  heart  of  iron." 

"  Tausend  sex  und  zwanzig  !  "  returned  the  smith  ;  "  you 
little  know  all  my  ailings,  most  worshipful  masters,  if  you 
think  I  am  near  this  force  !  I  have  difficulties  of  breath, 
that  are  only  at  peace  near  the  heat  of  the  forge,  and  my 
heart  gets  soft  as  a  feather  on  a  journey.  Then  there  is  the 
wife  and  the  young  to  wail  my  absence,  and  I  am  not 
scholar  enough  to  repeat  a  prayer  more  than  some  six  01 
ten  times  in  a  day." 

This  excuse  did  not  appear  to  satisfy  the  council,  who, 
acting  on  that  principle  of  exaction  which  is  found  among 


THE   HE1DENMAUER.  275 

all  people  and  in  all  communities,  felt  disposed  to  recollect 
the  former  services  of  the  artisan,  as  a  sort  of  apology  for 
further  claims  on  his  exertions. 

"  Nay,  for  one  that  hath  ever  been  so  free  at  the  wish  of 
Duerckheim,  this  plea  cometh  with  an  ill  grace,"  answered 
Heinrich. — a  sentiment  that  was  audibly  repeated  in  a  gen- 
eral exclamation  of  discontent  by  all  the  other  burghers. — 
"  We  expected  other  reply  from  thee  ! " 

"  Well,  since  the  worshipful  council  expects — but  there 
will  be  the  wife  and  the  young,  with  none  to  care  for 
them  ! " 

"  That  difficulty  may  be  disposed  of — thou  hast  six,  if  I 
remember,  in  thy  household  ? " 

"  Ten,  honorable  Heinrich — not  a  mouth  less  than  half 
a  score,  and  all  of  an  age  to  require  much  food  and 
strong." 

"  Here  are  all  but  two  of  our  dozen,  in  a  word,  noble 
Emich,"  promptly  added  the  Burgomaster;  "and  of  a 
scriptural  quality,  for  we  are  told,  the  prayers  and  sacri- 
fices of  the  young  and  innocent  are  acceptable.  Thanks, 
honest  smith,  and  more  than  thanks  :  thou  shalt  have  marks 
of  a  quality  different  from  those  left  by  the  scourge.  No 
doubt  the  others  may  be  picked  up  among  the  useless  and 
idle." 

"  Our  affairs  seem  settled,  loving  burghers,"  answered 
the  Count.  "  Leave  me  to  dispose  of  the  question  of  in- 
demnity, and  look  ye  to  the  penitents,  and  to  the  seemli- 
ness  of  the  atonement.  Ye  may  retire,  ye  that  throng  the 
way." — The  mandate  was  hurriedly  obeyed,  and  the  door 
closed. — "  As  for  support  at  Heidelberg  and  Madrid,"  con- 
tinued the  Count,  "  the  matter  hath  been  looked  to  ;  and 
should  the  complaint  be  pushed  beyond  decency  at  Rome, 
we  have  always  Brother  Luther  as  an  ally.  Bonifacius 
wanteth  not  for  understanding,  and  when  he  looks  deeper 
into  our  defences,  and  into  the  humor  of  the  times,  I  know 
him  for  one  that  will  be  disposed  to  stay  an  evil,  before  it 
becomes  an  incurable  sore.  These  shaven  crowns,  Master 
Heinrich,  are  not  like  us  fathers  of  families,  much  troubled 
for  posterity  ;  for  they  leave  no  name  or  blood  behind 
them  ;  and  so  long  as  we  can  fairly  satisfy  their  present 
longings,  the  truce  may  be  considered  as  more  than  half 
concluded.  To  strip  a  churchman  of  his  hoardings,  needeth 
but  a  bold  spirit,  a  present  bribe,  and  strong  hand." 

The  whole  council   murmured  its  apprpval  of  this  rea- 


276  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

soning,  and  the  discussion  now  took  a  turn  more  inclining 
to  the  details. 

Emich  grew  gracious,  and  the  burghers  bolder.  Some 
even  laughed  openly  at  their  late  apprehensions,  and  near- 
ly all  thought  they  saw  a  final  settlement  of  this  long-dis- 
puted and  serious  question.  The  Prior,  who  had  been 
engaged  in  visits  of  religious  charity  in  the  town,  was  soon 
summoned,  and  the  Count  assumed  the  office  of  com- 
municating the  common  answer. 

The  meeting  between  Emich  and  Father  Arnolph  was 
characteristic.  It  took  place  in  the  public  hall,  and  in 
the  presence  of  a  few  of  the  principal  burghers.  The 
Count  was  at  first  disposed  to  be  haughty,  imperious, 
and  even  repulsive  ;  but  the  Monk  was  meek,  earnest,  and 
calm.  The  effect  of  this  forbearance  was  quickly  appar- 
ent. Their  intercourse  soon  grew  more  courteous,  for 
Emich,  when  not  excited,  or  misled  by  the  cupidity  that 
disgraced  the  age,  possessed  most  of  the  breeding  of  his 
peers.  On  the  other  hand,  Arnolph  never  lost  sight 
of  his  duties,  the  chiefest  of  which  he  believed  to  be 
charity. 

"Thou  art  the  bearer  of  the  olive  branch,  holy  Prior," 
said  the  Count,  as  they  took  their  seats,  after  some  little 
previous  parley  ;  "and  pity  'tis,  that  all  who  wear  the  cowl, 
did  not  as  well  comprehend  the  pleasantest  quality  of  their 
sacred  characters.  The  world  would  grow  less  quarrel- 
some, arid  we  who  worship  in  the  court  of  the  temple, 
would  be  less  disturbed  by  doubts  touching  those  who  lift 
its  veil." 

"  I  did  not  look  to  hold  discussion  of  clerkly  duties  with 
thee,  Lord  Count,  when  my  superior  sent  me  on  this  er- 
rand to  the  town  of  Duerckheim,"  mildly  answered  the 
monk,  indifferent  to  the  other's  wily  compliments.  "Am 
I,  then,  to  consider  the  castle  and  the  council  as  one  ?" 

"  In  heart,  humor,  and  interests  ; — I  might  add  also,  in 
rights  and  sovereignty ;  for,  now  all  question  of  the  Abbey 
is  settled,  the  ancient  temporal  rule  is  replaced. — Say  I 
well,  loving  burghers  ?" 

"  Umph !"  ejaculated  Heinrich.  The  rest  bent  their 
heads,  though  doubtingly,  like  men  taken  by  surprise. 
But  Emich  seemed  perfectly  satisfied. 

"It  is  of  no  great  moment  who  governs  here,  since  the 
wrong  done  to  God  and  our  brotherhood  must  be  repaired 
by  those  who  have  committed  it.  Hast  thou  examined  the 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  277 

missive  of  the  Abbey,  Herr  Burgomaster,  and  art  ready 
with  the  reply  ?" 

"  This  duty  hath  been  done,  reverend  Arnolph,  and  here 
is  our  answer.  As  for  the  letter,  it  is  our  mature  opinion, 
that  it  hath  been  indited  in  a  fair  hand,  and  in  very  learned 
Latin,  as  befitteth  a  brotherhood  of  so  much  repute.  We 
deem  this  more  creditable,  since  there  have  been  some  late 
heavy  losses  in  books,  and  he  who  did  this  might  not  have 
the  customary  aid  of  materials  to  which  use  had  made  him 
familiar.  As  for  what  hath  been  said  in  the  way  of  greet- 
ing and  benedictions,  holy  Prior,  we  are  thankful,  and 
most  especially  for  the  part  that  is  of  thy  share,  which 
we  esteem  to  be  of  particular  unction  ;  in  mine  own  behalf, 
especially  would  I  thank  all  of  the  convent  for  the  manner 
in  which  my  name  hath  been  introduced  into  their  good 
wishes  ;  though  I  must  add,  it  were  better  that  he  who 
wrote  had  been  content  to  stop  there,  since  these  frequent 
introductions  of  private  personages,  in  matters  of  general 
concernment,  are  apt  to  raise  envy  and  other  evil  passions. 
As  respecting,  moreover,  any  especial  pilgrimages  and 
penances  in  my  own  person,  I  feel  not  the  occasion,  as 
would  doubtless  be  the  fact  at  need,  since  we  see  most 
men  pricked  on  to  these  mortifications  by  their  own  con- 
sciences." 

"  The  expiation  is  not  sought  for  particular  consolation, 
neither  is  it  desired  as  a  balm  to  the  Convent's  wounds, 
but  as  an  humble  and  a  necessary  atonement  to  God.  In 
this  view  have  we  deemed  it  important  to  choose  those 
who  are  most  esteemed  among  men,  since  it  is  before  the 
eyes  of  mankind  that  the  expiation  must  be  made.  I  am 
the  bearer  of  similar  proposals  to  the  Castle,  and,  by  high 
ecclesiastical  authority,  am  I  charged  to  demand  that  its 
well-born  lord,  himself,  make  these  acknowledgments  in 
his  own  person.  The  sacrifice  of  the  honored  and  innocent 
hath  more  flavor  than  that  of  the  mean  and  wicked." 

"  Potz  Tausend  !  "  muttered  Heinrich. — "  I  see  little 
use  for  leading  a  clean  life  with  such  doctrines  and  disci- 
pline !  " 

But  Emich  heard  the  proposal  without  a  frown.  Bold, 
haughty,  and  audacious,  he  was  also  deeply  artful  and 
superstitious.  For  years,  his  rude  mind  had  been  tor- 
mented by  conflicting  passions — those  of  cupidity  and  re- 
ligious dread  ;  and  now  that  the  former  was  satisfied,  he 
had  begun  to  reflect  seriously  of  appeasing  his  latent  ap* 


278  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

prehensions  in  some  effectual  manner.  Plans  of  various 
expiatory  offerings  had  already  crossed  his  mind,  and  so 
far  from  hearing  the  declaration  of  the  Benedictine  with 
resentment,  he  entertained  the  idea  with  pleasure.  It 
seemed  an  easy  and  cheap  expedient  of  satisfying  all  scru- 
ples ;  for  the  re-establishment  of  the  community  on  the 
hill  of  Limburg  was  a  condition  he  knew  to  be  entirely 
out  of  the  question,  in  the  present  state  of  the  public  mind 
in  Germany.  In  this  humor,  then,  did  he  reply.  The  con- 
ference of  course  proceeded  harmoniously,  and  it  was  pro- 
tracted for  several  hours.  But  as  its  results  will  be  more 
regularly  developed  in  the  course  of  the  narrative,  we 
shall  not  anticipate  events. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

"  In  a  strange  land 

Such  things,  however  trivial,  reach  the  heart, 
And  through  the  heart  the  head,  clearing  away 
The  narrow  notions  that  grew  up  at  home, 
And  in  their  place  grafting  good-will  to  all." — ROGERS. 

IT  is  necessary  to  advance  a  few  weeks  in  the  order  of 
time  ;  a  change  that  will  bring  us  to  the  middle  of  the 
warm  and  generous  month  of  July.  The  hour  was  towards 
the  close  of  day,  and  the  place  and  scenery  such  as  it  is 
now  our  duty  to  describe. 

Let  the  reader  imagine  a  high  naked  down,  whose  sur- 
face was  slightly  broken  by  irregularities.  Scarce  a  tree 
was  visible  over  the  whole  of  its  bald  face,  though  a  few 
stunted  shrubs  betrayed  the  efforts  of  the  earth -to  push 
forth  a  meagre  vegetation.  The  air  was  pure,  thin,  and 
volatile,  and,  together  with  the  soft  blue  of  the  void,  de- 
noted a  great  elevation  above  the  vapors  and  impurities 
which  linger  nearer  to  regions  that  lie  on  the  level  of  the 
sea.  Notwithstanding  these  never-failing  signs  of  a  moun- 
tain country,  here  and  there  were  to  be  seen  distant  peaks, 
that  shot  upward  into  the  fierce  light,  glittering  with  ever- 
lasting frost.  Along  one  side  of  this  naked  expanse,  the 
land  fell  suddenly  away,  towards  a  long,  narrow  sheet  of 
water,  which  lay  a  thousand  feet  below.  The  shores  of 
this  lake,  for  such  it  was,  were  clothed  with  innumep 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  279 

able  white  dwellings,  and  garnished  with  hamlets  and  vine- 
yards, while  a  walled  town,  with  its  towers  and  battle- 
ments, occasionally  darkened  the  shores.  But  these  were 
objects  scarcely  to  be  seen,  from  the  precise  situation 
which  we  desire  the  mind  of  the  reader  to  occupy.  In  the 
distant  view,  always  in  that  direction,  one  favorably  placed 
might  have  seen  a  vast  range  of  undulating  country,  stretch- 
ing towards  the  north  and  east,  that  had  the  usual  charac- 
teristics of  a  region  in  which  Alpine  mountains  begin 
gradually  to  melt  into  the  plain.  This  region  was  beauti- 
fied with  several  spots  of  dark  blue,  resembling  so  many 
deep  reflections  of  the  skies,  which  were  sheets  of  limpid 
and  tranquil  water.  Towards  the  south  and  west,  the  down 
was  bounded  by  a  natural  wall  of  rude  and  gray  rock,  that 
rose,  in  nearly  all  its  line,  to  the  elevation  of  a  mountain, 
and  which  shot  up  to  a  giddy  height,  near  its  centre,  in  two 
pointed  cones,  that,  by  their  forms,  coupled  with  other 
circumstances  that  shall  be  soon  explained,  had  obtained 
the  name  of  the  "  Mitres." 

Near  the  barrier  of  mountain,  and  almost  directly  be- 
neath these  natural  mitres,  was  a  small  village,  whose 
houses,  constructed  of  wood,  had  the  wide  roofs,  numer- 
ous windows,  and  the  peculiar  resin-like  color  of  Swiss 
habitations. 

The  place  was  a  hamlet,  rather  than  a  village,  and  most 
of  the  land  around  it  lay  at  waste,  like  all  that  was  visible 
for  miles,  in  every  direction.  On  a  rising  ground  near  the 
hamlet,  from  which  it  was  separated  merely  by  a  large  es- 
planade, or  green,  as  we  should  be  apt  to  term  the  spot, 
stood  one  of  those  mazes  of  roofs,  chimneys,  and  towers, 
which  in  that  age,  and  indeed,  even  now,  mark  a  conven- 
tual pile.  The  edifices  were  large,  complicated  in  their 
forms  and  order,  and  had  been  constructed  without  much 
architectural  knowledge  or  taste  ;  the  air  of  the  whole  be- 
ing that  of  rude  but  abundant  wealth.  In  the  centre  was 
a  church,  or  chapel,  evidently  of  ancient  existence  and 
simple  origin,  though  its  quaint  outlines  were  elaborately 
decorated,  after  the  fashion  of  the  times,  by  a  variety  of 
after-thoughts,  in  a  manner  to  show  that  means  were  not 
wanting  to  render  the  whole  more  magnificent,  and  that 
the  fault  of  the  construction  lay  rather  in  the  first  idea, 
than  in  any  subsequent  ability  or  inclination  to  repair  it. 

The  site  of  this  hamlet  and  down  was  in  the  celebrated 
Canton  of  Schwytz,  a  small  district  that  has  since  given  its 


280  THE  nEIDEXMAl'ER. 

name  to  the  heroic  confederation  that  occupies  so  much 
of  the  country  among  and  near  the  Western  Alps.  Its 
name  was  Einsiedlen  ;  the  monastic  buildings  belonged 
to  a  convent  of  Benedictines,  and  the  church  contained 
one  of  the  shrines  even  then  most  in  repute,  after  that  of 
Loretto.  Time  and  revolutions  have  since  elevated  our 
Lady  of  Einsiedlen,  perhaps,  to  the  very  highest  rank 
among  the  pilgrimages  of  the  Catholic  ;  for  we  have  lately 
seen  thousands  crowding  her  altars,  while  we  found  the 
Santa  Casa  abandoned  chiefly  to  the  care  of  its  guardians, 
or  subject  to  the  casual  inspection  of  curious  heretics. 

Having  thus  described  the  spot  to  which  the  scene  is 
shifted,  it  is  proper  to  refer  to  the  actors. 

At  a  point  distant  less  than  a  league  from  the  hamlet, 
and  on  the  side  of  the  open  down  just  mentioned,  which 
lies  next  to  the  steep  ascent  from  the  lake  of  Zurich,  and 
in  the  direction  of  the  Rhine,  there  came  a  group  of  trav- 
ellers of  both  sexes,  and  apparently  of  all  ages  between 
declining  manhood  and  vigorous  youth.  They  were  afoot, 
wearing  the  garb  and  symbols  of  pilgrims.  Weariness  had 
caused  them  to  lengthen  their  line,  and  they  went  in  pairs, 
the  strongest  in  front,  the  feeble  and  more  fatigued  in  the 
rear. 

In  advance  marched  two  men.  One  wore  the  gown  and 
cowl  of  a  Benedictine,  while  he  carried,  like  the  rest,  the 
staff  and  wallet  of  a  pilgrim.  His  companion  had  the  usual 
mantle  decorated  with  scollop  shells,  and  also  bore  his 
scrip  and  stick.  The  others  had  the  same  attire,  with  the 
usual  exceptions  that  distinguish  the  sexes.  They  con- 
sisted of  two  men  of  middle  age,  who  followed  those  in 
front ;  two  of  each  sex  in  pairs,  all  still  young  and  active  ; 
two  females,  who  were  in  their  prime,  though  wearied  and 
sad  ;  and  a  maiden,  who  dragged  her  limbs  after  them  with 
a  difficulty  disproportioned  to  her  years.  At  the  side  of 
the  latter  was  a  crone,  whose  infirmities  and  age  had  en- 
abled her  to  obtain  the  indulgence  of  an  ass,  on  wThich  she 
was  seated  comparatively  at  her  ease  ;  though,  by  a  li- 
cense that  had  been  winked  at  by  the  monk,  her  saddle 
was  encumbered  with  the  scrips  of  most  of  the  female  pen- 
itents. In  the  rear  of  all  came  two  males,  who  seemed  to 
form  a  sort  of  rear  guard  to  the  whole  party. 

This  group  was  composed  of  the  Prior  and  Emich,  who 
led  the  van  ;  of  Heinrich,  and  Dietrich,  the  smith  ;  of 
Gisela  and  Gottlob,  with  a  youth  and  maiden  from  Duerck' 


THE  IIEIDEN'MAURR.  281 

heim  ;  of  Ulrike  and  Lottchen,  of  Meta  and  Use,  and  of 
M.  Latouche  and  the  Knight  of  Rhodes.  These  were  the 
penitents  chosen  to  expiate  the  late  offence  to  the  majesty 
of  God,  by  prayers  and  mortifications  before  the  shrine  of 
Einsiedlen.  The  temporal  question  had  been  partially  put 
at  rest,  by  the  intrigues  and  influence  of  the  Count,  backed, 
as  he  was,  by  timely  applications  of  gold,  and  by  the  in- 
creasing heresy  that  had  effectually  shaken  the  authority 
of  the  Church  throughout  all  Germany,  and  which  had 
sufficiently  apprized  the  practised  Bonifacius,  and  his  su- 
periors, of  the  expediency  of  using  great  moderation  in 
their  demands. 

"  St.  Benedict  make  us  thankful,  holy  father  !  "  said  the 
Count,  as  his  gratified  eye  first  beheld  the  long-wished-for 
roofs  of  the  Convent. — "  We  have  journeyed  a  weary  dis- 
tance ;  and  this  snail's  pace,  which,  in  deference  to  the 
weak,  we  are  bound  to  observe,  but  little  suits  the  impa- 
tience of  a  warrior  accustomed  to  steed  and  spur.  Thou 
hast  often  visited  this  sacred  shrine,  pious  Arnolph  ? " 

The  Monk  had  stopped,  and  with  a  tearful  eye  he  stood 
gazing,  in  religious  reverence,  at  the  distant  pile.  Then 
kneeling  on  the  grass,  he  prayed,  while  the  others,  accus- 
tomed to  these  sudden  demonstrations  of  zeal,  gladly 
rested  their  limbs,  the  while. 

"  Never  before  hath  eye  of  mine  greeted  yon  holy  pile," 
answered  the  Prior,  as  they  slowly  resumed  their  journey  ; 
''though  often,  in  night  dreams,  hath  my  soul  yearned  for 
the  privilege  !  " 

"  Methinks,  Father,  thou  hast  little  occasion  for  peni- 
tence or  pilgrimage  : — thou,  whose  life  hath  rolled  on  in 
deeds  of  Christian  charity  and  love." 

"  Each  day  brings  its  evil,  and  each  day  should  have  its 
expiation." 

"Truly,  not  in  marches  over  stony  and  mountain  paths, 
like  these  we  travel.  Einsiedlen  must  have  especial  vir- 
tue, to  draw  men  so  far  from  their  homes  to  do  it  honor. 
Hast  the  history  of  the  shrine  at  command,  reverend 
Prior?" 

"  It  should  be  known  to  all  Christians,  and  chiefly  to  the 
pilgrim.  I  had  thought  thee  instructed  in  these  great 
events  !  " 

"  By  the  Magi  !— to  speak  thee  honestly,  Father  Ar- 
nolph, the  little  friendship  which  hath  subsisted  between 
Limburg  and  my  house,  had  given  a  disrelish  for  any 


282  THE   HEIDENMAURR. 

Benedictine  miracle,  let  it  be  of  what  quality  it  would  ;  but 
now  that  we  are  likely  to  be  so  lovingly  united,  I  could 
gladly  hear  the  tale,  which  will  at  least  serve  to  divert  our 
thoughts  from  a  subject  so  grovelling  as  our  own  feet ;  for 
to  conceal  nothing,  mine  make  most  importunate  appeals 
to  be  at  rest !  " 

"  Our  journey  draweth  near  its  end  ;  but,  as  thy  request 
is  reasonable,  it  shall  be  answered.  Listen,  then,  Emich, 
and  may  the  lesson  profit  thy  soul!  During  the  reign  of 
the  illustrious  and  warlike  Charlemagne,  who  governed 
Gaul,  with  so  much  of  our  Germany  and  the  country  of 
the  Franks,  there  lived  a  youth  of  the  ancient  family  of 
Hohenzollern,  branches  of  which  still  possess  principalities 
and  marches  in  the  empire.  The  name  of  this  learned  and 
pious  youth  was  Meinard.  Early  fatigued  with  the  vani- 
ties of  life,  he  sought  a  hermitage,  nearer  than  this  to  the 
banks  of  that  lake  which  we  so  lately  crossed  at  Rapper- 
schwyl.  But,  overburdened  by  the  number  of  the  curious 
and  pious  who  visited  his  cell,  the  holy  Meinard,  after  sev- 
en years  of  prayer,  retired  to  a  clear  fountain,  which  must 
still  run  near  yonder  church,  where  another  cell  and  a 
chapel  were  built  for  him,  expressly  by  command  of  Hil- 
degarde,  a  royal  lady,  and  the  Abbess  of  a  monastery  in 
the  town  of  Zurich.  Here  Meinard  lived  and  here  he  died, 
filled  with  grace,  and  greatly  blessed  by  godly  exercises." 

"  Father,  had  he  a  profitable  and  happy  end,  in  this  wild 
region  ! " 

"  Spiritually,  nothing  could  have  been  more  desirable  ; 
temporally,  naught  more  foul.  He  died  by  the  hands  of 
vile  assassins,  to  whom  he  had  rendered  hospitality.  The 
deed  was  discovered  by  means  of  two  crows,  who  followed 
the  murderers  to  Zurich,  where  they  were  taken  and  ex- 
ecuted— at  least,  so  sayeth  tradition.  In  a  later  age,  the 
holy  Meinard  was  canonized  by  Benedict  VIII.  For  nearly 
half  a  century,  the  cell  of  Meinard,  though  in  great  request 
as  a  place  of  prayer,  remained  without  a  tenant  ;  but  at 
the  end  of  that  period,  Beurun,  a  canon  of  the  house  of 
Burgundy,  which  house  then  ruled  most  of  the  country  far 
and  near,  caused  the  chapel  and  cell  to  be  repaired,  re- 
placed the  image  of  the  blessed  Maria,  and  devoted  his  own 
life  to  the  hermitage.  The  neighboring  Seigneurs  and 
Barons  contributed  to  endow  the  place,  and  divers  holy 
men  joined  themselves  to  the  service  of  the  altar,  from 
which  circumstance  the  shrine  obtained  the  name  of  our 


TITE   IIEIDENMACEK.  283 

'Lady  of  the  Hermits,' its  true  appellation  to  this  hour. 
It  would  weary  thee  to  listen  to  the  tale  of  miracles  per- 
formed in  virtue  of  their  prayers,  even  in  that  early  and 
less  gifted  condition  of  the  place  ;  but  its  reputation 
so  circulated  that  many  came  from  afar  to  see  and  to  be- 
lieve. In  the  process  of  time,  a  regular  community  was 
established,  and  the  church  thou  seest  was  erected,  con- 
taining in  its  nave  the  original  cell,  chapel,  and  image  of 
Saint  Meinard.  Of  the  brotherhood,  Saint  Eberhaud  was 
named  the  Abbot." 

"  I  had  thought  there  was  still  higher  virtue  in  the 
place  !  "  observed  Emich,  when  the  Prior  paused,  and  seem- 
ingly a  little  disappointed  ;  for  your  deep  sinner  as  little 
likes  a  simple  dispensation,  as  the  drunkard  relishes  small 
drinks. 

"  Thou  shalt  hear.  When  the  buildings  were  completed, 
and  it  became  necessary  to  consecrate  the  place,  agree- 
ably to  the  forms  and  usages  of  the  Church,  Conrad  Bishop 
of  Constance,  was  invited  to  discharge  the  holy  office. 
Here  cometh  the  wonderful  favor  of  Heaven  !  As  Conrad 
of  Constance,  with  other  pious  men,  arose  to  pray,  at 
midnight  of  the  day  appointed  for  the  service,  they  sud- 
denly heard  divine  music  most  sweetly  chanted  by  angels. 
Though  sore  amazed  and  impressed,  they  were  still  suffi- 
ciently masters  of  their  reason  to  discover  that  the  unseen 
beings  sang  the  prescribed  formula  of  the  consecration, 
that  office  which  they  were  preparing  themselves  to  per- 
form a  few  hours  later.  Satisfied  with  this  especial  and 
wonderful  interference,  Conrad  would  have  abstained 
from  repeating  a  service  which  had  already  been  thus  per- 
formed, but  for  the  demands  and  outcries  of  the  ignorant. 
But  when,  after  hours  of  delay,  he  was  about  to  yield  to 
their  impatience,  a  clear  voice  three  times  admonished 
him  of  the  blasphemy,  by  saying,  '  Cease,  brother  !  thy 
chapel  is  divinely  consecrated  ! '  From  that  moment  the 
place  is  so  esteemed,  and  all  our  rites  are  performed  as  at 
a  shrine  of  high  behest  and  particular  virtue." 

Emich  crossed  himself  devoutly,  having  listened  in  per- 
fect faith,  and  with  deep  interest  ;— for  at  that  moment 
early  impressions  were  stronger  than  the  modern  doubts. 

"  It  is  good  to  be  here,  father,"  he  reverently  answered  ; 
"  I  would  that  Ermengarde,  and  all  of  my  house,  wrere  at 
my  side  !  But  are  there  any  especial  favors  accorded  to 
those  who  come  hither,  in  a  fitting  temper,  in  the  way  of 


284  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

temporal  gifts  or  political  considerations ;  since,  being  be« 
fore  a  shrine  so  holy,  I  could  fain  profit  by  the  sore  pains 
and  privations  by  which  the  grace  is  gained  ? " 

The  Prior  seemed  mortified,  for,  though  he  lent  the 
faith  required  by  the  opinions  of  the  age  to  the  tradition 
he  had  recounted,  he  was  too  well  instructed  in  the  true 
doctrines  of  his  Church  not  to  perceive  the  false  bias  of  his 
companion's  mind.  The  embarrassment  caused  a  silence, 
during  which  the  reader  is  to  imagine  that  they  passed  on, 
giving  place  to  other  personages  of  the  tale. 

Before  turning  to  another  group,  however,  we  desire  to 
say  distinctly,  that,  in  relating  the  manner  of  the  miracu- 
lous consecration  of  the  chapel  of  *  Our  Lady  of  the  Her- 
mits,' we  have  wished  merely  to  set  the  tradition  before  the 
reader  without  inferring  aught  for,  or  against,  its  authen- 
ticity. It  is  well  known  that  the  belief  of  these  super- 
natural interferences  of  Divine  Power  forms  no  necessary 
part  of  doctrine,  even  in  that  Church  which  is  said  to  be 
the  most  favored  by  these  dispensations  ;  and  it  ought 
always  to  be  remembered  that  those  sects  which  impugn 
these  visible  and  physical  signs  of  Omnipotence,  entertain 
opinions  of  a  more  purely  spiritual  character,  that  are 
scarcely  less  out  of  the  course  of  ordinary  and  vulgar 
nature.  In  cases  in  which  there  exist  so  nice  shades  of 
distinction,  and  in  which  truth  is  so  difficult  of  discovery, 
it  is  our  duty  to  limit  ourselves  to  popular  facts,  and  as 
such  have  we  given  the  history  of  Einsiedlen,  its  Ab- 
bey, and  its  Virgin.  The  opinion  of  Father  Arnolph  is 
the  local  opinion  of  our  own  times,  and  it  is  the  opin- 
ion of  thousands  who,  even  now,  yearly  frequent  the 
shrine. 

Heinrich  and  the  smith  were  the  couple  next  to  the 
Count  and  the  Prior,  and  of  course  they  were  the  next  to 
cross  the  stage. 

"  It  is  no  doubt  much,  or  I  may  add  altogether  as  you 
say,  Worshipful  Burgomaster — 

<;  Brother  Pilgrim,"  ruefully  interrupted  Heinrich. 

"  I  should  have  said,  Brother  Worshipful  Pilgrim,— 
though,  Heaven  it  knows,  the  familiarity  goes  nigh  to 
choke  me  ! — but  it  is  much  as  you  say,  that  whether  we 
cling  to  Rome,  or  finally  settle  quietly  into  the  new  wor- 
ship of  Brother  Luther,  this  journey  ought,  in  all  fairness, 
to  be  set  dowrn  to  our  account,  as  of  so  much  virtue  ;  for, 
look  you,  Brother  Worshipful,  it  is  made  at  the  cost  of 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  285 

Christian  flesh  and  blood,  and  therefore  should  it  be 
savory,  without  much  particularity  concerning  mere  out- 
ward appearances.  I  do  not  think,  were  truth  spoken,  that 
wielding  the  sledge  a  twelve-month  would  have  done  this 
injury  to  my  feet !  " 

"  Have  mercy  on  thyself  and  me,  good  smith,  and  think 
less  of  these  trifling  grievances.  What  Heaven  wills  must 
happen,  else  would  one  of  thy  merit  have  risen  higher  in 
the  world." 

"  Thanks,  Worshipful  Brother  Pilgrim  and  Burgomaster ; 
I  will  bethink  me  of  resignation,  though  these  wire-drawn 
pains  are  never  to  the  liking  of  your  men  of  muscle  and 
great  courage.  A  knock  o'  the  head,  or  the  bullet  of  an 
arquebuse  gives  less  uneasiness  than  smaller  griefs  much 
endured.  Were  things  properly  governed,  the  penances 
and  pilgrimages,  and  other  expiations  of  the  Church,  \vould 
be  chiefly  left  to  the  women." 

"  We  shall  see  hereafter  how  Luther  hath  ordered  this  ; 
but  having  ourselves  embarked  in  this  journey  for  the  good 
jof  Duerckheim,  to  say  nothing  of  our  own  souls,  it  be- 
hooveth  us  to  hold  out  manfully  ; — a  duty  the  more  easily 
performed,  as  we  can  now  see  the  end  of  it.  To  speak  thee 
fair,  Dietrich,  I  do  not  remember  ever  to  have  beheld  Ben- 
edictine abode  with  so  much  joy  as  this  we  see  at  yonder 
mountain's  foot ! " 

"  Be  of  cheer,  most  honorable  and  excellent  Brother 
Worshipful  Pilgrim  ;  the  trial  is  near  its  end,  and  if  we 
come  thus  far  to  do  this  honor  to  our  own  community, 
why, — Himmel !  it  is  but  the  price  paid  for  getting  rid  of 
another ! " 

"Be  of  cheer,  truly,  brother  smith,  for  it  is  but  some 
kneeling,  and  a  few  stripes  that  each  is  to  apply  to  his  own 
back  ;  after  which  the  return  will  reasonably  be  more  joy- 
ous than  the  advance." 

Encouraged  by  each  other,  the  devotees  hobbled  on, 
their  heavy  massive  frames  yielding  at  every  step,  like 
those  of  overgrown  oxen  which  had  been  but  indifferently 
shod.  As  they  passed  by,  their  places  were  filled  by  the 
four,  of  whom  Gisela  and  Gottlob  formed  a  part.  Among 
these  the  discourse  was  light  and  trifling,  for  bodily  fatigue 
had  little  influence  on  the  joyous  buoyancy  of  such  spirits ; 
especially  at  a  moment  when  they  saw  before  them  the  im- 
mediate termination  of  their  troubles.  Not  so  with  those 
that  came  next ;  these  were  Ulrike  and  her  friend,  who 


286  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

moved  along  the  path,  like   those  who  were  loaded  with 
griefs  of  the  soul. 

"  God  is  among  these  hills,  as  he  is  on- our  plains,  Lott- 
chen  !  "  said  the  former,  continuing  the  discourse.  "  Yon 
temple  is  his  shrine,  as  was  that  of  Limburg ;  and  it 
is  as  vain  for  man  to  think  of  forgetting  him  on  earth, 
as  it  would  be  to  invade  him  in  that  Heaven  which  is 
His  throne  !  What  he  doth  is  wise,  and  we  will  endeavor 
to  submit." 

The  words  of  Ulrike  were  perhaps  more  touched  with 
resignation  than  her  manner.  The  latter,  though  subdued, 
was  filled  with  sorrow,  and  her  voice  was  tremulous  nearly 
to  tears.  Though  the  exhibition  of  her  melancholy  was 
deep  and  evident,  it  was  of  a  character  which  denotes  no 
extinction  of  hope.  On  the  other  hand,  the  features,  eye, 
and  entire  manner  of  her  friend,  bore  the  heavy  and  fatal 
impress  of  incurable  woe. 

"  God  is  among  these  hills  !  "  repeated  Lottchen,  though 
she  scarce  seemed  to  hear  the  words  ;  "  God  is  among  these 
hills!" 

"We  approach  a  much-esteemed  shrine,  dearest  Lott- 
chen ;  the  Being,  in  whose  name  it  hath  been  raised,  will 
not  permit  us  to  depart  from  it  unblessed." 

"We  shall  be  blessed,  Ulrike  !" 

"  Thou  dwellest  hopelessly  on  thy  loss,  my  Lottchen  ! 
Would  thou  had  less  thought  of  the  past,  and  more  of  the 
future ! " 

The  smile  with  which  the  widow  regarded  her  friend 
was  full  of  anguish. 

"  I  have  no  future,  Ulrike,  but  the  grave  !  " 

"  Dearest  Lottchen  ! — we  will  speak  of  this  holy  shrine  !  " 
Emotion  smothered  her  voice. 

"Speak  of  what  thou  wilt,  my  friend,"  answered  the 
childless  widow,  with  a  frightful  calm.  "  I  see  no  dif- 
ference in  subjects." 

"  Lottchen ! — not  when  we  discourse  of  Heaven  !  " 

The  widow  bowed  her  vacant  eyes  to  earth,  and  they 
passed  on.  Their  footsteps  were  succeeded  by  those  of 
the  beast  ridden  by  Use,  and  by  the  faltering  tread  of  Meta. 

"  Aye, — yon  is  the  shrine  of  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits !  " 
said  the  former  ;  "  a  temple  of  surpassing  virtue  !  Well, 
Heaven  is  not  in  churches  and  chapels,  and  that  of  Lim* 
burg  may  yet  be  spared  ;  the  more  especially  as  the  broth- 
erhood was  far  from  being  of  unexceptionable  lives.  Keep 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  287 

up  thy  heart,  Meta,  and  think  not  of  weariness,  for  not  a 
pain  dost  thou  now  bear  that  will  not  be  returned  to  thee, 
another  day,  in  joy,  or  in  some  other  precious  gift.  This 
is  Heaven's  justice,  which  is  certain  to  requite  all  equally, 
for  good  or  evil.  Well-a-day ! — it  is  this  certainty  that 
comforteth  the  godly,  and  giveth  courage  to  the  totter- 
ing." 

She  spoke  to  an  insensible  listener.  The  countenance 
of  Meta,  like  that  of  Lottchen,  expressed  hopelessness, 
though  it  were  in  less  palpable  and  certain  signs.  The 
eye  was  dull  but  wandering,  the  cheek  pale,  the  mouth 
convulsive  and  at  times  compressed,  the  step  languid,  and 
the  whole  being  of  this  young  and  innocent  creature 
seemed  wasting  under  a  premature  and  unnatural  blight ! 
She  looked  at  the  convent  with  indifference,  though  it 
brought  relief  to  her  bodily  pains.  The  mountains  rose 
dark  and  rugged  near,  or  glittered  in  the  distance  like  hills 
of  alabaster,  without  giving  birth  to  a  single  exclamation 
of  that  delight  which  these  scenes  are  known  to  excite  in 
young  breasts  ;  and  even  the  pure  void  above  was  gazed 
at,  though  it  seemed  to  invite  to  a  more  tranquil  existence, 
with  vacuity  and  indifference. 

"Ah's  me!"  continued  Use,  whose  observation  rarely 
penetrated  beyond  her  own  feelings,  and  whose  tongue  was 
never  known  to  wax  weary — "  Ah's  me  !  Meta.  O  !  it  must 
be  a  wicked  world  that  needs  all  these  pilgrimages  and 
burnings.  But  they  are  only  types,  child,  of  the  past  and 
of  the  future;  of  the  'has  been,'  and  of  the  'to  come.' 
First,  life  is  a  pilgrimage,  and  a  penance ;  though  few  of 
us  think  so  while  journeying  on  its  way;  but  so  it  is  to  all ; 
especially  to  the  little  favored — but  a  penance  it  is,  by 
means  of  our  ailings  and  other  infirmities,  particularly  in 
age  ;  and  therefore  do  I  bear  with  it  cheerfully,  since  pen- 
ances are  to  be  borne  ;  and  the  burnings  of  convents  and 
villages  are  types  of  the  burnings  of  the  wicked.  Thou 
dost  not  answer,  child  ? " 

"  Dost  think,  nurse,  that  they  who  die  by  fire  are 
blessed  !  ", 

"Of  what  art  speaking,  Meta! — Poor  Berchthold  Hin- 
termayer  perished,  as  thou  knowest,  in  the  flames  of  Lim- 
burg  ;  so  did  Father  Johan,  and  so  did  one,  far  more  evil 
than  either  ! — Oh !  I  could  reveal  secrets,  an'  I  had  not  a 
prudent  tongue  !  But  wisdom  lieth  in  prudence,  and  I 
say  naught ;  therefore,  Meta,  be  thou  silent." 


288  TI-IR  IIEWEXMAUER. 

"I  will  obey  thee,  nurse." 

The  tones  of  the  girl  trembled,  and  the  smile  with  which 
she  gladly  acquiesced  in  the  demand  of  Use  was  such  as 
the  sinking  invalid  gives  the  kind  attendant. 

"  Thou  art  dutiful,  and  it  is  a  merit.  I  never  knew  thee 
more  obedient  and  less  given  to  merriment  or  girlish  ex- 
clamations, than  on  this  very  pilgrimage  ;  all  of  which 
shows  that  thy  mind  is  in  a  happy  state  for  these  holy 
offices.  Well-a-day  ! — the  pious  Arnolph  has  halted,  and 
now  we  are  about,  in  sooth,  to  reap  the  virtue  of  all  our 
labors.  Oh  !  an'  I  had  been  a  monk,  thou  wouldest  have 
had  a  leader!  " 

Use  beat  the  sides  of  the  patient  animal  she  rode,  and 
Meta  toiled  after,  as  well  as  her  trembling  limbs  permitted. 
The  Knight  and  the  Abbe  came  last. 

"  Thou  hast  made  many  of  these  pious  expiations,  rev- 
erend Abbe  ? "  observed  the  former,  when  they  had  risen 
the  hill,  which  commanded  a  view  of  the  convent. 

"  Never  another.  Had  not  chance  made  me  an  innocent 
participator  in  the  destruction  of  Limburg,  this  indignity 
would  have  been  spared." 

"  How  !  callest  thou  a  pilgrimage,  and  prayer  at  a  shrine, 
an  indignity  ? — thou,  a  churchman  !  " 

"Gallant  Knight,  I  speak  to  thee  as  to  a  comrade  of 
many  days,  and  of  weary  passages  ;  as  one  enlightened. 
Thou  knowest  the  constitution  of  earth,  and  the  divers 
materials  that  compose  society.  We  have  doctrines  for  all  ; 
but  practices  must  be  mitigated,  like  medicaments  to  the 
sick.  Your  pilgrimage  is  well  enough  for  the  peasant,  or 
the  citizen,  or  even  for  your  noble  of  the  Provinces,  but 
their  merit  is  much  questioned  among  us  of  the  capitals — 
unless,  indeed,  there  should  mingle  some  hope  for  the  fut- 
ure ;  but  penance  for  deeds  accomplished  we  hold  to  be 
supererogatory." 

"  By  my  rapier !  no  such  doctrine  was  in  vogue  at 
Rhodes,  where  all  ordinances  were  much  respected,  and 
uniformly  admitted." 

"  And  had  ye  then  these  familiar  practices  of  religion  in 
your  daily  habits,  Sir  Knight  ? " 

"  I  say  not  in  practice  ;  but  ever  in  admission.  Thou 
knowest  the  distinction,  Sir  Abbe,  between  the  purity  of 
doctrine,  and  some  constructions  of  practice." 

"  That  doubtless.  Were  we  to  tie  the  gentle  down  to  all 
the  observances  and  exactions  of  a  severe  theory,  there 


THE   HE1DENMAUER.  289 

would  grow  up  numberless  inconveniences.  For  myself, 
had  it  been  possible  to  preserve  the  ecclesiastical  charac- 
ter, without  penance  under  the  odium  of  this  unhappy  but 
accidental  visit  to  our  host  the  Count,  I  could  have  dis- 
pensed with  the  last  act  of  the  drama." 

"  'Tis  whispered,  Herr  Latouche,  my  cousin  bethought 
him,  that  the  presence  of  an  ecclesiastic  might  prove  a 
cloak  to  his  intentions,  and  that  we  owe  the  pleasure  of  thy 
agreeable  society  to  a  policy  that  is  deeper  than  chance  !  " 

Albrecht  of  Viederbach  laughed,  as  he  intimated  this 
ruse  of  Emich  ;  and  his  companion,  who  had  long  per- 
ceived how  completely  he  had  been  the  dupe  of  his  host, 
for  in  truth  he  knew  nothing  previously  of  the  intended 
assault,  was  fain  to  make  the  best  of  his  situation.  He 
laughed,  in  his  turn,  as  the  loose  of  principle  make  light 
of  any  misadventure  that  may  happen  to  be  the  conse- 
quence of  their  laxity  of  morals  ;  and,  pressing  each  other, 
on  their  several  parts  in  the  late  events,  the  two  proceeded 
leisurely  towards  the  spot  where  the  Prior  and  Emich,  as 
leaders  of  the  party,  had  now  come  to  a  halt.  We  shall 
profit  by  the  occasion  to  make  some  necessary  explanations. 

We  are  too  much  accustomed  in  this  Protestant  country, 
to  believe,  that  most  of  the  piety  of  those  who  profess  the 
religion  of  Rome  consists  in  externals.  When  the  great 
antiquity  of  this  Church  shall  be  remembered,  as  well  as 
the  general  tendency,  in  the  early  ages,  to  imitate  the 
forms  and  habits  of  their  immediate  predecessors,  it  should 
not  occasion  surprise  if  some  observances  were  retained, 
that  cannot  very  clearly  be  referred,  either  to  apostolic 
authority  or  to  reason.  The  promulgation  of  abstract 
truth  does  not  necessarily  infer  a  departure  from  those 
practices  which  have  become  of  value  by  use,  even  though 
they  may  not  materially  assist  in  the  attainment  of  the 
great  end.  We  have  inherited  many  of  the  vestments  and 
ceremonies,  which  are  retained  in  the  Protestant  churches, 
from  Pagan  priests  ;  nor  is  there  any  sufficient  motive  for 
abandoning  them,  so  long  as  they  aid  the  decencies  of  wor- 
ship, without  weakening  its  real  objects.  The  Pagans 
themselves  probably  derived  some  of  these  very  practices, 
from  those  whom  we  are  taught  to  believe  held  direct  com- 
munion with  God,  and  who  should  have  best  known  in 
what  manner  to  render  human  adoration  most  acceptable 
to  the  ruler  of  the  universe. 

In  this  country,  Catholicism,  in  its  limited  and  popular 


290  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

meaning,  is  no  longer  catholic,  since  it  is  in  so  small  a 
minority  as  to  have  no  perceptible  influence  on  the  opin- 
ions or  customs  of  the  country.  The  outward  symbols, 
the  processions,  and  all  the  peculiar  ceremonies  of  the 
Romish  Church,  are  confined  to  the  temples,  and  the  eye 
rarely  or  never  meets  any  evidence  of  its  existence  be- 
yond their  walls.  But  in  Europe  the  reverse  is  altogether 
the  case,  more  particularly  in  those  countries  in  which  the 
spiritual  sway  of  the  head  of  the  Church  has  not  been  in- 
terrupted by  any  adventitious  changes,  proceeding  from 
political  revolutions,  or  other  powerful  causes.  The  cruci- 
fix, the  spear,  the  cock,  the  nails,  and  the  sponge,  are  erect- 
ed at  cross-roads, — chapels  dedicated  to  Mary  are  seen 
near  many  a  spring,  or  at  the  summit  of  some  weary 
mountain  ;  while  the  usual  symbols  of  redemption  are 
found  scattered  along  the  highways,  marking  the  site  of 
some  death  by  accident,  or  the  scene  of  a  murder. 

In  no  part  of  the  other  hemisphere  are  these  evidences 
of  faith  and  zeal  more  common  than  in  the  Catholic  can- 
tons of  Switzerland.  Hermitages  are  still  frequent  among 
the  rugged  rocks  of  that  region,  and  it  is  usual  to  see  near 
these  secluded  abodes  a  sort  of  minor  chapel,  that  is  term- 
ed, in  ordinary  language,  a  "station."  These  stations  are 
so  many  tabernacles  raised  by  the  way-side,  each  contain- 
ing a  representation  of  one  of  the  twelve  sufferings  of 
Christ.  They  are  met  equally  on  the  side  of  Vesuvius, 
overlooking  the  glorious  sea  and  land  of  that  unequalled 
country  ;  among  the  naked  wastes  of  the  Apennines  ;  or 
buried  in  gorgeous  groves  ;  as  accident  may  have  deter- 
mined their  location.  In  some  of  the  valleys  of  Switzer- 
land, these  little  tabernacles  dot  the  mountain  side  for 
miles,  indicating  by  zig-zag  lines  and  white  walls  the  path 
that  leads  from  the  village  beneath  to  some  shrine,  that  is 
perhaps  perched  on  the  pinnacle  of  a  naked  rock,  or 
which  stands  on  a  spur  of  the  nearest  range. 

The  shrine  of  Einsiedlen  possessed  the  usual  number  of 
these  tabernacles,  stretching  along  the  path  that  commu- 
nicated with  the  lake  of  Zurich.  They  were  designated  in 
the  customary  manner ;  each  alluding  to  some  one  of  those 
great  personal  afflictions  that  preceded  the  crucifixion,  and 
each  having  sentences  of  holy  writ,  to  incite  the  pious  to 
devotion.  Here  the  pilgrims  ordinarily  commenced  the 
worship  peculiar  to  the  place,  and  it  was  here  that  the 
Prior  now  awaited  his  companions. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  291 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

"  Was  Godde  to  serche  our  hertes  andreines, 
The  best  were  synners  grete  ', 
Christ's  vycarr  only  knowes  no  synne, 
Ynnealle  thys  mortall  state." — CHATTERTON. 

WHEN  all  were  arrived,  the  pilgrims  divided  themselves 
along  the  path,  some  kneeling  before  one  tabernacle,  and 
some  at  another.  Ulrike  and  Lottchen,  followed  by  the 
pallid  Meta,  prayed  long  at  each  in  succession.  The  other 
females  imitated  their  example,  though  evidently  with  less 
zeal  and  earnestness.  The  Knight  of  Rhodes  and  Mon- 
sieur Latouche  limited  their  observances  to  a  few  genu- 
flexions, and  much  rapid  crossing  of  themselves  with  the 
fingers,  appearing  to  think  their  general  professions  of 
faith  possessed  a  virtue  that  superseded  the  necessity  of 
any  extraordinary  demonstrations  of  piety.  Heinrich  and 
the  smith  were  more  particular  in  showing  respect  for  the 
prescribed  forms  ;  the  latter,  who  was  secretly  paid  by  his 
townsmen  for  what  he  did,  feeling  himself  bound  in  honor 
to  give  them  the  worth  of  their  money,  and  the  Burgo- 
master, in  addition  to  his  looking  for  great  temporal  ad- 
vantages from  the  whole  affair,  being  much  influenced  by 
paternal  regard  for  Duerckheim.  As  for  Use,  none  was 
more  exact  than  she  ;  and,  we  may  add,  none  more  osten- 
tatious. 

"  Hast  bethought  thee,  Dietrich,  to  say  an  extra  word  in 
behalf  of  the  general  interests  ? "  demanded  Heinrich, 
while  he  patiently  awaited  the  removal  of  the  other,  from 
before  the  last  tabernacle,  in  order  to  assume  the  post  him- 
self. 

"  Nay,  worshipful  Burgomaster —"     , 

"Brother  Pilgrim,  good  smith  !" 

"  Nay,  worshipful  brother,  and  good  pilgrim,  there  was 
no  question  of  this  duty  in  the  understanding." 

"  Himmel  !  Art  such  a  hound,  Dietrich,  as  to  need  a 
bribe  to  pray  in  thine  own  interest  ?  Do  that  thou  hast 
promised,  for  the  penance,  and  in  the  interest  of  the 
monks,  and  then  bethink  thee,  like  an  honest  artisan,  of 
the  town  of  which  thou  art  a  citizen.  I  never  rise  from 
my  knees  without  counting  a  few  beads  on  the  score  of 
Duerckheim,  and  others  for  favor  on  the  family  of  Frev." 


292  THE   HEJDENMAUER. 

"  I  cry  you  mercy,  honorable  Heinrich  and  excellent 
brother  Pilgrim  ;  the  wish  is  reasonable,  and  it  shall  be 
performed." 

The  smith  then  counted  off  his  rosary,  making  place  for 
the  Burgomaster  as  soon  as  he  could  conveniently  get 
through  with  the  duty.  In  the  mean  time,  Arnolph  had 
prayed  devoutly,  and  with  sincere  mental  abasement,  be- 
fore each  station. 

The  pilgrims  then  arranged  themselves  in  two  lines,  a 
form  of  approaching  the  convent  of  Einsiedlen  that  is  still 
observed  by  thousands  annually  ;  the  men  placing  them- 
selves on  the  right  of  the  path  in  single  files,  and  the  fe- 
males on  its  left,  in  a  similar  order.  Arnolph  walked 
ahead,  and  the  whole  proceeded.  Then  began  the  repeti- 
tion of  the  short  prayers  aloud. 

Whoever  has  wandered  much  through  this  remarkable 
and  wild  country,  must  have  frequently  met  with  parties 
of  pilgrims,  marching  in  the  manner  described,  and  utter- 
ing their  aspirations  in  the  pure  air,  as  they  ascend  to,  or 
descend  from,  the  altar  of  "our  Lady  of  the  Snow,"  on 
the  Rhigi,  or  wend  their  way  among  rocky  and  giddy 
paths,  seeking  or  returning  from  some  other  shrine.  We 
know  of  no  display  of  human  worship  that  is  more  touch- 
ing or  impressive  than  this.  The  temple  is  the  most  mag- 
nificent on  earth,  the  air  is  as  limpid  as  mountain  torrents 
and  a  high  region  can  bestow,  while  sound  is  conveyed  to 
the  ear,  in  its  clearest  and  most  distinct  tones,  aided  per- 
haps by  the  echoes  of  dells  that  are  nearly  unfathomable, 
or  of  impending  masses  that  appear  to  prop  the  skies. 
Long  before  the  party  is  seen,  the  ear  announces  its  ap- 
proach by  the  music  of  the  prayers  ;  for  music  it  is  in  such 
a  place,  the  notes  alternating  regularly  between  the  deep 
bass  of  the  male  to  the  silvery  softness  of  the  female 
voice. 

Such  was  now  the  effect  produced  by  the  advance  of  our 
party  from  the  Palatinate.  Father  Arnolph  gave  the  lead, 
and  the  powerful  lungs  of  Heinrich  and  the  smith,  though 
much  restrained,  uttered  the  words  in  tones  impressively 
deep  and  audible.  The  response  of  the  women  was  trem- 
ulous, soft,  and  soothing.  In  this  manner  did  they  pro- 
ceed for  a  mile,  when  they  entered  the  street  of  the 
hamlet. 

An  express  had  announced  to  the  community  of  Ein- 
siedlen the  approach  of  the  German  penitents.  By  a  sin- 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  293 

gular  perversion  of  the  humble  doctrines  of  the  founder  of 
the  religion,  far  more  importance  was  attached  to  the  ex- 
piations and  offerings  of  princes,  and  of  nobles  of  high 
degree,  than  to  those  which  proceeded  from  sources  that 
were  believed  to  be  meaner.  All  the  dwellers  of  the  ham- 
let, therefore,  and  most  of  the  others  that  frequented  the 
shrine,  were  abroad  to  witness  this  expected  procession. 
The  name  of  Emich  was  whispered  from  ear  to  ear,  and 
many  curious  eyes  sought  the  form  of  the  powerful 
baron,  under  the  guise  common  to  the  whole  party.  By 
general  consent,  after  much  speculation,  the  popular 
opinion  settled  on  the  person  of  the  smith,  as  on  the 
illustrious  penitent  ;  a  distinction  which  Dietrich  owed  to 
the  strength  of  his  lungs,  to  some  advantage  in  stature, 
and  particularly  to  the  zeal  which,  as  a  hireling,  he  thought 
it  just  to  throw  into  his  air  and  manner. 

Among  the  other  traditions  that  serve  to  give  a  popular 
celebrity  to  the  shrine  of  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits,  is  one 
which  affirms  that,  on  an  occasion  it  is  unnecessary  to  re- 
late, the  Son  of  God,  in  the  form  of  man,  visited  this  fa- 
vored shrine.  He  is  said  to  have  assuaged  his  thirst  at  the 
fountain  which  flows,  with  Swiss  purity  and  profusion,  be- 
fore the  door  of  the  building  ;  and  as  the  clear  element  has 
been  made  to  run  through  different  metal  tubes,  it  is  a 
custom  of  the  Pilgrims,  as  they  arrive,  to  drink  a  hasty 
swallow  at  each,  in  order  to  obtain  the  virtue  of  a  touch  so 
revered.  There  was  also  a  plate  of  silver,  that  had  marks 
which  were  said  to  have  been  left  by  the  fingers  of  Jesus, 
and  to  these  it  was  the  practice  to  apply  the  hand.  The 
former  usage  is  still  universal  ;  though  modern  cupidity 
has  robbed  the  temple  of  the  latter  evidence  of  the  reputed 
visit,  in  consequence  of  the  value  of  the  metal  which  bore 
its  memorial. 

Arnolph  halted  at  the  fountain,  and,  slowly  making  its 
circuit,  drank  at  each  spout.  He  was  followed  by  all  of 
his  companions.  But  he  passed  the  silver  plate,  and  en- 
tered the  building,  praying  aloud  until  his  foot  was  on 
the  threshold.  Without  stopping,  he  advanced  and  knelt 
on  the  cold  stones  before  the  shrine,  fastening  his  eye 
the  while  on  the  carved  image  of  Mary.  The  others  imi- 
tated his  movements,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  all  were 
kneeling  before  the  far-famed  chapel  of  the  Divine  Conse- 
cration. 

The  ancient  church  of  Einsiedlen  (for  the  building  has 


294  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

since  been  replaced  by  another  still  larger  and  more  mag- 
nificent) had  been  raised  around  the  spot  where  the  cell  of 
Saint  Meinard  originally  stood.  The  chapel  reputed  to 
have  been  consecrated  by  angels,  was  in  this  revered  cell, 
and  the  whole  stood  in  the  centre  of  the  more  modern 
edifice.  It  was  small,  in  comparison  with  the  pile  which 
held  it,  but  of  sufficient  size  to  admit  of  an  officiating 
priest,  and  to  contain  many  rich  offerings  of  the  pious. 
The  whole  was  encased  in  marble,  blackened  by  time  and 
the  exhalations  of  lamps  ;  while  the  front,  and  part  of  the 
sides,  permitted  a  view  of  the  interior,  through  openings 
that  were  protected  by  gratings  curiously  and  elaborately 
wrought. 

In  the  farther  and  dark  extremity  of  this  sacred  chapel, 
were  the  images  of  the  Mother  and  Child.  Their  dresses, 
as  is  usual  at  all  much-worshipped  shrines,  were  loaded 
with  precious  stones  and  plates  of  gold.  The  face  of  each 
had  a  dark  and  bronzed  color,  resembling  the  complexion 
of  the  far  east,  but  which  probably  is  a  usage  connected 
with  the  association  of  an  origin  and  destiny  that  are  su- 
perhuman. The  whole  was  illuminated  by  strong  lights, 
in  lamps  of  silver  gilt,  and  the  effect,  to  a  mind  indisposed 
to  doubt,  was  impressive,  and  of  a  singularly  mysterious 
influence.  Such  was  the  shrine  of  our  Lady  of  the  Her- 
mits at  the  time  of  our  tale,  and  such  it  continues  to  be  to 
this  day,  with  some  immaterial  additions  and  changes,  that 
are  more  the  results  of  time  than  of  opinion. 

We  have  visited  this  resort  of  Catholic  devotion  in  that 
elevated  region  of  hill  and  frost  ;  have  strolled,  near 
the  close  of  day,  among  its  numerous  and  decorated 
chapels  ;  have  seen  the  bare-kneed  peasant  of  the  Black 
Forest,  the  swarthy  Hungarian,  the  glittering-eyed  Pied- 
montese,  and  the  fair-haired  German,  the  Tyrolese,  and 
the  Swiss,  arrive,  in  groups,  wearied  and  foot-sore  ;  have 
watched  them  drinking  with  holy  satisfaction  at  the  seve- 
ral spouts,  and,  having  followed  them  to  the  front  of  the 
altar,  have  wondered  at  the  statue-like  immovability  with 
which  they  have  remained  kneeling,  without  changing 
their  gaze  from  that  of  the  unearthly-looking  image  that 
seemed  to  engross  their  souls.  Curiosity  led  us  to  the 
spot  alone,  and  at  no  moment  of  a  pilgrimage  in  foreign 
lands,  that  has  now  extended  to  years,  do  we  remember  to 
have  felt  so  completely  severed  from  all  to  which  we  were 
most  accustomed,  as  at  that  hour.  The  groups  arrived  in 


THE  HE1DENMAUER.  295 

scores,  and,  without  pausing  to  exchange  a  greeting,  with- 
out thought  of  lodging  or  rest,  each  hurried  to  the  shrine, 
where  he  seemed  embodied  with  the  stone  of  the  pave- 
ment, as,  with  riveted  eye  and  abased  mien,  he  murmured 
the  first  prayers  of  expiation  before  the  image  of  Mary. — 
But  to  return  to  the  narrative. 

For  the  first  hour  after  the  arrival  of  the  expected  pil- 
grims of  Duerckheim,  not  a  sign  of  recognition,  or  of 
grace,  was  manifested  in  the  convent.  The  officials  came 
and  went,  as  if  none  but  of  common  character  made  their 
expiations  ;  and  the  fixed  eye  and  swarthy  face  of  the  image 
seemed  to  return  each  steady  gaze,  with  supernatural  tran- 
quillity. At  length  Arnolph  arose,  and,  as  if  his  move- 
ments were  watched,  a  bell  rang  in  a  distant  aisle.  A 
lateral  door,  which  communicated  with  the  conventual 
buildings,  opened,  and  the  whole  brotherhood  issued 
through  it  into  the  body  of  the  church.  Arnolph  immedi- 
ately kneeled  again,  and,  by  a  sign,  commanded  his  com- 
panions to  maintain  their  places.  Though  grievously 
wearied  with  their  positions,  the  men  complied,  but  neither 
of  the  females  had  yet  stirred. 

The  Benedictines  of  Einsiedlen  entered  the  church  in 
the  order  that  has  been  already  described  in  the  proces- 
sions of  Limburg.  The  junior  monks  came  first,  and  the 
dignitaries  last.  In  that  age,  their  Abbot  was  commonly 
of  a  noble  and  ancient,  and  sometimes  of  a  princely  house ; 
for,  in  maintaining  its  influence,  the  Church  has  rarely 
been  known  to  overlook  the  agency  of  those  opinions  and 
prejudices  that  vulgarly  exist  among  men.  In  every  case, 
however,  the  prelate  who  presided  over  this  favored  com- 
munity possessed,  in  virtue  of  his  office,  the  latter  tempo- 
ral distinction  ;  being  created  a  mitred  Abbot  and  a  Prince 
of  the  Empire,  on  the  day  of  his  consecration. 

During  the  slow  advance  of  the  long  line  of  monks,  that 
now  drew  near  the  shrine,  there  was  a  chant  in  the  loft, 
and  the  deep  organ  accompanied  the  words,  on  a  low  key. 
Even  Albrecht  and  the  Abbe  were  much  impressed,  while 
Emich  fairly  trembled,  like  one  that  had  unwittingly  com- 
mitted himself  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies. 

The  head  of  the  train  swept  round  the  little  chapel,  and 
passed  with  measured  steps  before  the  pilgrims.  The  Prior 
and  the  females  only  prayed  the  more  devoutly,  but  neither 
the  Count  nor  the  Burgomaster  could  prevent  their  truant 
eyes  from  watching  the  movement.  Dietrich,  little  schooled 


396  Tf/Jl    WRTD&tfttAU&R. 

in  his  duties,  fairly  arose,  and  stood  repeating  reverences 
to  the  whole  fraternity,  as  it  passed.  When  the  close  drew 
near,  Emich  endeavored  to  catch  a  glance  of  the  Abbot's 
eyes,  hoping  to  exchange  one  of  those  secret  signs  of  cour- 
tesy, with  which  the  initiated,  in  every  class  ot  life,  know 
how  to  express  their  sympathies.  To  his  confusion,  and 
slightly  to  his  uneasiness,  he  saw  the  well-known  counte- 
nance of  Bonifacius,  at  the  side  of  the  dignitary  who  pre- 
sided over  the  brotherhood  of  Einsiedlen.  The  glances  of 
these  ancient  and  seemingly  irreconcilable  rivals,  were  such 
as  might  have  been  anticipated.  That  of  Bonifacius  was 
replete  with  religious  pride,  and  a  resentment  that  was  at 
least  momentarily  gratified  ;  though  it  still  retained  glim- 
merings of  conscious  defeat  ;  while  that  of  Emich  was 
fierce,  mortified,  and  alarmed,  all  in  a  moment. 

But  the  train  swept  on,  and  it  was  not  long  ere  the 
music  announced  the  presence  of  the  procession  in  the 
choir.  Then  Arnolph  again  arose,  and,  followed  by  all 
the  pilgrims,  he  drew  near  to  listen  to  the  vespers.  After 
the  prayers,  the  usual  hymn  was  sung. 

"  Hirnmel  !  Master  brother  Pilgrim,"  whispered  the 
smith  to  the  Burgomaster,  "that  should  be  a  voice  known 
to  all  of  Duerckheim!  " 

"  Umph  !  " — ejaculated  Heinrich,  who  sought  the  eye  of 
Emich.  "  These  Benedictines  sing  much  in  the  same 
strain,  Herr  Emich,  whether  it  be  in  Limburg,  or  here  in 
the  church  of  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits." 

"  By  my  fathers  !  Master  Frey,  but  thou  sayest  true ! 
To  treat  thee  as  a  confidant,  I  little  like  this  intimate  cor- 
respondence between  the  Abbots,  and,  least  of  all,  to 
see  the  reverend  Bonifacius  enthroned  here,  in  this  distant 
^.and,  much  as  he  was  wont  to  be  in  our  valley.  I  fear 
me,  Burgomaster,  that  we  have  entered  lightly  on  this 
penance  ! " 

"  If  you  can  say  this,  well-born  Emich,  what  should  be 
the  reply  of  one  that  hath  wife  and  child,  in  addition  to 
his  own  person,  in  the  risk  ?  It  would  have  been  better  to 
covet  less  of  Heaven,  the  least  portion  of  which  must  natu- 
rally be  better  than  the  best  of  that  to  which  we  are  accus- 
tomed on  earth,  and  to  be  satisfied  with  the  advantages 
we  have.  Do  you  note,  noble  Count,  the  friendly  man- 
ner in  which  Bonifacius  regards  us  from  time  to  time  ? " 

"  His  favors  do  not  escape  me,  Heinrich  ; — but  peace  ! 
we  shall  learn  more,  after  the  vespers  are  ended." 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  297 

Then  came  the  soothing  power  of  that  remarkable  voice. 
The  singer  had  been  presented  to  the  convent  of  Ein- 
siedlen,  by  Bonifacius,  to  whom,  he  was  now  useless,  as  a 
boon  that  was  certain  to  give  him  great  personal  favor : 
and  so  it  had  proved  ;  for  in  those  communities,  that 
passed  their  lives  in  the  exercise  of  the  offices  of  the 
Church,  the  different  shades  of  excellence  in  the  execu- 
tion, or  the  greater  external  riches  and  decorations  of 
their  several  shrines,  often  usurped  the  place  of  a  nobler 
strife  in  zeal  and  self-denial.  The  ceremony  now  ended,  and 
a  brother,  approaching,  whispered  Father  Arnolph.  The 
latter  proceeded  to  the  sacristy,  attended  by  the  pilgrims, 
for  it  was  forbidden,  even  to  the  trembling  Meta,  to  seek 
refreshment  or  rest,  until  another  important  duty  had  been 
performed. 

The  sacristy  was  empty,  and  they  awaited  still  in  silence, 
while  the  music  of  the  organ  announced  the  retiring  pro- 
cession of  the  monks.  After  some  delay,  a  door  opened, 
and  the  Abbot  of  Einsiedlen,  accompanied  by  Bonifacius, 
appeared.  They  were  alone,  with  the  exception  of  the 
treasurer  of  the  Abbey  ;  and  as  the  place  was  closed,  the 
interview  that  now  took  place,  was  no  longer  subject  to 
the  vulgar  gaze. 

"Thou  art  Emich,  Count  of  Hartenburg-Leiningen," 
said  the  prelate,  distinguishing  the  noble  spite  of  his  mean 
attire,  by  a  single  glance  of  an  eye  accustomed  to  scan  its 
equals  ; — "  a  penitent  at  our  shrine,  for  wrongs  done  the 
Church,  and  for  dishonor  to  God  ?" 

"  I  am  Emich  of  Leiningen,  holy  Abbot !  " 

"  Dost  thou  disclaim  the  obligation  to  be  here  ?  " 

"  And  a  penitent  ; — "  the  words  "  for  being  here"  being 
bitterly  added,  in  a  mental  reservation. 

The  Abbot  regarded  him  sternly,  for  he  disliked  the  re- 
luctance of  his  tongue.  Taking  Bonifacius  apart,  they 
consulted  together  for  a  few  minutes  ;  then  returning  to 
the  group  of  pilgrims,  he  resumed — 

"  Thou  art  now  in  a  land  that  listeneth  to  no  heresies, 
Herr  von  Hartenburg ;  and  it  would  be  well  to  remember 
thy  vow,  and  thy  object.  Hast  thou  aught  to  say?" 

Emich  slowly  undid  his  scrip,  and  sought  his  offerings 
among  its  scanty  contents. 

"  This  crucifix  was  obtained  by  a  noble  of  my  house, 
when  a  crusader.  It  is  of  jasper,  as  thou  seest,  reverend 
Abbot,  and  it  is  not  otherwise  wanting  in  valuable  additions/1 


298  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

The  Abbot  bowed,  in  the  manner  of  one  indifferent  to 
the  richness  of  the  boon,  signing  to  the  treasurer  to  accept 
the  gift.  There  was  then  a  brief  pause. 

"  This  censer  was  the  gift  of  a  noble  far  less  possessed 
than  thee  !  "  said  he  who  kept  the  treasures  of  the  Abbey, 
with  an  emphasis  that  could  not  easily  be  mistaken. 

"  Thy  zeal  outstrippeth  the  limbs  of  a  weary  man, 
Brother. — Here  is  a  diamond,  that  hath  been  heirloom  of 
my  house,  a  century.  'Twas  an  emperor's  gift !  " 

c<  It   is   well   bestowed   on    our   Lady   of  the  Hermits 
though  she  can  boast  of  far  richer  offerings  from  names 
less  known  than  thine." 

Emich  now  hesitated,  but  only  for  an  instant,  and  then 
laid  down  another  gift. 

"  This  vessel  is  suited  to  thy  offices,"  he  said,  "  being 
formed  for  the  altar's  services." 

"Lay  the  cup  aside  ;"  sternly  and  severely  interrupted 
Bonifacius  :  "  it  cometh  of  Limburg  !  " 

Emich  colored,  more  in  anger  than  in  shame,  however, 
for  in  that  age  plunder  was  one  of  the  speediest  and  most 
used  means  of  acquiring  wealth.  He  eyed  the  merciless 
Abbot,  fiercely,  without  speaking. 

"I  have  no  more,"  he  said  ;  "the  wars — the  cha'rges  ol 
my  house — and  gold  given  the  routed  brotherhood,  have 
left  me  poor  !" 

The  treasurer  turned  to  Heinrich,  with  an  eloquent  ex- 
pression of  countenance. 

"Thou  wilt  remember,  Master  Treasurer,  that  there  is 
no  longer  any  question  of  a  powerful  baron,"  said  the 
Burgomaster,  "  but  that  the  little  I  have  to  give,  cometh 
of  a  poor  and  saddled  town.  First  we  offer  our  wishes  and 
our  prayers, — secondly,  we  present,  in  all  humility,  and 
with  the  wish  they  may  prove  acceptable,  these  spoons, 
which  may  be  of  use  in  some  of  thy  many  ceremonies, — 
thirdly,  this  candlestick,  which  though  small  iswaranted  tc 
be  of  pure  gold,  by  jewellers  of  Frankfort : — and  lastly,  this 
cord,  with  which  seven  of  our  chief  men  have  grievously 
and  loyally  scourged  themselves,  in  reparation  of  the 
wrong  done  thy  brethren." 

All  these  offerings  were  graciously  received,  and  the 
monk  turned  to  the  others.  It  is  unnecessary  to  repeat 
the  different  donations  that  were  made  by  the  inferiors, 
who  came  from  the  castle  and  the  town.  That  of  Gotilob 
was,  or  pretended  to  be,  tha  offending  horn,  which  had  so 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  299 

irreverently  been  sounded  near  the  altar  of  Limburg,  and 
a  piece  of  gold.  The  latter  was  the  identical  coin  he  had 
obtained  from  Bonifacius,  in  the  interview  which  led  to 
his  arrest ;  and  the  other  was  a  cracked  instrument,  that 
the  roguish  cow-herd  had  often  essayed  among  his  native 
hills,  without  the  least  success.  In  after-life,  when  the 
spirit  of  religious  party  grew  bolder,  he  often  boasted  of 
the  manner  in  which  he  had  tricked  the  Benedictines  by 
bestowing  an  instrument  so  useless. 

Ulrike  made  her  offering,  -with  sincere  and  meek  peni- 
tence. It  consisted  of  a  garment  for  the  image  of  the 
Virgin,  which  had  been  chiefly  wrought  by  her  own  fair 
hands,  and  on  which  the  united  tributes  of  her  towns- 
women  had  been  expended,  in  the  way  of  ornaments,  and 
in  stones  of  inferior  price.  The  gift  wras  graciously  re- 
ceived ;  for  the  community  had  been  well  instructed  in 
the  different  characters  of  the  various  penitents. 

"Hastthou  aught  in  honor  of  Maria  ?'*  demanded  the 
treasurer  of  Lottchen. 

The  widowed  and  childless  woman  endeavored  to  speak, 
but  her  power  failed  her.  She  laid  upon  the  table,  how- 
ever, a  neatly  bound  and  illuminated  missal ;  a  cap  that 
seemed  to  have  no  particular  value,  except  its  tassel  of 
gold  and  green,  and  a  hunting  horn;  all  of  which,  "with 
many  others  of  the  articles  named,  had  made  part  of  the 
load  borne  on  the  furniture  of  the  ass. 

"  These  are  unusual  gifts  at  our  shrine  !  "  muttered  the 
monk. 

"Reverend  Benedictine,"  interrupted  Ulrike,  nearly 
breathless  in  the  generous  desire  to  avert  pain  from  her 
friend,  "they  are  extorted  from  her  who  gives,  like  drops 
of  blood  from  the  heart.  This  is  Lottchen  Hintermayer, 
of  whom  thou  hast  doubtless  heard?" 

The  name  of  Lottchen  Hintermayer  had  never  reached 
the  treasurer's  ear ;  but  the  sweet  and  persuasive  manner 
of  Ulrike  prevailed.  The  monk  bowed,  and  he  seemed 
satisfied.  The  next  that  advanced  was  Meta.  The  Bene- 
dictines all  appeared  struck  by  the  pallid  color  of  her 
cheek,  and  the  vacant,  hopeless,  expression  of  an  eye  that 
had  lately  been  so  joyous. 

•"  The  journey  hath  been  hard  upon  our  daughter!  "  said 
the  princely  Abbot,  with  gentleness  and  concern. 

"She  is  young,  reverend  Father,"  answered  Ulrike; 
"but  God  will  temper  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb." 


300  THE   HEIDENM ALTER. 

The  Abbot  looked  surprised,  for  the  tones  of  the  mother 
met  his  ear  with  an  appeal  as  touching  as  that  of  the  worn 
countenance  of  the  girl. 

"  Is  she  thy  child,  good  pilgrim  ?" 

"  Father,  she  is — Heaven  make  me  grateful,  for  its 
blessed  gift !" 

Another  gaze  from  the  wondering  priest,  and  he  gave 
place  to  the  treasurer,  who  advanced  to  receive  the  offer- 
ing. The  frame  of  Meta  trembled  violently,  and  she 
placed  a  hand  to  her  bosom.  -  Drawing  forth  a  paper,  she 
laid  it  simply  before  the  monk,  who  gazed  at  it  in  wonder. 

"  What  is  this  ?  "  he  asked.  "It  is  the  image  of  a  youth, 
rudely  sketched !" 

"It  meaneth,  Father,"  half  whispered  Ulrike,  "that 
the  heart  which  loved  him,  now  belongs  to  God !" 

The  Abbot  bowed,  hastily  signing  to  the  inferior  to  ac- 
cept the  offering  ;  and  he  walked  aside  to  conceal  a  tear 
that  started  to  his  eye.  Meta  at  that  moment  fell  upon 
her  mother's  breast,  and  was  borne  silently  from  the 
sacristy. 

The  men  followed,  and,  with  a  single  exception,  the  two 
Abbots  and  the  treasurer  were  now  left  alone. 

"  Hast  thou  an  offering,  good  woman  ?"  demanded  the 
latter  of  the  female  who  remained. 

"  Have  I  an  offering,  Father !  Dost  think  I  would 
come  thus  far  with  an  empty  hand  ?  I  am  Use,  Frau 
Frey's  nurse,  that  Duerckheim  hath  sent  on  this  pilgrim- 
age, as  an  offering  in  herself  ;  and  such  it  truly  is  for  frail 
bones,  and  threescore  and  past.  We  are  but  poor  town's- 
people  of  the  Palatinate,  but  then  we  know  what  is  avail- 
able at  need  !  There  are  many  reasons  why  I  should  come, 
as  thou  shalt  hear.  Firstly,  I  was  in  Limburg  church 
when  the  deed  was 

"  How  !  did  one  of  thy  years  go  forth  on  such  an  ex- 
pedition ? " 

"Aye,  and  on  many  other  expeditions.  Firstly,  I  was 
with  the  old  Burgomaster,  Frau  Ulrike's  father,  when 
there  was  succor  sent  to  Manheim  ;  secondly,  I  beheld, 
from  our  hills,  the  onset  between  the  Elector's  men,  and 
the  followers  of— 

"  Dost  thou  serve  the  mother  of  yonder  \veeping  girl  ? " 
demanded  the  Abbot,  cutting  short  the  history  of  Use's 
campaigns. 

"  And  the  weeping  girl  herself,  reverend,  and  holy  and 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  y>\ 

princely  Abbot,  and,  if  thou  wilt,  the  Burgomaster  too, 
for,  at  times,  in  sooth,  I  serve  the  whole  family." 

"  Canst  thou  repeat  the  history  of  her  sorrow  ?  " 

"  Naught  easier,  my  lord  and  Abbot.  Firstly,  is  she 
youthful,  and  that  is  an  age  when  we  grieve  or  are  glad- 
dened with  little  reason  ;  then  she  is  an  only  child,  which 
is  apt  to  weaken  the  spirit  by  indulgence  ;  next,  she 
is  fair,  which  often  tempts  the  heart  into  various  vanities, 
and,  doubtless,  into  sorrow,  among  the  others  ;  then  is  she 
foot-sore,  a  bitter  grief  of  itself  ;  and,  finally,  she  hath 
much  repentance  for  this  nefarious  sin,  of  which  we  are 
not  yet  purged,  and  which,  unless  pardoned,  may  descend 
to  her,  among  other  bequests  from  her  father." 

"  It  is  well.  Deposit  thy  gift,  and  kneel  that  I  may  bless 
thee." 

Use  did  as  ordered,  after  which  she  withdrew,  making 
many  reverences  in  the  act. 

As  the  door  closed  on  the  crone,  Bonifacius  and  his 
brother  Abbot  quitted  the  place  in  company,  leaving  the 
monk  charged  with  that  duty,  to  care  lor  the  wealth  that 
had  been  so  liberally  added  to  the  treasury  of  Einsiedlen. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

— "  Israel,  are  these  men 
The  mighty  hearts  you  spoke  of  ?" — BYRON. 

THERE  was  little  resemblance  in  the  characters  of  the 
two  prelates,  beyond  that  which  was  the  certain  conse- 
quence of  their  common  employment.  If  Bonifacius  was 
the  most  learned,  of  the  strongest  intellectual  gifts,  and,  in 
other  particulars  relating  to  the  mind,  of  the  higher  endow- 
ments, the  princely  Abbot  of  Einsiedlen  had  more  of  those 
gentle  and  winning  qualities  which  best  adorn  the  Chris- 
tian life.  Perhaps  neither  was  profoundly  and  meekly 
pious,  for  this  was  not  easy  to  men  surrounded  by  so  many 
inducements  to  flatter  their  innate  weaknesses  :  but  both 
habitually  respected  the  outward  observances  of  their 
Church  ;  and  both,  in  degrees  proportioned  to  the  bold- 
ness and  sagacity  of  their  respective  intellects,  yielded  faith 
to  the  virtue  of  its  offices. 

On  quitting  the  sacristy,  they  proceeded  through  the 


502  THE   IIE1DENMAUER. 

cloisters,  to  the  abode  of  the  chief  of  the  community.  Here, 
closeted  together,  there  was  a  consultation  concerning 
their  further  proceedings. 

"  Thou  wert  of  near  neighborhood,"  said  he  of  our  Lady 
of  the  Hermits,  "to  this  hardy  baron,  Brother  Bonifacius  ?" 

"  As  thou  mayest  imagine  by  the  late  events.  There  lay 
but  a  few  arrow's  flights  between  his  castle  and  our  un- 
happy walls." 

"  Had  ye  good  understanding  of  old,  or  cometh  the  pres- 
ent difficulty  from  long-standing  grievances  ?  " 

"  Thou  art  happy,  pious  Rudiger,  to  be  locked,  as  you 
are,  among  your  frosts  and  mountains,  beyond  the  reach 
of  noble's  arm,  and  beyond  the  desires  of  noble's  ambition. 
Limburg  and  the  craving  Counts  have  scarce  known  peace 
since  our  Abbey's  foundation.  Your  unquiet  baron  fills 
some  such  agency,  in  respect  to  our  religious  communities, 
as  that  which  the  unquiet  spirit  of  the  Father  of  Sin  occu- 
pies in  the  moral  world." 

"  And  yet,  I  doubt  that  the  severest  blow  we  are  to  re- 
ceive will  come  from  one  of  ourselves  !  If  all  that  rumor 
and  missives  from  the  Bishops  reveal,  be  true,  this  schism 
of  Luther  promises  us  a  lasting  injury  !  " 

Bonifacius,  whose  mind  penetrated  the  future  much  far- 
ther than  most  of  his  brethren  possessed  the  means  of  do- 
ing, heard  this  remark  gloomily ;  and  he  sat  brooding  over 
the  pictures  which  a  keen  imagination  presented,  while  his 
companion  watched  the  play  of  his  massive  features,  with 
intuitive  interest. 

"  Thou  art  right,  princely  Abbot,"  the  former  at  length 
replied.  "  To  us,  both  the  future  and  the  past  are  filled 
with  lessons  of  deep  instruction,  could  we  but  turn  them 
to  present  advantage.  All  that  we  know  of  earth  shows 
that  each  physical  thing  returns  to  its  elements,  when  the 
object  of  its  creation  has  been  accomplished.  The  tree 
helps  to  pile  the  earth  which  once  nourished  its  roots  ;  the 
rock  crumbles  to  the  sand  of  which  it  was  formed  ;  and 
even  man  turns  to  that  dust  which  was  animated  that  he 
might  live.  Can  we  then  expect  that  our  Abbeys,  or  that 
even  the  Church  itself,  in  its  present  temporal  organiza- 
tion, will  stand  forever  ? " 

"  Thou  hast  done  well  to  qualify  thy  words  by  saying 
temporal,  good  Bonifacius,  for  if  the  body  decays,  the  soul 
remains  ;  and  the  essence  of  our  communion  is  in  its  spir 
itual  character." 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  303 

"  Hearken,  right  reverend  and  noble  Rudiger.  Go  ask 
of  Luther  the  niceties  of  his  creed  on  this  point,  and  he 
will  tell  thee,  that  he  is  a  believer  in  the  transmigration  of 
souls — that  he  keepeth  this  spiritual  character,  but  in  a 
new  dress  ;  and  that,  while  he  consigns  the  ancient  body 
to  the  tomb,  he  only  lightens  the  imperishable  part  of  a 
burden  that  has  grown  too  heavy  to  be  borne." 

"  But  this  is  rank  rebellion  to  authority,  and  flat  refusal 
of  doctrine  !  " 

"  Of  the  former,  there  can  be  no  question  ;  and,  as  to 
our  German  regions,  most  seem  prepared  to  incur  its  risks. 
In  respect  to  doctrine,  learned  Rudiger,  you  now  broach  a 
thesis  which  resembles  the  bells  in  your  convent  towTers — 
on  which  there  may  be  rung  endless  changes,  from  the 
simple  chime  to  a  triple-bob-major." 

"  Nay,  reverend  Bonifacius,  thou  treatest  a  grave  sub- 
ject with  irreverent  levity.  If  we  are  to  tolerate  these  in- 
novations, there  is  an  end  of  discipline  ;  and  I  marvel  that 
a  dignified  priest  should  so  esteem  them  !  " 

"Thou  dost  me  injustice,  Brother;  for  what  I  urge  is 
said  in  befitting  seriousness.  The  ingenuity  of  man  is  so 
subtle,  and  his  doubts,  once  engaged,  so  restless,  that  when 
the  barrier  of  discipline  is  raised,  I  know  no  conclusion  for 
which  a  clever  head  may  not  find  a  reason.  Has  it  never 
struck  thee,  reverend  Rudiger,  that  a  great  error  hath  been 
made  from  the  commencement,  in  founding  all  our  ordi- 
nances to  regulate  society,  whether  they  be  of  religious  or 
of  mere  temporal  concerns  ?  " 

"  Thou  asketh  this  of  one  who  hath  been  accustomed  to 
think  of  his  superiors  with  respect." 

"  I  touch  not  on  our  superiors,  nor  on  their  personal 
qualities.  What  I  would  say  is,  that  our  theories  are  too 
often  faulty,  inasmuch  as  they  are  made  to  suit  former 
practices  ;  whereas,  in  a  well-ordered  world,  methinks  the 
theory  should  come  first,  and  the  usage  follow  as  a  conse- 
quence of  suitable  conclusions." 

"  This  might  have  done  for  him  who  possessed  Eden, 
but  those  who  came  after  were  compelled  to  receive  things 
as  they  were,  and  to  turn  them  to  profit  as  they  might." 

"  Brother  and  princely  Abbot,  thou  hast  grappled  with 
the  dilemma  !  Could  we  be  placed  in  the  occupancy  of  this 
goodly  heritage,  untrammelled  by  previously  endeared  in- 
terests, seeing  the  truth,  naught  would  be  easier  than  to 
make  practice  conform  to  theory  ;  but,  being  that  we  are, 


304  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

priest  and  noble,  saint  and  sinner,  philosopher  and  world- 
ling, why,  look  you,  the  theory  is  driven  to  conform  to  the 
necessities  of  practice  ;  and  hence  doctrine,  at  the  best,  is 
but  a  convertible  authority.  As  a  Benedictine,  and  a  lover 
of  Rome,  I  would  that  Luther  had  been  satisfied  with  mere 
changes  in  habits,  for  these  may  be  accommodated  to 
climates  and  prejudices  ;  but  when  the  flood-gates  of  dis- 
cussion are  raised,  no  man  can  say  to  what  extent,  or  in 
what  direction,  the  torrent  will  flow." 

"Thou  hast  little  faith,  seemingly,  in  the  quality  of 
reason  ?  " 

Bonifacius  regarded  his  companion  a  moment  with  an 
ill-concealed  sneer. 

"Surely,  holy  Rudiger,"  he  gravely  replied,  "thou  hast 
not  so  long  governed  thy  fellows  to  put  this  question  to 
me  !  Hadst  thou  said  passion,  we  might  right  quickly 
come  to  an  understanding.  The  corollaries  of  our  animal 
nature  follow  reasonably  enough  from  the  proposition  ; 
but  when  we  quit  the  visible  landmarks  of  the  species,  to 
launch  upon  the  ocean  of  speculation,  we  commit  ourselves, 
like  the  mariner  who  trusts  his  magnet,  to  an  unknown 
cause.  He  that  is  a-hungered  will  eat,  and  he  that  is  pained 
will  roar  ;  he  that  hath  need  of  gold  will  rob,  in  some 
shape  or  other  ;  and  he  that  loveth  his  ease  may  prefer 
quiet  to  trouble  ;  all  this  may  be  calculated,  with  other  in- 
ferences that  follow  ;  but  if  thou  wilt  tell  me  what  course 
the  Lammergeyer  will  take  when  he  hath  soared  beyond 
the  Alps,  I  will  tell  thee  the  direction  in  which  the  mind 
of  man  will  steer,  when  fairly  afloat  on  the  sea  of  specula- 
tion and  argument." 

''The  greater  the  necessity  that  it  should  be  held  in  the 
wholesome  limits  of  discipline  and  doctrine." 

"  Were  doctrine  like  our  convent  walls,  all  would  be 
well  ;  but  being  what  it  is,  men  become  what  they  are." 

"  How  !  Dost  thou  account  faith  for  naught  ?  I  have 
heard  there  were  brothers  of  deep  piety  in  Limburg.  Fa- 
ther Johan,  who  perished  in  defence  of  thy  altars,  may  go 
near  to  be  canonized — to  say  nothing  of  the  excellent 
Prior,  who  is  here  among  us  on  this  pilgrimage." 

"  I  count  faith  for  much,  excellent  Brother  ;  and  happy 
is  he  who  can  satisfy  uneasy  scruples  by  so  pleasant  an 
expedient.  Brother  Johan  may  be  canonized,  if  our  Father 
of  Rome  shall  see  fit,  hereafter,  and  the  fallen  Limburg 
will  have  reason  to  exult  in  its  member.  Still  I  do  not  see 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  305 

that  the  unhappy  Johan  proveth  aught  against  the  nature 
of  doctrine,  for,  had  he  been  possessed  of  less  pertinacity 
in  certain  of  his  opinions,  he  would  have  escaped  the  fate 
which  befell  him." 

"  Is  martyrdom  a  lot  to  displease  a  Christian  ?  Bethink 
thee  of  the  Fathers,  and  of  their  ends !  " 

"  Had  Johan  bethought  him  more  of  their  fortunes,  his 
own  might  have  been  different.  Reverend  Abbot,  Johan 
hath  long  ceased  to  be  a  riddle  to  me  ; — though  I  deny  not 
his  utility  with  the  peasant  and  the  fervent.  But  him  thou 
hast  last  mentioned" — here  Bonifacius  leaned  a  cheek  on 
his  hand,  and  spoke  like  one  that  was  seriously  perplexed — 
"  him  thou  namedst  last — the  sincere,  and  wise,  and  simple 
Arnolph,  have  I  never  truly  comprehended !  That  man 
appeareth  equally  contented  in  his  cell  or  in  his  stall  ; 
honored  equally  in  his  office,  and  on  this  weary  pilgrimage  ; 
whether  in  prosperity  or  in  misfortune,  he  is  ever  at  peace 
with  himself  and  with  others.  Here  is  truly  a  man  that  no 
reasoning  of  mine  hath  been  able  to  fathom.  He  is  not 
ambitious,  for  thrice  hath  he  refused  the  mitre  !  He  is 
sustained  by  no  wild  visions  or  deceitful  fantasies,  like  the 
unhappy  Johan  ;  nor  yet  is  he  indifferent  to  any  of  the 
more  severe  practices  of  his  profession,  all  of  which  are 
observed  quietly,  and  seemingly  with  satisfaction.  He  is 
learned,  without  the  desire  of  discussion  ;  meek,  amid  a 
firmness  that  would  despise  the  stake  ;  and  forgiving  to  a 
degree  that  might  lead  us  to  call  him  easy,  but  for  a  con- 
sistency that  never  seemeth  to  yield  to  any  influence  of 
season,  events,  or  hopes.  Truly,  tFfis  is  a  man  that  baffleth 
all  my  knowledge  !  " 

Bonifacius,  in  despite  of  his  acquirements,  his  masculine 
intellect,  and  his  acquaintance  with  men,  did  not  perceive 
how  much  he  admitted  against  himself,  by  expressing  his 
own  inability  to  fathom  the  motives  of  the  Prior.  Nor  did 
the  enigma  appear  to  be  perfectly  intelligible  to  his  com- 
panion, who  listened  curiously  to  the  other's  description  of 
their  brother  ;  much  as  we  hearken  to  a  history  of  inex- 
plicable or  supernatural  incidents. 

"  I  have  heard  much  of  Arnolph,"  observed  the  latter, 
"  though  never  matter  so  strange  as  this  ; — and  yet  most 
seem  to  love  him  !  " 

"  Therein  is  his  power !— though  often  most  opposed  to 
me,  I  cannot  say  that  I  myself  am  indifferent  to  the  man — 
By  our  patron  saint  !  I  sometimes  fain  believe  I  love 
20 


306  THR   IIRTDRNMAUER. 

him  !  He  was  among  tHe  last  to  desert  our  altars,  when 
pressed  by  this  rapacious  noble,  and  his  credulous  and 
silly  burghers  ;  and  yet  was  he  foremost  to  forgive  the  in- 
jury when  committed.  But  for  him,  and  his  high  influence 
with  the  Bishops,  there  might  have  been  blows  for  blows 
spite  of  this  schism  that  hath  turned  so  many  in  Germany 
from  our  support." 

"  And  since  thou  speakest  of  the  schism,  in  what  man- 
ner dost  thou  account  for  an  innovation  so  hardy  in  a  re- 
gion that  is  usually  esteemed  reasonable !  There  must 
have  been  relaxation  of  authority ;  for  there  is  no  expedient 
so  certain  to  prevent  heresies,  or  errors  of  doctrine,  as  a 
Church  well  established,  and  which  is  maintained  by  fitting 
authority." 

Bonifacius  smiled,  for  even  in  that  early  age,  his  pen- 
etrating mind  saw  the  fallacy  to  which  the  other  was  a 
dupe. 

"  This  is  well  when  there  is  right ;  but  when  there  is 
error,  Brother,  your  established  authority  does  but  uphold 
it.  The  provisions  that  are  made  in  thy  comfortable  abode 
to  keep  the  cold  air  out,  may  be  the  means  of  keeping  foul 
air  within." 

"  In  this  manner  of  reasoning,  truth  can  have  no  ex- 
istence ! — Thou  dreadest  doctrine,  and  thou  wilt  naught  of 
discipline  !  " 

"  Nay,  holy  Rudiger,  in  the  latter  thou  greatly  miscon- 
ceiveth  me.  Of  discipline  I  would  have  all  that  is  possi- 
ble ;  I  merely  deny  that  it  is  any  pledge  of  truth.  We  are 
apt  to  say  that  a  well-ordained  and  established  Church  is 
the  buttress  of  truth,  when  experience  plainly  showeth 
that  this  discipline  doeth  more  harm  to  truth  than  it  can 
ever  serve  it,  and  that  simply  because  there  can  be  but  one 
truth,  while  there  are  many  modes  of  discipline  ;  many  es- 
tablishments therefore  uphold  many  errors,  or  truth  hath 
no  identity  with  itself." 

*'  Thou  surprisest  me ! — Whatever  may  come  of  this 
heresy,  as  yet,  I  know  of  but  one  assault  on  our  supremacy  ; 
and  that  cometh  of  error,  as  we  come  of  right." 

"  This  is  well  for  Christendom,  but  what  sayeth  it  for 
your  Moslem— your  fire-worshipper — your  Hindoo — your 
Pagan,  and  all  the  rest ;  any  one  of  whom  is  just  as  ready 
to  keep  out  error  by  discipline,  as  we  of  Rome  ?  Until 
now,  certainly  among  Christians  this  evil  hath  not  often 
happened,  though  even  we  are  not  without  our  differences : 


T/fE  HEIDENMAUER.  307 

but  looking  to  this  advance  of  the  printing  art,  and  of  the 
variety  of  opinions  that  are  its  fruits,  I  foresee  that  we  are 
to  have  many  opposing  expedients,  all  of  which  will  be 
equally  well  pondered  and  concocted  to  keep  in  truth,  and 
to  exclude  error.  This  pretension  of  high  authority,  and 
of  close  exactions  to  maintain  purity  of  doctrine,  and  what 
we  deem  truth,  is  well,  as  the  jurists  say,  quoad  hoc ;  but 
touching  the  general  question,  I  do  not  see  its  virtue. 
Now  that  men  enlist  with  passion  in  these  spiritual  dis- 
cussions, we  may  look  to  see  various  modifications  of  the 
Church,  all  of  which  will  be  more  or  less  buttressed  by 
human  expedients,  as  so  many  preservatives  of  truth  ;  but 
when  the  time  shall  come  that  countries  and  communities 
are  divided  among  themselves  on  these  subtleties,  look 
you,  excellent  Rudiger,  we  may  expect  to  shut  in  as  much 
error  by  our  laws  and  establishments,  as  we  shall  shut  out. 
I  fear  heaven  is  a  goal  that  must  be  reached  by  a  general 
mediation,  leaving  each  to  give  faith  to  the  minor  points 
of  doctrine,  according  to  his  habits  and  abilities." 

"This  savors  more  of  the.  houseless  Abbot  than  of  him 
who  lately  had  an  obedient  and  flourishing  brotherhood ! " 
Rudiger  somewhat  piquantly  rejoined. 

Bonifacius  was  unmoved  by  the  evident  allusion,  regard- 
ing his  companion  coolly,  and  like  a  man  who  too  well 
knew  his  own  superiority  easily  to  take  offence.  His  re- 
ply, however,  would  probably  have  been  a  retort,  notwith- 
standing this  seeming  moderation,  had  riot  a  door  opened, 
and  Arnolph  quietly  entered  the  room. 

The  reception  of  the  Prior,  by  h\s  two  mitred  brethren, 
proved  the  deep  respect  which  had  so  universally  been  won 
by  his  self-denying  qualities.  In  the  great  struggle  of  the 
conflicting  egotism  which  composes,  in  a  great  degree, 
the  principle  of  most  of  the  actions  of  this  uneasy  world, 
no  one  is  so  likely  to  command  universal  esteem,  as  he 
who  appears  willing  to  bear  the  burden  of  life,  with  as 
little  as  possible  of  its  visible  benefits,  by  withdrawing 
himself  from  the  arena  of  its  contentions.  In  the  great 
mass,  an  occasional  retreat  from  the  struggle,  on  the  part 
of  those  who  have  few  means  of  success,  creates  but  little 
feeling  of  any  sort,  perhaps  ;  but  when  he  that  hath  un- 
deniable pretensions  exhibits  this  forbearance,  he  may  be 
certain  of  obtaining  full  credit  for  all  that  he  possesses, 
and  more,  even  to  the  admission  of  qualifications  that 
would  be  vehemently  denied  had  he  taken  a  different  atti- 


$0%  TJIK    ItlUDKXMAUER. 

tude  in  respect  to  his  rivals.  Such  was,  in  some  measure, 
the  position  of  Father  Arnolph  ;  and  Bonifacius  himself 
never  struggled  to  resist  his  natural  impulses  towards  the 
pious  monk,  having  a  secret  persuasion  that  none  of  his 
virtues,  however  publicly  proclaimed,  were  likely  to  mili- 
tate against  his  own  interests. 

"Thou  art  much  wearied,  holy  Prior,"  said  the  Abbot 
of  Einsiedlen,  offering  a  seat  to  his  visitor,  with  assiduous 
and  flattering  attention. 

"  I  count  it  not,  princely  Rudiger  ;  having  lightened  the 
way  with  much  good  discourse,  and  many  prayers  ;  my 
pilgrims  are  faint,  but,  happily  arrived,  they  are  now  fair- 
ly committed  to  the  convent's  hospitality." 

"Thou  hast  with  thee,  reverend  Arnolph,  a  noble  of 
high  esteem  in  thy  German  country  ?  " 

"Of  ancient  blood,  and  of  great  worldly  credit,"  re- 
turned the  Prior,  with  reserve. 

"What  thinkest  thou,  Brother  Bonifacius  ?— It  may  not 
be  prudent  to  make  any  very  public  manifestations  of  a 
difference  of  treatment,  between  those  who  seek  our 
shrine  ;  but  do  not  hospitality  and  such  courtesy  as  mark- 
eth  our  own  breeding,  demand  some  private  greetings.  Is 
my  opinion  suitable,  worthy  Arnolph?" 

"God  is  no  respecter  of  persons,  Abbot  of  Einsiedlen." 

"  Can  any  know  this  better  than  ourselves?  But  we 
pretend  not  to  perfection,  nor  can  our  judgments  be  setup 
as  decisive  of  men's  merits,  farther  than  belongs  to  our 
office.  Ours  is  an  hospitable  order,  and  we  are  privileged 
to  earn  esteem,  and  therefore  doth  it  appear  to  me  not 
only  becoming  but  politic  to  show  a  noble  of  this  repute, 
and  at  a  moment  when  heresy  runs  mad,  that  we  do  not 
overlook  the  nature  of  his  sacrifices.  Thou  art  silent, 
Brother  Abbot ! " 

The  Abbot  of  Limburg  listened  with  secret  satisfaction, 
for  he  had  views  of  his  own  that  the  proposal  favored. 
He  was  therefore  about  to  give  a  ready  assent,  when  Ar- 
nolph interrupted  him. 

"  I  have  nobles  among  my  followers,  right  reverend  Ab- 
bot," said  the  latter,  earnestly;  "and  I  have  those  that 
deserve  to  be  more  than  noble,  if  deep  Christian  humility 
can  claim  to  be  so  esteemed.  I  did  not  come  to  speak  of 
Emich  of  Hartenburg,  but  of  spirits  sorely  bruised,  and 
to  beg  of  thee,  in  their  behalf,  a  boon  of  churchly  offices." 

"  Name  it,  Father,  and  make  certain  of  its  fair  reception, 


THE  HEIDENMAUEK.  36$ 

But  It  is  now  late,  and  no  rites  of  the  morrow  need  defeat 
our  intentions  of  honest  hospitality." 

"  They  in  whose  behalf  1  would  speak,"  said  Arnolph, 
with  apparent  mortification,  "  are  already  without ;  if  ad- 
mitted, they  may  best  explain  their  own  desires." 

The  Abbot  signified  a  ready  assent  to  receive  these  vis- 
itors, and  the  Prior  hastened  to  admit  them,  anticipating 
a  wholesome  effect  on  the  minds  of  his  superiors  from  the 
interview.  When  he  reappeared,  he  was  followed  by  Ul- 
rike,  Lottchen,  and  Meta,  who  came  after  him  in  the  or- 
der named.  Both  the  Abbots  seemed  surprised,  for  it  ex- 
ceeded their  confidence  in  themselves  to  admit  visitors  of 
that  sex,  at  an  hour  so  equivocal,  in  the  more  retired 
parts  of  the  buildings,  and  they  counted  little  on  the  bold- 
ness of  innocence. 

"  This  exceedeth  usage  !"  exclaimed  the  superior  of  Ein- 
siedlen.  "  It  is  true,  we  have  our  privileges,  pious  Ar- 
nolph, but  they  are  resorted  to  with  great  discretion." 

"  Fear  not,  holy  Abbot,"  Arnolph  calmly  answered, 
"  this  visit  may  at  least  claim  to  be  as  harmless  as  that  of 
those  thou  hast  just  named.  Speak,  virtuous  Ulrike,  that 
thy  wishes  may  be  known." 

Ulrike  crossed  herself,  first  casting  a  tearful  eye  on  the 
pallid  and  depressed  countenances  of  her  daughter  and  of 
her  friend. 

'We  are  come  to  your  favored  shrine,  princely  and 
pious  Abbot,"  she  slowly  commenced,  like  one  who  feared 
the  effects  of  her  own  words,  "  penitents,  pilgrims,  and  ac- 
knowledging our  sins,  in  order  to  expiate  a  great  wrong, 
and  to  implore  Heaven's  pardon.  The  accomplishment  of 
our  wishes  hath  been  promised  by  the  Church,  and  by  one 
greater  than  the  Church,  should  we  bring  with  us  contrite 
hearts.  In  this  behalf,  then,  we  have  now  little  to  offer, 
since  our  pious  guide,  the  beloved  and  instructed  Arnolph, 
hath  taught  us  to  omit  no  observance,  nor  hath  he,  iu 
any  particular,  left  us  ignorant  of  the  state  of  mind  that 
best  befitteth  our  present  undertaking.  But,  right  rever- 
end Abbot— 

"  Proceed,  daughter ;  thou  wilt  find  all  here  ready  to 
listen,"  said  Rudiger,  kindly,  observing  that  her  words 
became  choked,  and  that  she  continued  to  cast  uneasy 
looks  at  Lottchen  and  Meta.  The  voice  of  the  speaker 
sank,  but  her  tones  were  still  more  earnest,  as  she  con* 
tinued. 


310  THE   tfElDRKMjtUKR* 

"  Holy  Benedictine,  aided  by  Heaven's  kindness,  I  will. 
In  all  that  toucheth  our  pilgrimage  and  its  duties,  we  con- 
fide entirely  to  the  pious  counsel  of  the  learned  and  godly 
Arnolph,  and  he  will  tell  you  that  naught  material  hath  by 
us  been  neglected.  We  have  prayed,  and  confessed,  and 
fasted,  and  done  the  needed  expiations,  in  a  meek  mood, 
and  with  contrite  hearts.  We  come  then  to  ask  a  service 
of  this  favored  community,  which,  we  trust,  may  not  be 
refused  to  the  Christian." 

The  Abbot  looked  surprised,  but  he  awaited  her  own 
time  to  continue. 

"  It  hath  pleased  Heaven  to  call  away  one  dear  to  us,  at 
a  short  summons,"  proceeded  Ulrike,  not  without  casting 
another  fearful  glance  at  her  companions  ;  "  and  we  would 
ask  the  powerful  prayers  of  the  community  of  Our  Lady  of 
the  Hermits,  in  behalf  of  his  soul." 

"  Of  what  age  was  the  deceased  ?  " 

"  God  summoned  him,  reverend  Abbot,  in  early  youth." 

"  By  what  means  did  he  come  to  his  end  ? " 

"  By  a  sudden  display  of  Heaven's  power." 

"  Died  he  at  peace  with  God  and  the  Church  ? " 

"Father,  his  end  was  sudden  and  calamitous.  None  can 
know  the  temper  of  the  mind  at  that  awful  moment." 

"  But  did  he  live  in  the  practices  of  our  faith?  Thou 
comest  of  a  region  in  which  there  is  much  heresy,  and  this 
is  an  hour  in  which  the  shepherd  cannot  desert  the  fold." 

Ulrike  paused,  for  the  breathing  of  her  friend  was  thick 
and  audible. 

"  Princely  Abbot,  he  was  a  Christian.  I  held  him  myself 
at  the  font.  This  humble  penitent  and  pilgrim  gave  him 
birth,  and  to  this  holy  Prior  hath  he  often  confessed." 

The  Abbot  greatly  disliked  the  manner  of  the  answers. 
His  brow  drew  over  the  eyes,  and  he  turned  jealous  glances 
from  Arnolph  to  the  females. 

"  Canst  thou  vouch  for  thy  penitent  ? "  he  demanded 
abruptly  of  the  Prior. 

"  His  soul  hath  need  of  masses." 

"  Was  he  tainted  with  the  heresy  of  the  times  ? " 

Arnolph  paused.     His  mind  underwent  a  severe  strug- 

fle,  for,  while  he  distrusted  the  opinions  of  Berchthold,  he 
new  nothing  that  a  scrupulous  and  conscientious  judge 
could  fairly  construe  into  unequivocal  evidence  of  his  dere- 
liction from  the  Church. 

"  Thou  dost  not  answer,  Prior  !  " 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  311 

"  God  hath  not  gifted  me  with  knowledge  to  judge  the 
secret  heart." 

"  Ha  !  this  grows  plainer.  Reverend  Bonifacius,  canst 
thou  say  aught  of  this  ?  " 

The  dethroned  Abbot  of  Limburg  had,  at  first,  listened 
to  the  dialogue  with  indifference.  There  had  even  been 
an  ironical  smile  on  his  lips  while  Ulrike  was  speaking, 
but  when  Arnolph  was  questioned,  it  disappeared  in  an 
active  and  a  curious  desire  to  know  in  what  manner  a  man 
so  conscientious  would  extricate  himself  from  the  dilemma. 
Thus  directly  questioned,  however,  he  found  himself 
obliged  to  become  a  party  in  the  discourse. 

"  I  well  know,  princely  and  pious  Rudiger,  that  heresy 
is  rife  in  our  misguided  Palatinate,"  he  answered;  "else 
would  not  the  Abbot  of  Limburg  be  a  houseless  guest  in 
Einsiedlen." 

"Thou  hearest,  daughter!  The  youth  is  suspected  of 
having  died 'an  enemy  of  the  Church." 

"  The  greater  the  errors,  if  this  be  true,  the  greater  the 
need  that  prayers  be  offered  for  his  soul." 

"  This  would  be  truly  aiding  Lucifer  in  his  designs  to 
overturn  our  tabernacles,  and  a  weakness  not  to  be  in- 
dulged. I  am  grieved  to  be  compelled  to  show  this  disci- 
pline to  one  of  thy  seeming  zeal,  but  our  altars  cannot  be 
defiled  by  sacrifices  in  behalf  of  those  who  despise  them. 
Was  the  youth  connected  with  the  fall  of  Limburg  ? " 

"  Father,  he  died  in  the  crush  of  its  roofs,"  said  Ulrike, 
in  nearly  inaudible  syllables  ;  "  and  we  deem  the  manner 
of  his  end  another  reason  why  extraordinary  masses  should 
be  said  in  his  behalf." 

"  Thou  askest  an  impossibility.  Were  we  to  yield  to  our 
pity,  in  these  cases  of  desperate  heresies,  it  would  dis- 
courage the  faithful,  and  embolden  those  who  are  already 
too  independent." 

"  Father  ! "  said  a  tremulous  and  low,  but  eager  voice. 

"  What  wouldest  thou,  daughter  ? "  asked  the  Abbot, 
turning  to  Lottchen. 

"  Listen  to  a  mother's  prayer.  The  boy  was  born  and 
educated  in  the  bosom  of  the  Church.  For  reasons  at 
which  I  do  not  repine,  Heaven  early  showed  its  displeas- 
ure on  his  father  and  on  me.  We  were  rich,  and  we  be- 
came poor  ;  we  were  esteemed  of  men,  and  we  learned 
how  much  better  is  the  support  of  God.  We  submitted  ; 
and  when  we  saw  those  who  had  once  looked  up  to  us  in 


3I2  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

respect,  looking  down  upon  us  in  scorn,  we  kissed  the 
child,  were  grateful,  and  did  not  repine.  Even  this  trial 
was  not  sufficient — the  father  was  taken  from  his  pains 
and  mortifications,  and  my  son  put  on  the  livery  of  a  baron. 
I  will  not  say — I  cannot  say — my  strength  would  have  been 
equal  to  all  this  of  itself.  An  angel,  in  the  form  of  this 
constant  and  excellent  woman,  was  sent  to  sustain  me. 
Until  the  late  wrong  to  Limburg,  we  had  our  hopes  and 
our  hours  of  happiness — but  that  crime  defeated  all.  My 
boy  hath  perished  by  a  just  anger,  and  I  remain  to  im- 
plore Heaven  in  his  behalf.  Wilt  thou  refuse  the  Church's 
succor  to  a  childless  mother,  who,  this  favor  obtained,  will 
be  ready  to  bless  God  and  die  ? " 

"  Thou  troublest  me,  daughter  ;  but  I  beg  thee  to  re- 
member I  am  but  the  guardian  of  a  high  and  sacred  trust." 

"  Father  !  "  said  a  second  and  still  more  thrilling  appeal. 

"  Thou  too,  child  !  What  wouldest  thou  of  one  but  too 
ready  to  yield,  were  it  not  for  duty  ?" 

Meta  had  kneeled,  and  throwing  back  the  hood  of  her 
pilgrim's  mantle,  the  change  left  her  bloodless  face  ex- 
posed to  the  Abbot's  view.  The  girl  seemed  severely 
struggling  with  herself  ;  then,  finding  encouragement  in 
her  mother's  eye,  she  was  able  to  continue. 

"  I  know,  most  holy  and  very  reverend  Abbot,"  she  com- 
menced, with  an  evidently  regulated  phraseology,  like  one 
who  had  been  instructed  how  to  make  the  appeal,  "  that 
the  Church  hath  need  of  much  discipline  ;  without  which 
there  would  be  neither  duration  nor  order  in  its  existence. 
This  hath  my  mother  taught  me  ;  and  we  both  admit  it, 
and  prize  the  truth.  For  this  reason  have  we  submitted 
ourselves  to  all  its  ordinances,  never  failing  to  confess  and 
worship,  or  to  observe  fasts  and  saints'  days,  Even  the 
mitred  Bonifacius,  there,  will  not  deny  this,  as  respects 
either  of  us " 

Meta  delayed,  as  if  inviting  the  Abbot  to  gainsay  her 
words  if  he  could  ;  but  Bonifacius  was  silent. 

"  As  for  him  that  hath  died,"  resumed  Meta,  whose  voice 
sounded  like  plaintive  music,  "  this  is  the  truth.  He  was 
born  a  Christian,  and  he  never  said  aught  in  my  presence 
against  the  Church.  Thou  canst  not  think,  father,  that 
he  who  sought  my  esteem,  would  strive  to  gain  it  by  means 
that  no  Christian  girl  could  respect  ?  That  he  was  often 
at  the  Abbey  confessionals  I  know ;  and  that  he  was  in  fa- 
vor with  this  holy  Prior,  thou  hast  but  to  ask,  to  learn 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  313 

In  going  against  Limburg,  he  did  but  obey  his  lord,  as 
others  have  often  done  before  ;  and  surely  all  that  fall  in 
battle  are  not  to  be  hopelessly  condemned.  If  there  is 
heresy  in  Germany,  is  it  not  enough  of  itself  to  endure  so 
great  a  danger  in  life,  that  the  dead  must  be  abandoned 
to  their  past  acts,  without  succor  from  the  Church,  or 
thought  from  their  friends  ?  Oh  !  thou  wilt  think  better, 
holy  but  cruel  Rudiger,  of  thy  hasty  decision.  Give  us 
then  masses  for  poor  Berchthold  !  I  know  not  what  Boni- 
facius  may  have  said  to  thee  in  secret,  concerning  the 
youth,  but  this  much  would  I  say  in  his  favor,  in  presence 
of  the  assembled  earth — more  pious  son,  more  faithful  fol- 
lower, a  braver  at  need,  a  more  gentle  in  intercourse,  a  truer 
or  kinder  heart  than  his,  does  not  now  beat  in  the  Palati- 
nate !  I  know  not  but  I  exceed  the  limits  of  a  maiden's 
speech,  in  what  I  say,''  continued  the  girl  ardently,  a  bright 
spot  shining  on  each  cheek  amid  her  tears,  "  but  the  dead 
are  mute,  and  if  those  they  loved  are  cold  to  their  wants, 
in  what  manner  is  Heaven  to  know  their  cruel  need  ?" 

"Good  daughter,"  interrupted  the  Abbot,  who  began  to 
feel  distressed,  "we  will  think  of  this.  Go  thou  to  thy 
rest, — and  may  God  bless  thee  !  " 

"  Nay,  I  cannot  sleep  while  the  soul  of  Berchthold  en- 
dures this  jeopardy  !  Perhaps  the  Church  will  demand 
penance  in  his  behalf.  My  mother  Lottchen  is  no  longer 
young  and  strong,  as  formerly  ;  but  thou  seest,  father,  what 
I  am  !  Name  what  thou  wilt — pilgrimages,  fasts,  stripes, 
prayers,  or  vigils,  are  alike  to  me.  Nay,  think  not  that  I 
regard  them  !  Thou  canst  not  bestow  more  happiness  than 
to  give  this  task  for  poor  Berchthold's  sake.  Oh  !  hadst 
thou  known  him,  holy  monk,  so  kind  with  the  weak,  so 
gentle  with  us  maidens,  and  so  true,  thou  \vouldst  not,  nay, 
thou  couldst  not  need  another  prayer  to  grant  the  masses  ! " 

"  Bonifacius,  is  there  no  means  of  justifying  the  conces- 
sion ? " 

"  I  would  speak  to  thee,  Brother,"  answered  he  of  Lim- 
burg, who,  with  a  thoughtful  countenance,  awaited  his 
companion  a  little  apart  from  the  others. 

The  conference  of  the  two  prelates  was  short,  but  it 
was  decisive. 

"  Take  away  the  child,"  said  the  Abbot  Rudiger,  to  Ul- 
rike  ;  "  the  weight  of  Heaven's  displeasure  must  be  borne.'1 

The  Prior  sighed. heavily  ;  but  he  signed  for  the  females 
to  obey,  like  one  who  saw  the  uselessness  of  further  en- 


3 14  THE   HE1DRNMAUER. 

treaties.  Leading  the  way,  he  left  the  Abbot's  abode,  his 
companions  following  ;  nor  did  a  murmur  escape  either 
while  giving  this  proof  of  patient  submission.  It  was  only 
when  Ulrike  and  Lottchen  had  reached  the  open  air  that 
they  found  the  helpless  girl  they  supported  was  without 
sensibility.  As  fits  of  fainting  had  been  common  of  late, 
her  mother  felt  no  great  alarm,  nor  was  it  long  before  all 
the  female  pilgrims  sought  the  pillows  they  so  much 
needed. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

"  Fy,  uncle  Beaufort !  I  have  heard  you  preach, 
That  malice  was  a  great  and  grievous  sin:" — King  Henry  VI. 

THE  social  character  of  a  Benedictine  community  has 
been  mentioned  in  one  of  the  earlier  chapters.  That  of 
Einsiedlen,  though  charged  with  the  worship  of  altars  es- 
pecially favored,  formed  no  exception  to  the  general  rule. 
If  anything,  the  number  of  distinguished  pilgrims  that 
frequented  its  shrine,  rendered  it  liable  to  more  than  usual 
demands  on  its  hospitality  ;  demands  that  were  met  by  a 
suitable  attention  to  the  rules  of  the  brotherhood.  Even 
Loretto  has  its  palace  for  the  entertainment  of  such 
princes  as  can  descend  from  their  thrones  to  kneel  in  the 
"  santa  casa  ;  "  for  policy,  not  to  speak  of  a  more  generous 
motive,  requires  that  the  path  should  be  smoothed  to  those 
devotees  who  are  unaccustomed  to  encounter  difficulties. 
In  conformity  with  a  rule  of  their  order,  then,  though 
dwelling  in  the  secluded  and  wild  region  already  described, 
the  fraternity  of  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits,  had  their  Ab- 
bot's abode,  their  lodgings  for  the  stranger,  and  their 
stores  of  cheer,  as  well  as  their  cells  and  their  religious 
rites. 

It  was  about  three  hours  after  the  interview  related 
in  the  last  chapter — a  time  that  brings  us  near  the  turn 
of  the  night — that  we  shall  return  to  the  narrative. 
The  scene  is  a  banqueting-hall,  or,  to  speak  in  more  meas- 
ured phrase,  a  private  refectory,  in  which  the  princely 
Abbot  was  wont  to  entertain  those  in  whose  behalf  he  saw 
sufficient  reasons  to  exercise  more  than  ordinary  attention 
and  favor.  There  was  no  great  show  of  luxury  in  the 
ordinary  decorations  of  the  place,  for  a  useless  display  of 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  315 

its  means  formed  no  part  of  the  system  of  a  community 
that  chiefly  existed  by  the  liberality  of  the  pious.  Still 
the  hall  was  as  well  arranged  as  comported  with  the  rude 
habits  of  the  age,  in  that  secluded  region — habits  that  con- 
sulted the  substantial  portion  of  human  enjoyments  far 
more  than  those  elaborate  and  effeminate  inventions,  which 
use  has  since  rendered  nearly  indispensable  to  later  gener- 
ations. The  floor  was  of  tile,  not  very  nicely  polished  ; 
the  walls  were  wainscoted  in  dark  oak  ;  and  the  ceiling 
had  a  rude  attempt  to  represent  the  supper  given  at  the 
marriage  of  Cana,  and  the  miracle  of  the  wine.  Notwith- 
standing it  was  midsummer,  a  cheerful  *fire  blazed  in  a 
chimney  of  huge  dimensions  ;  the  size  of  the  apartment 
and  the  keen  air  of  the  mountains  rendering  such  an  aux- 
iliary not  only  agreeable,  but  necessary.  The  board  was 
spacious  and  well  covered,  offering  a  generous  display  of 
those  healthful  and  warm  liquors,  which  have  so  long  given 
the  Rhine  additional  estimation  with  every  traveller  of 
taste. 

Around  the  table  were  placed  the  Abbot,  and  his  un- 
housed peer,  Bonifacius  ;  a  favorite  or  two  of  the  commu- 
nity of  Einsiedlen  ;  with  Emich,  the  Knight  of  Rhodes, 
the  Abbe,  Heinrich  Frey,  and  the  smith.  The  former 
were  in  their  usual  conventual  robes  ;  while  the  latter 
were  confounded,  so  far  as  externals  were  concerned,  in 
their  dresses  of  pilgrims.  Deitrich  owed  his  present  ad- 
vantage altogether  to  the  fortuitous  circumstance  of  being 
found  in  so  good  company,  divested  of  the  usual  distin- 
guishing marks  of  his  rank.  If  Bonifacius  was  at  all 
aware  of  his  character,  indifference  or  policy  prevented  its 
exposure. 

Had  one  been  suddenly  introduced  to  this  midnight 
scene,  he  would  scarce  have  recognized  the  weary  pen- 
itent and  the  reproving  churchman,  in  the  jovial  cheer 
and  boon  companionship  of  the  hour.  The  appetite  was 
already  more  than  satisfied,  and  many  a  glass  had  been 
quaffed  in  honor  of  both  hosts  and  guests,  ere  the  precise 
moment  to  which  we  transfer  the  action  of  the  tale. 

The  princely  prelate  occupied  the  seat  of  honor,  as  be- 
came his  high  rank,  while  Bonifacius  was  seated  at  one 
elbow,  and  the  Count  of  Hartenburg  at  the  other.  The 
great  consideration  due  to  the  first,  as  well  as  his  personal 
character  and  mild  manners,  had  served  to  preserve  all 
outward  appearances  of  amity  and  courteous  intercourse 


316  THE   HKIDF.NMAUER. 

between  his  neighbors,  neither  of  whom  had  as  yet  suf- 
fered the  slightest  intimation  of  their  former  knowledge  of 
each  other  to  escape  him.  This  polite  duplicity,  which 
we  have  reason  to  think  is  of  very  ancient  origin,  and  in 
which  Albrecht  of  Viederbach  and  Monsieur  Latouche 
assisted  with  rare  felicity,  aided  in  curbing  the  feelings  of 
their  inferiors,  who,  being  less  trained  in  the  seemliness  of 
deception,  might  otherwise  have  given  vent  to  some  of 
their  bodily  pains  by  allusions  of  an  irritating  and  ques- 
tionable nature. 

"Thou  findest  our  liquors  palatable  ?"  courteously  ob- 
served the  Abbot,  as  we  shall,  par  excellence ',  now  distin- 
guish him  of  Einsiedlen.  "  This  of  the  silver  cup,  cometh 
from  the  liberality  of  thy  late  Elector,  who  had  occasion 
to  send  votive  offerings,  in  behalf  of  the  illness  of  one  of 
his  family,  to  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits,  and  who  had  the 
grace  to  accompany  the  memorial  to  the  convent  treasury 
by  this  sign  of  private  regard  ;  and  that  thou  seemest  most 
to  relish,  is  a  neighborly  boon  from  our  Brother  of  Saint 
Gall,  than  whom  more  generous  churchman  does  not  wear 
a  cowl.  Thou  k newest,  son,  that  the  matter  of  good  wine 
hath  long  been  the  subject  of  especial  care  with  that 
thriving  brotherhood." 

"  Thou  overrates!  my  knowledge  of  history,  princely 
Abbot,"  returned  Emich,  setting  down  the  glass,  however, 
in  a  manner  to  show  that  his  familiarity  with  good  liquors 
might  safely  be  assumed.  "We  of  the  lower  countries 
waste  but  little  time  on  these  studies,  trusting  chiefly  to 
those  who  dwell  at  the  universities  for  the  truth  of  what 
we  hear.  If  he  of  Saint  Gall  dispensed!  much  of  this  goodly 
liquor,  certes  it  were  well  that  our  spiritual  guardians  sent 
us,  on  occasions,  to  make  our  pilgrimages  in  that  region, 
which  cannot  be  far  from  this,  unless  my  geography  is 
greatly  in  fault." 

"  Thou  couldest  not  have  better  divined,  hadst  thou  been 
a  doctor  of  Wittenberg,  or  of  Rome  itself  !  Considering 
our  mountain  paths,  and  the  insufficiency  of  the  bridges 
and  other  conveniences,  it  may  require  two  suns  to  urge  a 
beast  from  our  convent  gate  to  that  of  our  brother  of  Saint 
Gall,  though,  on  emergencies,  we  have  succeeded,  by 
means  of  faithful  footmen,  in  getting  tidings  to  their  ears 
within  the  day  and  night.  Saint  Gall  is  a  wealthy  and 
well-bestowed  Abbey,  of  very  ancient  existence,  and  of 
much  repute  as  the  fiaven  of  letters,  during  the  darkest 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  317 

period,  learned  Bonifacius,  of  our  more  modern  times  ; 
though  the  late  increase  of  its  town,  and  the  growing  tur- 
bulence of  the  times,  have  not  permitted  it  to  escape,  with 
impunity,  from  the  dangers  that  now  beset  all  of  Rome." 

This  was  the  first  allusion  which  had  been  made  to  the 
events  that  had  so  singularly  brought  the  present  company 
together  ;  and,  but  for  the  address  and  self-command  of 
Bonifacius,  it  might  have  brought  on  a  discussion  that 
would  not  have  proved  agreeable. 

"  Saint  Gall  and  its  merits  are  unknown  to  none  who 
wear  the  frock  of  Saint  Benedict,"  he  said,  with  admirable 
composure.  "Thou  hast  well  said  that  its  walls  were,  for 
many  ages,  the  sole  protectors  of  learning  in  our  Europe ; 
for  without  the  diligence  and  fidelity  of  its  Abbots  and 
brotherhood,  much  that  is  now  preserved  and  prized  would 
have  been  irretrievably  lost  to  posterity  and  to  ourselves." 

"  I  doubt  not,  reverend  Benedictine,"  observed  Emich, 
speaking  courteously  across  the  Abbot  to  Bonifacius,  much 
as  a  well-bred  guest  at  board  addresses  a  convive  to  whom 
he  is  otherwise  a  stranger,  "  that  this  rare  taste  in  liquors, 
of  which  there  has  just  been  question,  is  the  fruit  of  the 
excellent  knowledge  which  you  extol  ? " 

"  That  is  a  point  I  shall  not  hastily  decide,"  returned 
Bonifacius,  smiling.  "  It  may  be  so,  for  we  have  accounts 
of  sore  discord  between  Saint  Gall  and  others  even  of  the 
Church,  touching  the  uses  and  qualities  of  their  wines." 

"  That  have  we,  and  right  faithfully  recorded  !  "  rejoined 
the  Abbot.  "  There  was  the  war  between  the  Prince 
Bishop  of  Basle  and  our  brethren  of  Saint  Gall,  that  led  to 
sore  contentions  and  heavy  losses." 

"  How  !  did  the  desire  to  partake  urge  our  Rhenish 
prelate  to  push  adventure  so  far  as  to  come  this  distance  in 
quest  of  liquor  ?  " 

"Thou  art  in  error,  son  pilgrim,  concerning  the  nature 
of  Saint  Gall's  stores.  We  have  vineyards,  it  is  true, 
among  these  mountains,  as  witness  those  on  the  shores  of 
the  neighboring  lake  of  Zurich,  as  well  as  others  that 
might  be  named  ;  but  our  country  wines  will  warm  the 
blood  of  peasant  only.  He  that  hath  tasted  better,  seldom 
fills  his  cup  with  liquor  that  comes  from  any  region  this 
side  the  farther  border  of  Swabia — your  vines  of  the  Rhein- 
gau  in  specialty  ;  whereas  the  territories  of  Saint  Gall  lie 
still  farther  from  those  favored  countries  than  we  our- 
selves." 


318  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

"  You  have  need  to  explain,  princely  Abbot ;  for  that  the 
Baslois  should  come  in  our  direction,  in  quest  of  good 
liquor,  is  clear  enough,  whereas  the  war  you  have  named 
would  have  sent  him  farther  from  his  object." 

"  Thou  hast  not  come  hither,  son,  without  marking  the 
course  of  the  Rhine,  on  whose  banks  thou  hast  so  long 
journeyed.  This  great  stream,  though  so  turbulent  and 
dangerous  among  the  mountains,  is  of  much  use  in  procur- 
ing our  supplies.  By  means  of  the  lake  of  Constance,  and 
the  lower  river,  heavy  burthens  arrive  at  the  very  territory 
of  our  sister  Abbey  ;  and  the  dispute  to  which  there  has 
been  allusion,  came  of  the  fact  that  the  right  reverend 
prelate  of  Basle  would  fain  have  demanded  toll  on  the 
purchases  of  the  Abbey.  Thou  mayest  remember,  brother," 
looking  toward  Bonifacius,  "  that  when  both  were  tired  of 
blows,  the  good  Bishop  sent  to  demand  '  What  the  Virgin 
had  done,  that  the  churchmen  above  should  slay  her 
people  ? '  and  that  he  received  for  a  merry  answer  the 
question  of,  '  What  has  Saint  Gall  done,  that  thou  shouldest 
stop  his  wines  ? ' ' 

The  listeners  laughed,  in  low  simpers,  like  men  amused 
with  this  characteristic  narrative  ;  for  such  incidents  were 
yet  too  recent  to  excite  much  other  reflection,  even  among 
churchmen,  than  what  was  connected  with  the  vulgar  tem- 
poral interests  of  the  incident. 

"  By  the  Magi !  holy  and  princely  Abbot,  thy  tale  giveth 
additional  flavor!"  said  Emich,  who  greatly  enjoyed  the 
quarrel  ;  "  it  moreover  serveth  to  shut  out  thoughts  that 
come  from  aching  bones  and  weary  feet." 

"  Thy  pilgrimage,  son,  will  bring  its  rewards  as  well  as 
its  pains.  Should  it  be  a  means  of  removing  thee,  for  a 
time,  from  the  heresies  of  Germany,  and  of  placing  thee 
and  thine  in  more  friendly  communion  with  the  Church, 
the  toil  will  not  be  lost." 

"  As  such  do  I  esteem  the  duty,"  returned  Emich,  tossing 
off  his  glass,  after  steadily  regarding  the  liquor  a  moment 
by  the  fire-light.  "  Saint  Gall  had  the  right  of  the  matter ; 
and  he  who  would  not  take  up  arms  for  this,  did  not 
deserve  to  wear  them.  How,  now,  Herr  Frey  !  Thou  art 
silent  ? " 

"  Not  more  so,  I  trust,  nobly-born  Emich,  than  be- 
cometh  one  on  a  pilgrimage  ;  and  one  who  hath  need  to 
bethink  him  of  his  duties,  lest  his  town  should  have  cause 
to  reproach  him  with  negligence," 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  319 

"  God's  truth,  Master  Burgomaster  !  If  any  here  have 
reason  to  bethink  them  of  Duerckheim,  it  is  the  city's 
sovereign  and  lord.  So  cheer  up,  and  let  us  lighten  the 
load  we  carry,  always  under  the  favor  and  good  graces  of 
this  hospitable  and  well-endowed  brotherhood." 

"  Thou  art  a  servitor  of  the  Cross  ? "  demanded  the  Ab- 
bot of  Albrecht  of  Viederbach,  beckoning  the  Knight  to 
come  nearer. 

"An  indifferent  one,  princely  and  pious  Rudiger,  and,  I 
might  say,  one  that  hath  yielded  to  the  seductions  of  com- 
pany and  good  fellowship,  not  to  speak  of  the  force  of 
blood  ;  else  would  he  have  been  spared  this  expiation." 

"  Nay,  I  name  not  thy  pursuit  with  the  intent  to  re- 
proach," interrupted  the  courteous  prelate.  "  Such  lib- 
erty does  not  become  hospitality.  We  make  a  difference 
within  these  walls  between  the  confessional  and  the 
board." 

"  The  distinction  is  just,  and  promises  perpetuity  and 
lasting  respect  to  our  faith,  spite  of  all  heresies.  The 
rock  on  which  this  Brother  Luther  and  his  followers  will 
split,  holy  Abbot — at  least,  it  so  seemeth  to  an  uninstruct- 
ed  capacity — is  the  desire  to  refine  beyond  men's  means  of 
endurance.  Religion,  like  chivalry,  is  good  in  its  way  ; 
but  neither  the  priest  nor  the  knight  can  bear  his  armor 
at  all  times  and  seasons.  Your  schismatic  hath  the  desire 
to  convert  the  layman  into  a  monk, whereas  the  beauty  of 
creation  is  its  order  ;  and  he  that  is  charged  with  the  cure 
of  souls,  is  sufficient  for  his  object,  without  laying  this 
constant  burthen  on  the  shoulders  of  him  that  hath  already 
more  of  temporal  cares  than  he  can  bear." 

"Were  others  more  of  thy  mind,  son,  we  should  have 
less  trouble,  and  better  discipline.  Our  altars  are  not  use- 
less, and  if  they  who  frequent  them,  could  be  content  to 
think  that  we  are  sufficient  for  their  safety,  the  world 
would  be  saved  much  disputation  and  haply  some  shed- 
ding of  blood.  But  with  these  safe  and  creditable  opinions, 
Sir  Knight  and  Pilgrim,"  continued  the  Abbot,  dropping 
his  voice  to  a  more  confidential  key,  "  it  may  be  permitted 
me  to  express  surprise,  that  I  see  thee  one  of  a  penitence 
commanded  for  violence  done  a  convent !" 

Albrecht  of  Viederbach  shrugged  his  shoulders,  and 
glanced  meaningly  toward  his  cousin. 

"  What  will  you,  right  noble  and  reverend  Prelate  !— We 
are  but  the  creatures  of  accident.  There  is  respect  due 


320  THE  HEIDENMATEK. 

to  fellowship  and  hospitality,  to  say  naught  of  the  claims 
of  blood  and  kindred.  The  evil  turn  of  the  Rhodian 
warfare,  some  longings  to  look  again  at  our  German 
fields,  for  the  father-land  keeps  its  hold  of  us  more  par- 
ticularly in  adversity,  with  the  habits  of  an  unsettled  ex- 
istence, served  to  lead  me  to  the  castle  of  Hartenburg ; 
and  fairly  entered,  it  will  excite  no  wonder  that  the  guest 
was  ready  to  lend  his  sword,  in  a  short  foray,  to  the  host. 
These  sallies,  as  thou  well  knowest,  princely  Rudiger,  are 
not  so  rare  as  to  be  deemed  miracles." 

"  What  thou  sayest  is  true,"  returned  the  Abbot,  always 
speaking  as  it  were  aside  to  the  Knight,  arid  manifesting 
no  great  surprise  at  this  avowal  of  principles,  that  were 
common  enough  in  that  age,  and  which  have  descended  in 
a  different  form  to  our  own,  since  we  daily  see  men,  in  the 
gravest  affairs  of  a  nation,  putting  their  morality  at  the 
disposal  of  party,  rather  than  incur  the  odium  of  being 
wanting  in  this  species  of  social  faith.  "  What  thou  say- 
est is  very  true,  and  may  well  furnish  thy  plea  with  the 
Grand  Master.  Thou  mayest  on  many  accounts,  too,  find 
this  pilgrimage  wholesome." 

"  Doubt  it  not,  reverend  Abbot.  We  had  little  time 
during  the  siege,  to  pay  due  attention  to  the  rites  ;  and 
the  general  looseness  of  our  lives,  since  driven  from  the 
island,  has  left  long  arrears  to  settle  ;  a  fact  that  I  endeavor 
to  remember  now." 

"  And  thy  associate — he  of  g&ntle  mien  ;  hath  he  not 
also  connection  with  the  Church?" 

Albrecht  turned  to  whisper  the  reply. 

"  'Tis  but  one  that  circulates  under  the  frock,  holy  Bene- 
dictine— a  youth  that  hath  been  the  dupe  of  Lord  Emich  ; 
for  to  speak  thee  fair,  my  cousin  wanteth  not  of  the  policy 
necessary  to  his  condition  and  to  the  habits  of  a  sage  gov- 
ernment." 

The  Abbot  smiled  in  a  way  to  show  a  good  intelligence 
between  him  and  his  companion.  After  this,  they  talked 
apart  earnestly  for  a  while,  beckoning  Monsieur  Latouche 
to  make  one  of  their  party,  after  sundry  glances  in  his 
direction.  In  the  meantime,  the  general  discourse  pro* 
ceeded  among  the  other  guests. 

"I  was  sorrowed  to  hear,  reverend  Benedictine,"  pro- 
ceeded the  Count,  purposely  avoiding  the  eye  of  Bonifacius, 
by  addressing  himself  to  one  of  the  brotherhood  of  Einsied- 
len,  "that  thy  community  hath  refused  us  masses,  for  the 


THE   HRIDEXMAUER.  321 

soul  of  one  that  fell  in  that  unhappy  dispute  which  is  the 
cause  of  our  present  pleasure,  in  being  in  so  goodly  com- 
pany. I  loved  the  youth,  and  would  fain  deal  liberally  by 
those  that  remember  his  present  necessities." 

"  Hath  the  matter  been  fairly  put  to  those  having  the 
right  to  decide  ? "  demanded  the  monk,  showing  by  the  di- 
rection of  his  eye,  that  he  meant  his  superior. 

"  They  tell  me  it  hath,  and  put  touchingly  ;  but  without 
success.  I  trust  there  has  been  no  hostile  interference  in 
this  affair,  which  concerneth  no  less  than  a  soul,  and  ought 
to  be  dealt  by  tenderly." 

"  I  know  of  but  one,  and  that  is  the  Father  of  Evil  him- 
self, that  hath  an  enmity  to  souls  ! "  answered  the  monk, 
with  very  honest  surprise — "  As  for  us,  it  is  our  pleasure 
to  be  of  use  on  all  such  occasions  ;  and  that  especially 
when  the  request  is  preferred  by  friends  of  the  deceased, 
that  are  worthy  of  so  much  higher  favor." 

"  Dost  thou  call  those  who  overturn  altars,"  said  Boni- 
facius,  sternly,  and  with  great  firmness  of  voice, — "who 
visit  the  temple  with  the  armed  hand,  and  who  defy  the 
Church,  worthy  of  her  favors !  " 

"  Reverend  Abbot  !— 

"Nay,  let  him  give  his  humor  vent,"  said  Emich,  proud- 
ly— "  the  cold  air  and  a  roofless  head  are  apt  to  move  the 
temper.  I  would  fain  have  met  thee,  Bonifacius,  in 
amity,  as  should  have  been  the  case,  after  our  solemn 
treaty,  and  all  the  reparations  that  are  made  ;  but  the  de- 
sire to  rule,  it  would  seem,  does  not  abandon  thee,  even  in 
banishment ! " 

"  Thou  art  deceived  in  imagining  that  I  shall  forget  my- 
self, or  my  office,  rude  Emich  ; — the  question  put  was  to 
the  Benedictine,  and  not  to  thee." 

"  Then  let  the  Benedictine  answer.  I  ask  thee,  Father, 
is  it  becoming  or  just,  that  the  soul  of  a  youth  of  good  re- 
pute, of  moral  life,  and  of  reasonable  earthly  hopes,  should 
be  refused  aid,  on  the  mere  grudge  of  ancient  hostility,  or 
haply  that  there  were  some  passages  at  his  death,  that 
might  have  been  better  avoided  ?" 

"The  Church  must  judge  for  itself,  noble  Pilgrim,  and 
decide  on  those  rules  which  regulate  its  course !  " 

"  By  the  sainted  eleven  thousand  ! — thou  forgettest,  that 
all  usages  have  been  respected,  and  that  the  masses  are 
not  asked  as  the  beggar  imploreth  alms,  but  that  fairly 
counted  gold  is  proffered  in  behalf  of  the  youth.  If  enough 

21 


322  THE   irETDENMAUER. 

has  not  been  done  in  this  way,  I  swear  to  thee,  Bonifacius, 
since  it  would  seem  thy  influence  here  is  so  strong,  that  on 
my  return  there  shall  be  further  offerings  on  his  account. 
Berchthold  was  very  dear  to  me,  and  I  would  not  have  it 
said  that  all  memory  of  the  boy  is  lost  beneath  the  ashes 
of  Limburg." 

Though  both  in  their  several  ways  were  irascible,  violent, 
and  unaccustomed  to  control,  neither  Emich  nor  Bonifacius 
was  wanting  in  that  species  of  self-command,  which  is  so 
necessary  to  men  intrusted  with  the  care  of  important  in- 
terests. They  had  early  learned  to  bring  feeling  more  or 
less  in  subjection  to  their  policy  ;  and  though  not  quite 
equal  to  a  cold  and  managed  display  of  indifference  on 
such  subjects  as  too  closely  crossed  their  views,  it  required 
a  certain  combination  of  excitement  to  induce  either,  un- 
necessarily, to  betray  his  true  emotions.  Their  personal 
intercourse  had,  in  consequence  of  this  affected  modera- 
tion, been  less  violent  and  wrangling  than  would  other- 
wise have  proved,  for  it  did  not  often  happen  that  both 
found  themselves  wrought  up  to  the  point  of  explosion, 
precisely  at  the  same  instant  ;  and  he  that  happened  to  re- 
main the  coolest,  stood  as  a  check  on  the  passions  of  him 
who  had  momentarily  forgotten  appearances.  But  for  this 
fact,  the  ill-timed  and  ill-worded  question  of  the  Count 
might  have  produced  an  immediate  rupture,  to  the  injury 
of  the  pilgrims'  interests,  and  to  the  great  scandal  of  the 
brotherhood  of  Einsiedlen  :  as  it  was,  however,  Bonifacius 
listened  with  outward  courtesy,  and  answered  more  like 
one  that  remembered  his  priestly  office  than  his  particular 
injuries. 

"  Had  it  been  my  good  fortune,  Herr  Pilgrim,"  he  said 
calmly,  "  to  have  remained  in  charge  of  altars  so  esteemed, 
as  to  be  sought  on  such  a  behalf,  thy  application  in  favor 
of  the  youth  would  have  received  meet  attention  ;  but  thou 
now  addresseth  a  prelate,  that,  like  thee,  is  indebted  to  the 
hospitality  of  these  excellent  brothers,  for  a  roof  to  cover 
his  head." 

"  Nay,  I  know  not,"  added  the  Count,  a  little  confused 
by  this  sudden  humility,  "  but  rather  than  desert  so  young 
a  soul  in  this  strait,  and  soul  of  a  servitor  whom  I  so  much 
loved,  that  I  would  not  even  now  endow  some  chapel — of 
a  size  and  decorations  suited  to  his  station  while  living." 

"On  Limburg  hill,  Herr  Emich?" 

"  Nay,  excellent  Bonifacius,  thou  forgettest  our  loving 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  323 

treaty,  this  pilgrimage,  and  other  conditions  honorably  ful- 
filled. Altars  can  never  rise  again  on  Limburg  hill,  for 
that  were  to  lose  sight  of  our  oaths  and  promises,  which 
would  be  a  crying  sin  in  both  ;  but  altars  and  chapels  may 
exist  elsewhere.  Give  us  then  this  grace,  and  look  to  our 
gratitude  and  justice  for  the  reward." 

Bonifacius  smiled,  for  he  felt  his  power,  and  he  enjoyed 
it  like  a  man  conscious  of  having  so  lately  been  in  the 
hands  of  the  very  baron,  who  now  so  earnestly  beseeched 
his  favor.  It  may  not  be  easy  for  one  educated  in  these 
later  days,  to  understand  the  singular  contradiction,  which 
led  Emich  of  Hartenburg,  the  destroyer  of  Limburg,  thus 
to  entreat  a  monk  ;  but  he  who  would  properly  understand 
his  character,  must  remember  the  durability  of  impressions 
made  in  youth,  the  dread  mystery  that  is  attached  to  the 
unknown  future,  and,  most  of  all,  the  flagrant  inconsisten- 
cies, that  are  always  the  fruits  of  a  struggle  between  prin- 
ciples and  interests, — between  the  force  of  reason  and  the 
desires  of  selfishness. 

"  Thou  accusest  me  unwarrantably,  when  thou  sayest 
that  our  oaths,  or  our  loving  treaty  is  forgotten,  pious 
Pilgrim,"  returned  the  Benedictine  ;  "both  are  respected 
and  well  remembered,  as  thou  wilt  see,  in  the  end.  But 
there  is  a  feature  in  this  request  of  thine,  that  hath  appar- 
ently escaped  unwittingly  one  of  thy  known  justice  and 
impartiality.  Thy  forester  is  well  known  for  having 
greatly  affected  the  heresy  that  is  ripe  in  Germany — 

"  Nay,  Bonifacius,  here  must  be  an  error," — interrupted 
the  Count  ;  "thou  hast  his  very  mother  in  our  pilgrimage  ; 
and  dost  think  a  proselyte  of  Luther  would  undertake  so 
grievous  pain  to  satisfy  Rome  ?  " 

"  We  speak  of  the  child,  and  not  of  the  parent,  Herr 
Pilgrim.  Had  all  that  were  trained  in  better  principles 
observed  the  opinions  of  their  fathers,  our  age  would  have 
been  spared  this  heresy.  Of  the  boy's  irreverence  there 
can  be  little  doubt,  since  mine  own  ears  have  been  my 
witnesses." 

"  How,  hast  thou  ever  shrived  the  youth,  reverend  Ab- 
bot ?"  demanded  Emich  in  surprise.  "I  did  not  think 
thee  of  so  great  condescension  to  one  of  his  hopes,  nor — 
by  the  mass  !  did  I  think  the  youth  so  weak  as  to  touch 
on  disputed  points  at  the  confessional  !  " 

"  There  are  other  acknowledgments  made,  Herr  Pilgrim, 
than  those  which  are  heard  in  the  Church,  or  under  the 


324  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

cloak  of  her  mysteries.  There  was  formerly  a  question  be 
tween  us,  noble  Count,  amicably  settled,  and  in  a  merry 
manner  that  need  not  now  be  named." 

"  Touching  certain  vineyards  !  "  rejoined  Emich,  laugh- 
ing. "  The  fact  is  not  so  distant  as  to  be  forgotten,  though 
neither  my  cousin  nor  this  good  Abbe  proved  as  stanch  in 
that  matter  as  had  been  expected  !  " 

"  Thy  forester  did  better  service.  Thou  mayest  also  re- 
member there  were  certain  discussions  then  had,  and  that 
the  bold  boy  ventured  on  a  comparison  of  the  tree  trimmed 
of  its  useless  branches,  and  the  tree  suffered  to  stand  in 
its  deformity." 

"  Wilt  thou  abandon  a  soul  to  jeopardy  for  speech  light 
as  this,  Herr  Bonifacius  ?  God's  justice  !  This  promiseth 
but  little  in  mine  own  behalf,  at  some  future  day.  Bercht- 
hold,  heated  and  warm  in  the  interest  of  his  lord,  threw 
out  hints  that  might  otherwise  have  been  spared  ;  more- 
over, the  greater  the  sinner,  Father,  the  greater  need  of 
masses  and  prayers." 

"This  will  not  I  gainsay — my  objection  goeth  no  farther 
than  to  urge  that  those  who  are  willing  to  live  by  the 
counsels  of  Luther,  should  be  also  willing  to  seek  salvation 
by  his  means." 

"  Friends  and  pilgrims,"  said  the  Abbot  of  Einsiedlen, 
approaching  the  table,  from  which  he  had  retired  a  little, 
to  converse  more  freely  with  the  Abbot  and  the  Knight 
of  Rhodes — "  the  hour  is  at  hand  which  has  been  set  to 
celebrate  an  early  mass  in  behalf  of  this  pilgrimage.  The 
bell  is  giving  the  first  summons,  and  it  is  meet  that  we 
retire  to  prepare  ourselves  for  the  duty." 

At  this  interruption  Bonifacius,  who  saw  a  storm  gather- 
ing, gladly  arose,  and  instantly  withdrew,  the  rest  dropped 
off,  according  to  their  several  conditions  ;  Emich  and  his 
cousin  retiring  with  the  leisure  of  men  more  accustomed  to 
make  others  wait,  than  of  hastening  their  movements  to 
the  injury  of  their  own  convenience. 

After  perusing  this  scene,  we  admonish  the  reader  to 
spare  his  remarks  until  the  subject  has  been  well  pondered 
in  his  mind.  In  portraying  what  passed  in  the  private  re- 
fectory of  the  convent  of  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits,  we 
wish  to  convey  no  censure  on  any  particular  persuasion,  or 
sect,  or  order  of  Christians,  but  simply  to  exhibit  the  hab- 
its and  opinions  of  the  age  in  which  the  individuals  of 
this  legend  existed.  Let  those  who  are  disposed  to  be 


THE   HEIDENMAUEK.  325 

hypercritical,  or  censorious  in  their  remarks,  coolly  look 
around  them,  and,  first  making  the  necessary  allowances 
for  the  new  aspects  of  society,  put  the  question,  whether 
contradictions  as  apparent,  inconsistencies  nearly  as  ir- 
reconcilable with  truth,  and  selfishness  almost  as  gross  and 
as  unjust,  are  not  now  manifest  equally  among  the  adher- 
ents of  Rome,  and  the  proselytes  of  Luther,  as  any  that 
have  been  here  represented.  We  may  claim  to  have  im- 
proved on  the  opinions  and  practices  of  our  predecessors, 
but  we  are  still  far  from  being  the  consistent  and  equi- 
table creatures  that,  it  is  to  be  hoped,  we  are  yet  destined 
to  become. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"  Forbear  to  judge,  for  we  are  sinners  all." — King  Henry  VI. 

AMONG  the  expiations  prescribed  to  the  pilgrims  of 
Duerckheim  and  Hartenburg,  there  had  been  included  an 
especial  and  early  morning  service,  the  one  to  which  they 
were  now  summoned.  Time  had  been  allowed  the  weaker 
portion  of  the  party  to  rest,  while  the  stronger  had  been 
employed  in  the  manner  described  in  the  preceding  chap- 
ter. Certain  self-inflicted  stripes  it  was  taken  for  granted 
had  been  duly  bestowed,  at  different  periods,  during  the 
long  journey  from  the  Palatinate. 

It  was  an  hour  after  the  separation  of  the  Abbey  guests 
that  the  procession  of  .Benedictines  swept  out  of  the 
cloisters  into  the  body  of  the  church.  Though  far  from 
being  a  community  remarkable  for  the  austerity  of  its 
practices,  it  was  not  unusual  for  monks  of  all  orders,  to 
quit  their  pallets  on  extraordinary  occasions,  and  to  break 
the  stillness  of  night  with  the  music  and  service  of  the  altar. 
When  the  spirit  comes  thus  fresh  from  repose,  and  in  a  dis- 
position suited  to  the  object,  into  the  immediate  pres- 
ence of  the  Deity,  incense  and  praise  so  free  from  the 
dross  of  humanity,  must  come  nearer  to  that  high  purity 
which  adorns  the  worship  of  angels  than  any  other  that 
can  ascend  from  man,  since  it  is  at  such  a  moment  that  all 
least  feel  the  burthen  of  their  corporeal  adjunct. 

Even  in  the  daily  parochial  duty,  the  good  Catholics 
still  observe  a  uniformity  and  rigidity  of  practice  that  are 
unknown  even  in  this  land  of  Puritan  origin.  The  church- 


326  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

bell  is  heard  in  every  village,  with  the  first  dawn  of  light ; 
at  indicated  hours,  all  within  hearing  of  its  sound  are  ad- 
monished to  recall  their  thoughts  from  earth,  by  address- 
ing a  prayer  to  God  ;  and  with  the  close  of  day,  the  flock 
is  once  again  summoned  to  the  fold,  at  the  service  of  ves- 
pers. These  are  beautiful  and  touching  memorials  of  our 
duty,  and  when  practised  in  sincerity,  cannot  fail  to  keep 
the  mind  in  better  subjection  to  the  great  authority  that 
directs  all  our  destinies.  In  countries  where  the  husband- 
men dwell  together  in  villages,  the  practice  is  easy,  and  we 
hold  its  loss  to  be  one  of  the  greatest  disadvantages  of  our 
own  diffuse  distribution  of  rural  population  ;  a  distribution 
which  is  also  the  reason  why  we  must  forever  be  wanting 
in  several  other  features  of  social  intercourse,  that  give  to 
life  more  or  less  of  its  poetical  charm.  Happily  there  are, 
on  the  other  hand,  accompanying  advantages  that  per- 
haps more  than  serve  as  offsets  to  this,  as  to  most  other 
similar  anomalies  in  our  usages. 

The  arrangements  of  a  Benedictine  chapel,  and  the  dec- 
orations of  its  altars,  together  with  the  manner  in  which 
the  brotherhood  occupy  their  stalls  in  the  choir,  have 
been  too  often  mentioned  in  these  pages,  to  require  repe- 
tition. Long  accustomed  to  these  exercises,  the  monks 
were  early  in  their  places,  though  they  for  whom  the  mass 
was  to  be  said  were  not  all  as  punctual. 

Ulrike  and  Lottchen,  with  the  rest  of  the  females,  en- 
tered the  church  in  a  body,  while  the  men,  as  is  usual  in 
matters  that  touch  the  finer  feelings,  were  the  last.  Emich 
and  the  Burgomaster,  however,  finally  made  their  appear- 
ance, followed  by  their  companions,  the  whole  betraying 
by  their  drowsy  air,  that  they  had  been  endeavoring 
to  sleep  off  the  late  repast,  and  to  recover  from  their 
fatigue. 

During  the  mass,  the  companions  of  Lottchen  and  Ul- 
rike exhibited  exemplary  devotion,  and  a  close  attention 
to  the  service  ;  but  the  gaping  of  the  Count  and  his  circle, 
the  wandering  eyes,  and  finally  the  profound  repose  of 
several,  sufficiently  showed  that  the  ethereal  part  of  their 
natures  was  altogether  unequal  to  the  mastery  of  that 
which  was  material. 

There  was  a  procession  from  the  choir  to  the  shrine, 
and  prayers  were  said,  as  on  the  previous  day,  with  the 
eyes  of  all  riveted  on  the  unearthly  countenance  of  Maria. 
As  each  .was  left  to  judge  for  himself  of  the  manner  in 


THE   HE  WEN  MA  UER. 


3*7 


which  he  discharged  his  particular  duties,  there  was  a  very 
sensible  difference  in  the  time  occupied  by  the  several 
devotees,  in  the  performance  of  the  common  vows.  The  fe- 
males appeared  to  be  embodied  with  the  stone,  and  there 
were  entire  minutes  during  which  their  motionless  forms 
would  have  seemed  to  be  as  inanimate  as  the  image  on 
which  they  gazed  but  for  the  heaving  of  a  breast,  or  an 
occasional  tremor, — outward  and  visible  signs  of  the  work- 
ings of  the  spirit  within.  Meta  kneeled  between  her 
mother  and  Lottchen,  her  whole  soul  apparently  engrossed 
in  devotion.  As  she  studied  the  bright  eye  that  gleamed 
upon  her  from  the  depths  of  that  mysterious  chapel,  illu- 
minated as  it  was  by  gorgeous  and  bright  lamps,  her  fancy 
transformed  the  image  into  a  being  sainted  and  blessed  by 
the  choice  of  God  ;  and  her  own  gentle  spirit  clung  to  the 
delusion,  as  one  replete  with  a  hope  to  cheer  her  own  des- 
olation. She  thought  of  the  future,  and  of  the  grave  ;  of 
the  rewards  of  the  just,  and  of  Heaven  ;  of  that  endless 
eternity  and  its  fruition  in  which  she  confided, — and  the 
ties  of  earth  began  sensibly  to  lessen.  There  was  a  holy 
desire  to  be  at  rest.  But,  notwithstanding  the  spiritual 
nature  of  her  employment,  the  form  of  Berchthold,  gay  in 
the  green  garb  of  a  forester,  with  laughing  eye,  light 
step,  and  cheerful  voice,  mingled  in  all  the  pictures  of  her 
imagination.  Now  he  appeared  a  saint,  robed  and 
bearded,  as  she  had  been  wont  to  see  those  holy  men  rep- 
resented in  works  of  art,  and  yet,  by  a  contradiction 
wrought  by  her  own  heart,  always  bright  and  youthful, 
and  now  she  thought  him  gifted  with  wings,  and  united 
to  the  beings  of  that  heavenly  choir,  which  had  so  many 
representatives  around  her  suspended  between  the  roof 
and  the  pavement  of  the  edifice.  Singular  as  it  may  seem 
to  some  of  our  readers,  so  busy  and  so  alluring  was  the 
working  of  her  imagination  at  this  thrilling  moment,  that 
the  mourning  and  affectionate  girl  had  rarely  spent  an  hour 
of  more  holy  enjoyment  than  this  which  she  passed  before 
the  shrine  of  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits. 

Very  different  were  the  sensations  of  Lottchen.  Her 
griefs  were  those  in  which  the  fancy  had  no  share.  She 
wept  for  the  child  to  which  she  had  given  birth  ;  for  the 
stay  of  her  age,  and  for  the  pride  of  her  life.  No  fancy 
could  betray  the  imagination  of  a  mother,  nor  could  any 
workings  of  the  mind  convert  the  sad  reality  into  aught 
but  the  bitter  truth.  Still  Lottchen  found  consolation  in 


3*S  THE   IIEIDENMAUEK. 

hoi  piayers.  Religious  faith  was  active,  though  imagina* 
tion  slumbered  ;  fur  nothing  can  be  more  different  than 
the  delusions  of  the  one,  and  the  deep  sustained  convic- 
tions of  the  other  ;  and  she  was  able  to  find  a  solace  for 
her  sorrow,  by  looking  with  calm,  Christian  hope  beyond 
the  interests  of  life. 

The  sentiments  and,,  feelings  of  Ulrike  differed  from 
those  of  her  friend,  only  in  the  degree,  and  in  the  peculi- 
arity of  those  circumstances  which  directed  her  maternal 
solicitude  to  a  still  living  object.  But  Ulrike,  kind,  true, 
and  warm  of  heart,  had  tenderly  regarded  the  lost  Bercht- 
hold.  Had  there  been  no  other  motive  than  the  fact  of 
his  being  the  offspring  of  Lottchen,  she  could  not  have 
been  indifferent  to  him  ;  but,  accustomed,  as  she  had  been 
for  years,  to  look  forward  to  his  union  with  Meta,  she  felt 
his  loss  little  less  than  she  would  have  mourned  over  that 
of  a  child  of  her  own. 

Not  so  with  Heinrich.  The  bold  and  spirited  support 
he  received  from  Berchthold  during  the  assault,  had  sensi- 
bly won  upon  his  esteem,  for  the  affinities  between  the 
brave  are  amongst  the  strongest ;  but  the  Burgomaster  had 
not  passed  a  life  in  the  indulgence  of  a  passion  so  engross- 
ing, and  so  incurable,  as  the  love  of  gain,  readily  to  cast 
aside  all  his  intentions  and  objects,  at  the  impulse  of  a  pure- 
ly generous  feeling.  He  would  freely  have  given  of  his  be- 
loved stores  to  the  youth  ;  but  to  bestow  Meta  was,  in  his 
eyes,  to  bestow  all,  and,  under  his  habits,  it  seemed  to  be 
giving  gold  without  an  equivalent,  to  give  his  daughter's 
hand  to  a  penniless  husband.  There  are  some  who  ac- 
cumulate for  the  advantages  that  are  incidental  to  wealth  ; 
others  hoard  under  the  goadings  of  an  abstract  and  nearly 
inexplicable  passion ;  while  another  set  heap  together 
their  means,  as  boys  roll  up  snow,  with  a  delight  in  wit- 
nessing how  large  amass  may  be  collected  by  their  agency. 
Heinrich  \vas  of  the  latter  class,  subject,  however,  to  a  rel- 
ish for  the  general  results  of  wealth,  and  like  all  men  who 
deem  money  as  an  end  and  not  as  a  means,  he  was  in  the 
practice  of  considering  the  last  measure  of  his  policy, 
which  was  intended  to  double  the  stock  by  the  marriage  of 
his  daughter,  as  the  happiest  and  the  greatest  stroke  of  a 
fortunate  and  prosperous  life.  And  yet  Heinrich  Frey  had 
his  moments  of  strong  natural  feeling,  and  the  manner  in 
which  Meta  mourned  for  the  death  of  Berchthold  touched 
him,  to  a  degree  that  might  have  disposed  him  to  say  he 


THE  HEIDENMAUEK.  329 

regretted  the  fate  of  his  young  lieutenant  as  much  on  her 
account  as  on  his  own.  It  is  more  than  probable,  however, 
could  Berchthold  have  been  suddenly  restored  to  life,  that 
the  Burgomaster  would  have  returned  to  his  former  mode 
of  thinking,  and  would  have  thought  the  resuscitation  of 
the  young  forester  sufficient,  of  itself,  to  assuage  the  grief 
of  a  whole  family. 

Heinrich  and  the  Count  were  among  the  first  to  quit 
their  suppliant  attitudes  before  the  shrine.  They  had  each 
said  the  required  number  of  prayers,  and  brushing  their 
knees,  the  two  pilgrims  strolled  away,  deeper  into  the  body 
of  the  church,  like  men  well  satisfied  with  themselves. 
But,  while  so  ready  to  give  relief  to  his  own  bones,  the 
Burgomaster  kept  a  vigilant  eye  on  Dietrich,  who,  being  a 
hired  penitent,  was  expected  to  give  Duerckheim  the  full 
worth  of  its  money,  in  the  way  of  mortifications  and  aves. 

Most  of  the  lights  in  the  choir  had  been  extinguished, 
and  the  aisles  of  the  edifice  were  dimly  visible,  by  means 
of  a  few  scattered  candles,  that  burned  almost  without 
ceasing,  before  the  altars  of  different  subordinate  chapels. 
As  they  walked  down  the  great  aisle,  Emich  slowly  laid  a 
hand  on  the  shoulder  of  his  companion,  seeming  to  invite 
his  close  attention,  by  the  grave  and  meaning  manner  of 
the  action. 

"  I  could  wish  that  our  poor  Berchthold,  after  all,  had 
the  virtue  of  masses  from  these  servitors  of  our  Lady 
of  the  Hermits  !  "  said  the  Count.  "  If  there  be  especial 
savor  in  any  of  this  description  of  prayers,  methinks  it 
must  be  among  men  who  watch  a  shrine  of  which  they  tell 
all  these  miracles  !  " 

"  Your  wish,  nobly-born-brother-pilgrim-and-friena,  is 
but  the  expression  of  mine  own.  To  own  the  truth,  I 
have  thought  of  little  else,  while  going  through  the  aves, 
but  to  devise  the  means  of  persuading  the  holy  Abbot,  at 
a  reasonable  rate,  to  change  his  mind,  and  honestly  to  let 
the  youth's  soul  benefit  by  his  intercessions." 

"  Thou  hast  not  well  bethought  thee  altogether,  friend 
Heinrich,  of  thine  own  errand  here  !  " 

"  Sapperment  !  What  would  you,  Herr  Emich,  from  a 
man  of  my  years  and  education  ?  One  gets  to  be  so  ready 
with  the  words  by  oft  repeating,  that  going  through  the 
beads  is  much  like  tapping  with  a  finger  while  the  eye 
looks  over  an  account.  But  to  speak  of  the  boy — were  we 
to  bid  higher  for  these  masses,  it  might  raise  the  present 


330  THE   HE1DENMAUER. 

price,  and  we  be  uselessly  losers  ;  for,  as  I  understand  the 
question,  the  amount  given  in  no  manner  changes  the  true 
value  of  the  intercession  to  the  defunct." 

"  Heinrich,"  returned  the  Count,  musingly,  "they  sa} 
that  Brother  Luther  denounces  these  post-mortem  prayers, 
as  vain  and  of  none  avail !  " 

'"  That  would  alter  the  case  greatly,  Lord  Count-and- 
brother-pilgrim.  One  could  wish  to  be  sure  in  an  affair  of 
this  delicacy,  for  if  the  Monk  of  Wittenberg  hath  reason 
of  his  side,  we  lose  our  gold  ;  and  if  he  hath  wrong, 
the  soul  of  Berchthold  may  be  none  the  better  for  our 
doubts  ! " 

"  We  laymen  are  sorely  pressed  between  the  two  opin- 
ions, worthy  Burgomaster,  and  I  could  fain  wish  that 
these  reformers  would  bring  the  question  speedily  to  a 
conclusion.  By  the  mass  !  there  are  moments  when  I  am 
ready  to  throw  away  the  rosary,  and  to  take  Duke  Fried- 
rich  of  Saxony's  side  of  the  question,  as  being  the  most 
reasonable  and  manly.  But,  then  again,  should  he  prove 
wrong,  thou  know'st,  Heinrich,  we  lose  the  benefit  of 
chapels  built,  of  aves  said,  of  gold  often  paid,  and  the 
high  protection  of  Rome  !  Thou  seest  the  strait  of  poor 
Berchthold,  and  this  only  for  some  little  freedom  of  dis- 
course !  " 

Heinrich  sighed,  for  he  felt  the  force  of  the  dilemma, 
and  he  appeared  to  ponder  well  before  he  answered.  Edg- 
ing nearer  to  the  Count,  like  a  man  who  felt  he  was  about 
to  utter  dangerous  sentiments  in  a  delicate  situation,  he 
whispered  the  reply. 

"  Here,  Emich,"  he  said,  "  we  are  but  dust,  and  that  of 
no  very  excellent  quality.  The  potter's  ware  hath  its  util- 
ity, if  well  baked  and  otherwise  prepared  ;  but  of  what 
use  is  man  when  the  breath  hath  departed  ?  They  say  the 
soul  remains,  and  that  it  must  be  cared  for,  neither  of 
which  will  I  dispute  ;  but  is  it  reasonable  to  buy  out  a 
patent  of  salvation,  for  an  intangible  thing,  with  current 
coin  ?  Look  to  that  knave,  the  smith  ! — Your  pardon, 
nobly-born  Count — but  here  hath  our  town  engaged  the 
rogue  to  do  penance  in  its  behalf,  and  my  eyes  are  no 
sooner  off  him  than  his  lips  become  as  stationary  as  the 
wings  of  a  mill  in  a  calm.  Duty  to  Duerckheim  demands 
that  I  should  give  him  a  jog,  after  which,  with  your  gra- 
cious leave,  we  will  look  further  into  the  philosophy  o/ 
that  in  which  we  were  dealing." 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  331 

So  saying,  the  zealous  Heinrich  hurried  down  the  aisle 
towards  his  religious  mercenary,  with  a  laudable  and  sen- 
sitive watchfulness  over  the  interests  of  his  constituents. 
He  found  the  smith  perfectly  immovable,  and  it  was  only 
by  repeated  and  vigorous  shakes,  that  he  succeeded  in 
arousing  his  auxiliary  from  a  profound  slumber. 

In  the  meanwhile,  Emich  walked  on,  still  occupied  by 
his  reflections.  On  reaching  the  gate  of  the  choir,  he  was 
about  to  retrace  his  steps,  when  he  was  privately  beckoned, 
by  one  whose  dusky  form  appeared  at  a  side  door  of  the 
church,  to  draw  nearer.  On  approaching,  Emich  found 
that  his  old  rival,  Bonifacius,  awaited  his  coming. 

The  salutations  of  these  ancient  enemies  were  courteous, 
but  distant.  After  a  short  parley,  however,  they  withdrew 
in  company  ;  and  it  was  past  the  turn  of  the  day,  ere  the 
Count  of  Hartenburg  reappeared  among  the  pilgrims. 
The  details  of  what  passed  in  this  secret  conference  were 
never  known  to  the  public,  though  subsequent  events  gave 
reason  to  believe  that  they  had  reference  to  the  final  set- 
tlement of  the  long-contested  existence  of  Limburg  in  the 
Jaegerthal.  It  was  known  generally  in  the  Abbey,  that 
the  Abbot  Rudiger  made  one  of  the  council,  and  that  its 
termination  was  friendly.  Those  who  were  disposed  to  be 
critical,  intimated  in  after  days,  that  in  this  dispute,  as  in 
most  others  in  which  the  weak  and  humble  lend'  them- 
selves to  the  views  of  the  great  and  the  strong,  they  for 
whom  the  battle  had  been  fought,  and  whose  apparently 
implacable  enmities  had  sown  discord  among  their  follow- 
ers, suddenly  found  means  to  appease  their  resentments, 
and  to  still  the  tempest  they  had  raised,  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  suffer  most  of  its  consequences  to  fall  on  the  heads 
of  their  allies.  This  result,  which  appears  to  be  universal 
with  those  who  have  the  imprudence  to  connect  themselves 
indissolubly  with  friends  who  can  irretrievably  dispose  of 
their  destinies,  was  perhaps  to  be  looked  for,  since  the  man 
or  the  community  that  is  so  weak  as  to  confide  too  implic- 
itly in  the  faith  of  the  powerful,  whether  considered  indi 
vidualiy  or  as  nations,  may  at  once  consider  itself  a  tool  to 
favor  views  that  have  little  connection  with  its  own  inter- 
ests. In  cases  of  this  nature,  men  are  wont  to  share  the 
fate  of  the  orange-skin,  which  is  thrown  away  after  being 
sucked  ;  and  communities  themselves  are  apt  to  undergo 
some  such  changes  as  those  which  mark  the  existence  of 
the  courser,  which  is  first  pampered  and  caressed,  then 


driven  upon  the  pole,  and  which  commonly  ends  its  career 
at  the  plow. 

During  the  time  Bonifacius  and  Emich  were  arranging 
their  secret  treaty,  in  the  best  manner  that  the  former 
could  hope  for,  in  the  actual  state  of  Germany,  and  to  the 
entire  satisfaction  of  the  latter,  the  ceremonies  of  the  expi- 
ation proceeded.  Aroused  from  his  sleep,  Dietrich  en- 
deavored to  compensate  for  lost  time  by  renewed  diligence, 
and  the  Burgomaster  himself,  apprehensive  that  the  negli- 
gence of  the  hireling  might  bring  a  calamity  on  the  town, 
joined  himself  to  the  party,  with  as  much  zeal  as  if  he  had 
as  yet  done  nothing  towards  effecting  the  object  of  their 
journey. 

The  sun  had  fallen  far  towards  the  west,  when  the  pil- 
grims finally  took  their  departure  for  the  Palatinate. 
Father  Arnolph  was  again  at  their  head,  and,  blessed  by 
the  Abbot  and  in  favor  with  the  Church,  the  whole  went 
their  way,  if  not  with  lightened  hearts,  at  least  with  bodies 
much  refreshed,  with  hopes  rekindled  and  with  packs  ma- 
terially diminished  in  size. 

Ulrike  and  Lottchen  paused  wnen  they  reached  the 
boundary  of  the  plain,  where  they  eould  command  a  part- 
ing view  of  the  Abbey.  Here  they,  and  Meta,  and  indeed 
most  of  the  party,  prayed  long  and  fervently  ;  or  at  least 
so  seemed  to  pray.  When  they  arose  from  their  knees,  the 
Prior,  whose  whole  time  while  at  the  convent  had  been 
deeply  occupied  by  religious  exercises,  and  whose  spirit 
had  been  refreshed,  in  a  degree  proportioned  to  his  sin- 
cerity and  faith,  came  to  the  side  of  the  principal  group  ol 
the  females,  his  eye  beaming  with  holy  hope,  and  his  face 
displaying  innate  peace  of  mind. 

"  Ye  are  now,  daughters,  about  to  take  leave,  forever,  of 
the  shrine  of  our  Lady  of  the  Hermits,"  he  said.  "If  ye 
have  seen  aught  to  lessen  the  high  expectation  with  which 
the  pious  are  apt  to  draw  near  this  sacred  altar,  ascribe  it 
to  that  frailty  which  is  inherent  in  the  nature  of  man  ;  and 
if  ye  have  reaped  consolation  and  encouragement  from 
your  offerings  and  prayers,  ye  may,  with  all  security,  im- 
pute it  to  trie  goodness  of  God.  And  thou,  my  child,"  he 
added  with  paternal  tenderness,  addressing  Meta — "thou 
hast  been  sorely  tried  in  thy  young  life — but  God  is  with 
thee,  as  He  is  in  yon  blue  sky— in  that  sun  of  molten  gold 
— in  yonder  icy  pile  that  props  the  heavens,  and  in  all  His 
works,  that  are  so  glorious  in  our  eyes  !  Turn  with  me  to 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  333 

yonder  mountain,  that  from   its   form  is  called  the  Mitre 
Regard  it  well — Dost  see  aught  in  particular  ?  " 

a  'Tis  an  abrupt  and  dreary  pile  of  rock,  Father,"  an- 
swered Meta. 

"  Seest  thou  naught  else — on  its  highest  summit." 

Meta  looked  intently,  for  in  sooth  there  did  appear  on 
the  uppermost  pinnacle  of  the  mass,  an  object  so  small, 
and  so  like  a  line,  that,  at  first,  she  passed  a  hand  across 
her  eye  to  remove  a  floating  hair  from  before  her  sight. 

"Father!"  exclaimed  the  girl,  clasping  her  hands  fer- 
vently, "  I  behold  a  cross  !  " 

"That  rock  is  the  type  of  God's  durable  justice  ; — That 
cross  is  the  pledge  of  His  grace  and  love.  Go  thy  way, 
daughter,  and  have  hope." 

The  pilgrims  turned  and  descended  the  mountain  in 
musing  silence.  That  evening  they  crossed  the  lake,  and 
slept  within  the  ancient  walls  of  the  romantic  town  of  Rap- 
perschwyl.  On  the  following  day,  the  pilgrimage  being 
now  happily  accomplished,  they  proceeded  toward  their 
own  distant  habitations,  descending  the  Rhine  in  boats. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"  But  thou  art  clay — and  canst  but  comprehend 
That  which  was  clay,  and  such  thou  shalt  behold." — Cain. 

THE  return  of  the  pilgrims  was  a  happy  moment  to  all 
who  dwelt  in  Duerckheim.  Many  prayers  had  been  offered 
in  their  behalf,  during  the  long  absence,  and  divers  vague 
reports  of  their  progress  and  success  had  been  eagerly 
swallowed  by  their  friends  and  townsmen.  When,  how- 
ever, the  Burgomaster  and  his  companions  were  actually 
seen  entering  their  gates,  the  good  citizens  ran  to  and  fro, 
in  troubled  delight,  and  the  greetings,  especially  among 
the  gentler  sex,  were  mingled  with  many  tears.  Emich 
and  his  followers  did  not  appear,  having  taken  a  private 
path  to  the  castle  of  Hartenburg. 

The  simple  and  still  Catholic  (though  wavering)  burgh- 
ers had  felt  many  doubts  concerning  the  fruits  of  their  bold 
policy,  while  the  expiatory  penance  was  pending.  Their 
town  was  in  the  midst  of  a  region  that  is  perhaps  more 
pregnant  with  wild  legends,  even  at  this  hour,  than  any 


334  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

other  of  equal  extent  in  Europe  ;  and  it  can  be  easily  con- 
ceived  that,  under  such  circumstances,  the  imaginations  of 
a  people  who  had  been,  as  it  were,  nurtured  in  superstition, 
would  not  be  likely  to  slumber.  In  effect,  numberless 
startling  rumors  were  rife,  in  the  town,  the  valley,  and  on 
the  plain.  Some  spoke  of  fiery  crosses  gleaming  at  night 
above  the  walls  of  the  fallen  Abbey  ;  others  whispered  of 
midnight  chants,  and  spectre-like  processions,  that  had 
been  heard  or  seen  among  the  ruined  towers  ;  while  one 
peasant,  in  particular,  asseverated  that  he  had  held  dis- 
course with  the  spirit  of  Father  Johan.  These  tales  found 
credulous  auditors  or  not,  according  to  the  capacity  of  the 
listener  ;  and  to  these  may  be  added  another,  that  was  ac- 
companied by  such  circumstances  of  confirmation,  as  are 
apt  momentarily  to  affect  the  minds  of  those,  even,  who 
are  little  wont  to  lend  attention  to  any  incidents  of  miracu- 
lous nature. 

A  peasant,  in  crossing  the  chase  by  a  retired  path,  was 
said  to  have  encountered  Berchthold,  clad  in  his  dress  of 
green,  wearing  the  hunting-horn  and  cap,  and  girded 
with  the  usual  couteau-de-chasse,  or,  in  fine,  much  as  he 
was  first  presented  to  the  reader  in  our  early  pages.  The 
youth  was  described  to  have  been  hot  on  the  chase  of  a 
roebuck,  and  flushed  with  exercise.  From  time  to  time, 
he  was  said  to  wind  his  horn.  The  hounds  were  near, 
obedient  as  usual  to  his  call,  and  indeed  the  vision  was  de- 
scribed as  partaking  of  most  of  the  usual  accompaniments 
of  the  daily  exercise  of  the  forester. 

Had  the  tale  ended  here,  it  might  have  passed  off  among 
the  thousand  other  similar  wonderful  sights  that  were  then 
related  in  that  wonder-loving  country,  and  been  forgotten. 
But  it  was  accompanied  with  positive  circumstances,  that 
addressed  themselves,  in  a  manner  not  to  be  disputed,  to 
the  senses.  The  two  favorite  hounds  of  the  forester  had 
been  missing  for  some  weeks,  and,  from  time  to  time,  cries 
resembling  theirs  were  unequivocally  heard,  ringing  among 
the  arches  of  the  forest,  and  filling  the  echoes  of  the  moun- 
tains. 

This  extraordinary  confirmation  of  the  tale  of  the  boor, 
occurred  the  week  preceding  the  return  of  the  pilgrims. 
The  latter  found  their  townsmen  under  a  strong  excite- 
ment from  this  cause,  for  that  very  day,  nearly  half  the 
population  of  Duerckheim  had  been  into  the  pass  of  the 
Haart  which  was  described  in  the  opening  chapter  of  this 


I  THE   ITRfDRNMAUER.  335 

work,  and  with  their  own  ears  had  heard  the  deep  baying 
of  the  hounds.  It  was  only  after  the  first  felicitations  of 
the  return  were  over,  and  during  the  night  which  followed, 
that  the  pilgrims  learned  this  unusual  circumstance.  It 
reached  Emich  himself,  however,  ere  his  foot  crossed  the 
threshold  of  his  castle. 

On  the  following  day,  Duerckheim  presented  a  picture 
of  pleased  but  troubled  excitement.  Its  population  was 
happy  in  the  return  of  their  chosen  and  best,  but  troubled 
with  the  marvellous  incident  of  the  dogs,  and  by  the  wild 
rumors  that  accompanied  it  ;  rumors  which  thickened 
every  hour  by  corroborating  details  from  different  sources. 
Early  that  very  morning  a  new  occurrence  helped  to  in- 
crease the  excitement 

From  the  moment  that  the  Abbey  was  destroyed,  not  an 
individual  had  dared  to  enter  its  tottering  walls.  Two  peas- 
ants of  the  Jaegerthal,  incited  by  cupidity,  had  indeed 
secretly  made  the  attempt,  but  they  returned  with  the  re- 
port of  strange  sights,  and  of  fearful  groans  existing  with- 
in the  consecrated  pile.  The  rumor  of  this  failure,  together 
with  a  lingering  respect  for  altars  that  had  been  so  long 
reverenced,  effectually  secured  the  spot  against  all  similar 
expeditions.  The  alarm  spread  to  the  Heidenmauer,  for, 
by  a  confusion  of  incidents,  that  is  far  from  unusual  in 
popular  rumors,  an  account  of  Use,  concerning  the  passage 
of  the  armed  band  through  the  cedars,  on  the  night  of  the 
assault,  coupled  with  the  general  distrust  that  was  attached 
to  the  place,  had  been  so  perverted  and  embellished  as 
effectually  to  leave  the  ancient  camp  to  its  solitude.  Some 
said  that  even  the  spirits  of  the  Pagans  had  been  aroused 
by  the  sacrilege,  from  the  sleep  of  centuries,  and  others 
argued  that,  as  the  hermit  was  known  to  have  perished  in 
the  conflagration,  it  was  a  spot  accursed.  The  secret  of  the 
true  name,  and  of  the  history  of  the  Anchorite,  was  now 
generally  known,  and  men  so  blended  the  late  events  witli 
former  offences,  as  to  create  a  theory  to  satisfy  their  own 
longings  for  the  marvellous  ;  though,  as  is  usual  in  most  of 
these  cases  of  supernatural  agency,  it  might  not  have  stood 
the  test  of  a  severe  logical  and  philosophical  investigation. 

During  the  night  which  succeeded  the  return  of  the  pil- 
grims, there  had  been  a  grave  consultation  among  the 
civic  authorities,  on  the  subject  of  all  these  extraordinary 
tales  and  spectacles.  The  alarm  had  reached  an  incon- 
venient point,  and  the  best  manner  of  quieting  it  was  now 


336  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

gravely  debated.  There  was  not  a  burgher  present  at  the 
discussion,  who  felt  himself  free  from  the  general  uneasi- 
ness ;  but  men,  and  especially  men  in  authority,  ordina- 
rily choose  to  affect  a  confidence  they  are  frequently  far 
from  feeling.  In  this  spirit,  then,  was  the  matter  discussed 
and  decided.  We  shall  refer  to  the  succeeding  events  for 
the  explanation. 

Just  as  the  sun  began  to  shed  his  warmth  into  the  valley, 
the  people  of  Duerckheim,  with  few  exceptions,  collected 
without  that  gate  which  the  Count  of  Hartenburg  had  so 
unceremoniously  forced.  Here  they  were  marshalled  by 
citizens  appointed  to  that  duty,  in  the  usual  order  of  a  re- 
ligious procession.  In  front  went  the  pilgrims,  to  whom 
an  especial  virtue  was  attached,  in  consequence  of  their 
recent  journey  ;  then  came  the  parochial  clergy,  with  the 
ordinary  emblems  of  Catholic  worship  ;  the  burghers  suc- 
ceeded, and  last  of  all  followed  the  women  and  children, 
without  much  attention  to  order.  When  all  were  duly 
arranged,  the  crowd  proceeded,  accompanied  by  a  chant  of 
the  choristers,  and  taking  the  direction  of  Limburg. 

"This  is  a  short  pilgrimage,  brother  Dietrich,"  said  the 
Burgomaster,  who  in  his  quality  of  a  Christian  of  peculiar 
savor  was  still  associated  with  the  smith,  "and  little  likely 
to  weary  the  limbs  ;  still  had  the  town  been  as  active  and 
true  as  we  who  have  visited  the  mountains,  this  little  af- 
fair of  a  few  barking  hounds,  and  some  midnight  moans 
in  the  Abbey  ruins,  would  have  been  ready  settled  to  our 
hands.  But  a  town  without  its  head,  is  like  a  man  without 
his  reason." 

"  You  count  on  an  easy  deliverance  then,  honorable 
Heinrich,  from  this  outcry  of  devils  and  unbidden  guests ! 
For  mine  own  particular  exercises,  I  will  declare  that, 
though  sufficiently  foot-sore  with  what  hath  already  been 
done,  I  could  wish  the  journey  we're  longer,  and  the  enemy 
more  human." 

"  Go  to,  smith  ;  thou  art  not  to  believe  above  half  of 
what  thou  hast  heard.  The  readiness  to  give  faith  to  idle 
rumors  forms  a  chief  distinction  between  the  vagrant  and 
the  householder — the  man  of  weakness,  and  the  man  of 
wisdom.  Were  it  decent,  between  a  magistrate  and  an 
artisan,  I  would  hold  thee  some  hazard  of  coin,  now,  that 
this  affair  turns  out  very  different  from  what  thou  expect- 
est ;  and  I  do  not  account  thee,  Dietrich,  an  every-day 
swallower  of  lies." 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  337 

"  If  your  worship  would  but  hint  what  a  fair  dealing  man 
ought  in  truth  to  believe ? " 

"  Why,  look  you,  smith,  here  is  all  that  I  expect  from 
the  inquiry,  though  we  hunt  and  exercise  for  a  month.  It 
will  be  found  that  there  is  no  pack  of  hounds  at  all,  loose 
or  in  leash,  but  at  most  a  dog  or  two,  that  may  be  beset 
or  not,  as  the  case  shall  prove  ;  next,  thou  wilt  see  that  this 
tale  of  Father  Johan  chasing  young  Berchthold,  while  the 
boy  hunts  a  roebuck,  is  altogether  an  invention,  since  the 
monk  was  the  last  man  to  give  loose  to  such  a  scampering, 
noisy  device  ;  as  for  the  Forester,  my  life  on  it,  his  appear- 
ance too  will  end  in  footmarks,  or  perhaps  some  other 
modest  sign  that  he  desires  the  masses  refused  by  the  Ben- 
edictines ;  for  I  know  not  the  youth  that  would  be  less  likely 
needlessly  to  disturb  a  neighborhood,  with  his  owrn  particular 
concerns,  than  Berchthold  Hintermayer,  living  or  dead." 

A  general  start,  and  a  common  murmur  among  his  com- 
panions, caused  Heinrich  to  terminate  his  explanations. 
The  head  of  the  procession  had  reached  the  gorge,  and,  as 
it  was  about  to  turn  into  the  valley,  the  trampling  of  many 
hoofs  became  audible.  Feelings  so  highly  wrought  were 
easily  excited  to  a  painful  degree,  and  the  common  expec- 
tation, for  the  moment,  seemed  to  be  some  supernatural 
exhibition.  A  whirlwind  of  dust  swept  round  the  point  of 
the  hill,  and  Count  Emich,  with  a  train  of  well-mounted 
followers,  appeared  from  its  cloud.  It  was  so  common  to 
meet  religious  processions  of  this  nature,  that  the  Count 
would  not  have  manifested  surprise,  had  he  been  ignorant 
of  the  motive  which  induced  the  population  of  Duerck- 
heim  to  quit  its  walls  ;  but,  already  apprised  of  their  in- 
tentions, he  hastily  dismounted  and  approached  the  Burgo- 
master, cap  in  hand. 

u  Thou  goest  to  exercise,  worshipful  Emich,"  he  said, 
"and  love  for  my  town  hath  quickened  our  steps,  that  no 
honor  or  attention  should  be  wanting  to  those  I  love,- — 
hast  a  place  among  thy  pilgrims  for  a  poor  baron  and  his 
friends  ? " 

The  offer  was  gladly  accepted,  courage  being  quickened 
by  every  appearance  of  succor.  Emich,  though  equipped 
as  a  cavalier,  was  therefore  willingly  received  among  his 
fellow-travellers.  The  delay  caused  by  this  interruption 
ended,  the  procession,  or  rather  the  throng,  for  eagerness 
and  anxiety  and  curiosity  had  nearly  broken  all  order,  pro- 
ceeded towards  the  ascent  of  the  mountain. 


338  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

The  ruins  of  Limburg,  then  recent  and  still  blackened 
with  smoke,  were  found  in  the  deep  silence  of  utter  de- 
sertion. To  judge  from  appearances,  not  a  footstep  had 
trodden  them,  since  the  moment  when  the  band  of  the  as- 
sailants had  last  poured  through  the  gates,  after  a  tumult- 
uous triumph  which  had  been  so  chilled  by  the  awful 
catastrophe  of  the  falling  roofs.  If  that  party  had  drawn 
near  the  Abbey  in  expectation  of  a  sudden  and  furious 
assault,  this  slowly  advanced  with  a  troubled  apprehension 
of  witnessing  some  fearful  manifestation  of  superhuman 
power.  Both  were  disappointed.  The  unresisted  success 
of  the  assailants  is  known,  and  the  procession  now  pro- 
ceeded with  the  same  impunity  ;  though  many  a  voice  fal- 
tered in  the  chant  as  they  entered  the  spoiled  and  desolate 
church.  Nothing,  however,  occurred  to  justify  their  alarm. 

Encouraged  by  this  pacific  tranquillity,  and  desirous  of 
giving  proofs  of  their  personal  superiority  to  vulgar  ter- 
rors, the  Count  and  Heinrich  commanded  the  throng  to 
remain  in  the  great  aisle  of  the  church,  while  they  pro- 
ceeded together  into  the  choir.  They  found  the  usual 
evidences  of  a  fierce  'conflagration  at  every  step,  but 
nothing  to  create  surprise,  until  they  arrived  at  the  mould- 
ering altar. 

"Himmel!"  exclaimed  the  Burgomaster,  hastily  pulling 
back  his  noble  friend  by  the  cloak, — "Your  foot  was 
about  to  do  disreverence  to  the  bones  of  a  Christian,  my 
Lord  Count ! — For  Christian  Father  Johan  was,  beyond 
all  question,  though  one  more  given  to  damnation  than  to 
charity." 

Emich  recoiled,  for  he  saw  in  truth,  that  with  heedless 
step,  he  had  been  near  crushing  these  revolting  remnants 
of  mortality. 

"  Here  died  a  wild  enthusiast !  "  he  said,  moving  the 
skeleton  with  the  point  of  his  sheathed  sword. 

"  And  here  he  is  still,  nobly-born  Graf  !— This  settles 
the  question  of  the  monk  chasing  young  Berchthold 
through  the  forest,  and  among  the  cedars  of  the  Heiden- 
mauer,  and  it  would  be  well  to  show  these  remains  to  the 
people." 

The  hint  was  improved,  and  the  throng  was  sum- 
moned to  bear  witness,  that  the  bones  of  Johan  still  lay 
on  the  precise  spot,  in  which  he  had  died.  While  the 
curious  and  the  timid  were  whispering  their  opinions  of 
this  discovery,  the  two  leaders  descended  to  the  crypt. 


THE   HEIDENMAUER.  339 

This  portion  of  the  edifice  had  suffered  least  by  the  fire. 
Protected  by  the  superior  pavement,  and  constructed  alto- 
gether of  stone,  it  had  received  no  very  material  injury, 
but  that  which  had  been  inflicted  by  the  sledges  of  the  in- 
vaders. Fragments  of  the  tombs  lay  scattered  on  every 
side,  and  here  and  there  a  wreath  of  smoke  had  left  its 
mark  upon  the  wall  ;  but  Emich  saw  with  regret,  that  he 
owed  the  demolition  of  the  altar,  and  of  the  other  memo- 
rials of  his  race,  entirely  to  his  own  precipitation. 

"  I  will  cause  the  bones  of  my  fathers  to  be  interred  else- 
where," he  said,  musingly  : — "this  is  no  sepulchre  for  an 
honored  stock  ! " 

"  Umph  ! — They  have  long  and  creditably"  decayed 
where  they  lie,  Herr  Emich,  and  it  would  have  been  well 
had  they  been  left  beneath  the  cover  of  their  ancient  mar- 
bles ;  but  our  artisans  showed  unusual  agility  in  this  part 
of  their  toil,  in  honor,  no  doubt,  of  an  illustrious  house." 

"  None  of  my  race  shall  sleep  within  walls  accursed  by 
Benedictines  !  Hark  ! — what  movement  is  that  above, 
good  Heinrich  ? " 

"  The  townsmen  have  doubtless  fallen  upon  the  bones 
of  the  hermit,  and  of  young  Berchthold.  Shall  we  go  up, 
Lord  Count,  and  see  that  fitting  reverence  be  paid  their 
remains  ?  The  Forester  has  claims  upon  us  all,  and  as  for 
Odo  Von  Ritterstein,  his  crime  would  be  deemed  all  the 
lighter  in  these  days,  moreover  he  was  betrothed  to  Ulrike 
in  their  youth." 

"  Heinrich,  thy  wife  was  very  fair  ; — she  had  many  suit- 
ors !  " 

"  I  cry  your  mercy,  noble  Count ;  I  never  heard  but  of 
poor  Odo^  and  myself.  The  former  was  put  out  of  the 
question  by  his  own  madness,  and  as  for  the  latter,  he  is 
such  as  Heaven  was  pleased  to  make  him  ;  an  indiiferent 
lover  and  husband  if  you  will,  but  a  man  of  some  credit 
and  substance  among  his  equals." 

The  Count  did  not  care  to  dispute  the  possession  of  these 
qualities  with  his  friend,  and  they  left  the  crypt,  with  a 
common  desire  to  pay  proper  respect  to  the  remains  of 
poor  Berchthold.  To  their  mutual  surprise  the  church 
was  found  deserted.  By  the  clamor  of  voices  without, 
however,  it  was  easy  to  perceive  that  some  extraordinary 
incident  had  drawn  away  the  members  of  the  procession, 
in  a  body.  Curious  to  have  so  violent  an  interruption  of 
the  proceedings  explained,  the  two  chiefs,  for  Heinrich 


340  THE   HRIDENMAUER. 

was  still  entitled  to  be  so  styled,  hastened  down  the  great 
aisle,  picking  their  way  among  fallen  fragments,  towards 
the  great  door.  Near  the  latter,  they  were  again  shocked 
by  the  spectacle  of  the  charred  skeleton  of  Johan,  which 
seemingly  had  been  dropped  under  the  impulse  of  some 
sudden  and  great  confusion. 

"  Himmel !  "  muttered  the  Burgomaster,  while  he  hur- 
ried after  his  leader,  "  they  have  deserted  the  bones  of  the 
Benedictine  ! — can  it  be,  Lord  Emich,  that  some  fiery  mir- 
acle, after  all  our  unbelief,  hath  wrought  this  fear  ? " 

Emich  made  no  reply,  but  issued  into  the  court  with  the 
air  of  an  offended  master.  The  first  glimpse,  however, 
that  he  caught  of  the  group,  which  now  thronged  the 
ruined  walls  of  the  minor  buildings,  whence  there  was  a 
view  of  the  surrounding  country,  and  particularly  of  parts 
of  the  adjacent  hill  of  the  Heidenmauer.  convinced  him 
that  the  present  was  no  moment  to  exhibit  displeasure. 
Climbing  up  a  piece  of  fallen  stone-work,  he  found  him- 
self on  a  fragment  of  wall,  surrounded  by  fifty  silent,  won- 
dering countenances,  among  whom  he  recognized  several 
of  his  own  most  trusty  followers. 

"  What  meaneth  this  disrespect  of  the  service,  and  so 
sudden  an  abandonment  of  the  remains  of  the  rnonk  ? " 
demanded  the  baron, — vainly  looking  about  him,  in  the 
hope  of  finding  some  quicker  explanation  by  means  of  his 
own  eyes. 

"  Hath  not  my  Lord  the  Count  seen  and  heard  ?  "  mut- 
tered the  nearest  vassal. 

"  What — knave  ?  I  have  seen  naught,  but  pallid  and 
frightened  fools,  nor  heard  more  than  beating  hearts  !  Wilt 
thou  explain  this,  varlet — for,  though  something  of  a  rogue, 
thou,  at  least,  art  no  coward  ? " 

Emich  addressed  himself  to  Gottlob. 

"  It  may  not  be  so  easy  of  explanation  as  is  thought, 
-Lord  Count,"  returned  the  cow-herd  gravely  ;  "  the  people 
have  come  hither  with  this  speed,  inasmuch  as  the  cries  of 
the  supernatural  dogs  have  been  heard,  and  some  say  the 
person  of  poor  Berchthold  hath  been  again  seen  !  " 

The  Count  smiled  contemptuously,  though  he  knew  the 
speaker  sufficiently  well  to  be  surprised  at  the  concern 
which  was  very  unequivocally  painted  in  his  face. 

"  Thou  wert  attached  to  my  Forester  ?  " 

"  Lord  Emich,  we  were  friends,  if  one  of  so  humble 
station  may  use  the  word,  when  speaking  of  a  youth  that 


THE   UEIDENMAUER.  341 

served  so  near  the  person  of  our  master.  Like  his,  my 
own  family  once  knew  better  days,  and  we  often  met  in  the 
chase,  which  I  was  wont  to  cross,  coming  or  going  to  the 
pastures.  I  loved  poor  Berchthold,  nobly-born  Count,  and 
still  love  his  memory." 

"  I  believe  thou  hast  better  stuff  in  thee  than  some  idle 
and  silly  deeds  would  give  reason  to  believe.  I  have 
remembered  thy  good  will  on  various  occasions,  and  espe- 
cially thy  cleverness  in  making  the  signals  on  the  night 
these  walls  were  overturned,  and  thou  wilt  find  thyself 
named  to  the  employment  left  vacant  by  my  late  Forester's 
unhappy  end." 

Gottlob  endeavored  to  thank  his  master,  but  he  was  too 
much  troubled  by  real  grief  for  the  loss  of  his  friend,  to 
find  consolation  in  his  own  preferment. 

"  My  services  are  my  Lord  Count's,"  he  answered,  "but, 
though  ready  to  do  as  commanded,  I  could  well  wish  that 
Berchthold  were  here  to  do  that  for  me,  which— 

"  Listen  ! — Hark  !  " — cried  a  hundred  voices. 

Emich  started,  and  bent  forward  in  fixed  attention.  The 
day  was  clear  and  cloudless,  and  the  air  of  the  hills  pure 
as  a  genial  breeze  and  a  bright  sun  could  bestow.  Favored 
by  such  circumstances,  and  amid  a  silence  that  was  breath- 
ing and  eloquent,  there  wrere  borne  across  the  valley  the 
well-known  cries  of  hounds  on  the  scent.  In  that  region 
and  age  none  dared  hunt,  and  indeed  none  possessed  the 
means  of  hunting,  but  the  feudal  lord.  Since  the  late 
events,  his  chases  had  been  unentered  with  this  view,  and 
the  death  of  Berchthold,  who  had  especial  privileges  in 
this  respect,  had  left  them  without  another  who  might  dare 
to  imitate  his  habits. 

"  This  is  at  least  bold  !  "  said  Emich,  when  the  cries  had 
passed  away  ;  "  hath  any  other  near  dogs  of  that  noble 
breed  ? " 

"  We  never  heard  of  other  !  " 

"  None  would  dare  use  them,"  were  the  answers. 

"  I  know  those  throats — they  are,  of  a  certainty,  the 
favorite  hounds  of  my  poor  Forester  !  Have  not  the  dogs 
escaped  the  leash,  to  play  their  gambols  at  will  among  the 
deer  ? " 

"  In  that  case,  Lord  Count,  would  tried  hounds  remain 
abroad  for  weeks  ?  "  answered  Gottlob.  "  It  is  now  a  sen- 
night since  these  cries  have  been  first  heard,  and  yet  no 
one  has  seen  the  dogs,  from  that  hour  to  this,  unless  as 


342  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

some  one  of  our  hinds  says  they  have,  in  sooth  been  seen 
running  madly  on  the  scent." 

"  'Tis  said,  mein  Herr  Graf,"  put  in  another,  "  that 
Berchthold,  himself,  hath  been  viewed  in  their  company, 
his  garments  floating  in  the  wind,  while  he  flew  along, 
keeping  even  pace  with  the  dogs,  an'  he  had  been  swift 
of  foot  as  they  ! " 

"  With  Father  Johan  at  his  heels,  cowl  undone  and  robe 
streaming  like  a  pennon,  by  way  of  religious  amusement !  " 
added  the  Count,  laughing.  "  Dost  not  see,  dotard,  that 
the  crackling  bones  of  thy  monk  are  still  in  the  ruin  ?" 

The  hind  was  daunted  by  his  master's  manner,  but  noth- 
ing convinced.  There  then  succeeded  a  long  and  ex- 
pecting silence,  for  this  little  by-play  near  the  Count  had 
not  in  the  least  affected  the  solemn  attention  of  the  mass. 
At  length  the  throats  of  these  mysterious  dogs  again 
opened,  and  the  cries  indeed  appeared  like  those  of  hounds 
rushing  from  beneath  the  cover  of  woods  into  the  open  air. 
In  a  few  moments  they  were  repeated  and,  beyond  all 
dispute,  they  were  now  upon  the  open  heath  that  sur- 
rounded the  Teufelstein.  The  crisis  grew  alarming  for  the 
local  superstitions  of  such  a  place,  in  the  commencement 
of  the  sixteenth  century.  Even  Emich  wavered.  Though 
he  had  a  vague  perception  of  the  inconsistency  of  living 
dogs  being  hunted  by  a  dead  Forester,  still  there  were  so 
many  means  of  getting  over  this  immaterial  difficulty, 
when  the  greater  point  of  the  supernatural  chase  was  ad- 
mitted, that  he  found  little  relief  in  the  objection.  De- 
scending from  the  wall,  he  was  in  the  act  of  beckoning  the 
priests  and  Heinrich  to  his  side,  when  a  general  shout 
arose  among  the  male  spectators,  while  the  women  rushed 
in  a  body  around  Ulrike,  who  was  kneeling,  with  Lottchen 
and  Meta,  before  the  great  crucifix  of  the  ancient  court  of 
the  convent.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  Emich  re- 
occupied  his  place  on  the  wall,  which  shook  with  the  im- 
petus of  his  heavy  rush. 

"  What  meaneth  this  disrespectful  tumult  ? "  angrily 
demanded  the  baron. 

"The  hounds! — mein  Herr  Graf! — the  hounds!"  an- 
swered fifty  breathless  peasants. 

"  Explain  this  outcry,  Gottlob." 

"  My  Lord  Count,  we  have  seen  the  dogs  leaping  past 
yonder  margin  of  the  hill — here — just  in  a  line  with  the 
spot  where  the  Tuefelstein  lies.  I  know  the  dear  animals 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  343 

qfc 

well,  Herr  Emich,  and  believe  me,  they  are  tru2y  the  old 
favorites  of  Berchthold!  " 

"And  Berchthold  !"  continued  one  or  two  of  the  more 
decided  lovers  of  the  marvellous — "  we  saw  the  late  For- 
ester, great  Emich,  bounding  after  the  dogs,  an1  he  had 
wings ! " 

The  matter  grew  serious,  and  the  Count  slowly  de- 
scended to  the  court,  determined  to  bring  the  affair  to 
some  speedy  explanation. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

"  By  the  Apostle  Paul,  shadows  to-night 

Have  struck  more  terror  to  the  soul  of  Richard, 

Than  can  the  substance  of  ten  thousand  soldiers." — Richard II L 

THE  consultation  that  now  took  place  was  between  the 
principal  laymen.  The  connection  which  the  Church  had 
so  long  maintained  with  supernatural  agencies  determined 
Emich,  who  was  jealous  of  its  again  obtaining  its  lost  as- 
cendency in  that  country,  to  exclude  the  officiating  priests 
altogether  from  the  decision  he  was  about  to  take.  Were  we 
to  say  that  the  Count  of  Hartenburg  gave  full  faith  to  the 
rumors  concerning  the  spirit  of  his  late  Forester,  having 
been  seen  engaged  in  the  chase,  as  when  in  the  flesh,  we 
should  probably  not  do  entire  credit  to  his  intelligence  and 
habits  of  thinking  ;  but  were  we  to  say  that  he  was  alto- 
gether free  from  superstition  and  alarm  on  this  difficult 
point,  we  should  attribute  to  him  a  degree  of  philosophy 
and  a  mental  independence  which  in  that  age  was  the 
property  only  of  the  learned  and  reflecting,  and  not  always 
even  of  them.  Astrology,  in  particular,  had  taken  strong 
hold  of  the  imaginations  of  those  who  even  pretended  to 
general  science  ;  and  when  the  mind  once  admits  of  the- 
ories of  a  character  so  little  in  accordance  with  homely 
reason,  it  opens  the  avenues  to  a  multitude  of  collateral 
weaknesses  of  the  same  nature,  which  seem  to  follow  as 
the  necessary  corollaries  of  the  main  proposition. 

The  necessity  of  a  prompt  solution  of  the  question  was 
admitted  by  all  of  those  whom  the  Count  consulted. 
Many  had  begun  to  whisper  that  the  extraordinary  visita- 
tion was  a  consequence  of  the  sacrilege,  and  that  it  was 


344  THE   HEIDEXMAL'ER. 

hopeless  to  expect  peace,  or  exemption  from  supernatural 
plagues,  until  the  Benedictines  were  restored  to  their  Ab- 
bey and  their  former  rights.  Though  Emich  felt  con- 
vinced that  this  idea  came  originally  from  the  monks, 
through  some  of  their  secret  and  paid  agents,  he  saw  no 
manner  of  defeating  it  so  effectually  as  that  of  demon- 
strating the  falsity  of  the  rumor.  In  our  time,  and  in  this 
land,  a  weapon  that  was  forged  by  a  miracle  would  be  apt 
to  become  useless  of  itself  ;  but  in  the  other  hemisphere 
there  still  exist  entire  countries  that  are  yet  partially  gov- 
erned by  agents  of  this  description.  At  the  period  of  the 
tale,  the  public  mind  was  so  uninstructed  and  dependent 
that  the  very  men  who  were  most  interested  in  defeating  the 
popular  delirium  of  the  hour,  had  great  difficulty  in  over- 
coming their  own  doubts.  It  has  been  seen  that  Emich, 
though  much  disposed  to  throw  off  the  dominion  of  the 
Church,  so  far  clung  to  his  ancient  prejudices  as  secretly 
to  distrust  the  very  power  he  was  about  to  defy,  and  to  en- 
tertain grave  scruples  not  only  of  the  policy,  but  of  the 
lawfulness  of  the  step  his  ambition  had  urged  him  to  adopt. 
In  this  manner  does  man  become  the  instrument  of  tlu 
various  passions  and  motives  that  beset  him,  now  yielding, 
or  now  struggling  to  resist,  as  a  stronger  inducement  is 
presented  to  his  mind  ;  always  professing  to  be  governed 
by  reason  and  constrained  by  principles,  while  in  truth  he 
rarely  consents  to  consult  the  one,  or  to  respect  the  other, 
until  both  are  offered  through  the  direct  medium  of  some 
engrossing  interest  that  requires  an  immediate  and  active 
attention.  Then  indeed  his  faculties  become  suddenly  en- 
lightened, and  he  eagerly  presses  into  his  service  every  ar- 
gument that  offers,  the  plausible  as  well  as  the  sound  ; 
and  thus  it  happens  that  we  frequently  see  whole  commu- 
nities making  a  moral  pirouette  in  a  breath,  adopting  this 
year  a  set  of  principles  that  are  quite  in  opposition  to  all 
they  had  ever  before  professed.  Fortunately,  all  that  is 
thus  gained  on  sound  principles  is  apt  to  continue,  since 
whatever  may  be  the  waywardness  of  those  who  profess 
them,  principles  themselves  are  immutable,  and  when 
once  fairly  admitted,  are  not  easily  dispossessed  by  the  bas- 
tard doctrines  of  expediency  and  error.  These  changes 
are  gradual  as  respect  those  avant-couriers  of  thought, 
who  prepare  the  way  for  the  advance  of  nations,  but  who, 
in  general,  so  far  precede  their  contemporaries,  as  to  be  ut- 
terly out  of  view  at  the  effectual  moment  of  the  reforma- 


THE   HKlDKXirAl'ER.  345 

tion,  or  revolution,  or  by  whatever  name  these  sudden  sum- 
mersets are  styled  ;  but  as  respects  the  mass,  they  often 
occur  by  a  coup-de-main  ;  an  entire  people  awakening,  as 
it  were,  by  magic,  to  the  virtues  of  a  new  set  of  maxims, 
much  as  the  eye  turns  from  the  view  of  one  scenic  repre- 
sentation to  that  of  its  successor. 

Our  object  in  this  tale  is  to  represent  society,  under  its  or- 
dinary faces,  in  the  act  of  passing  from  the  influence  of  one 
set  of  governing  principles  to  that  of  another.  Had  our  ef- 
forts been  confined  to  the  workings  of  a  single  and  a  master 
mind,  the  picture,  however  true  as  regards  the  individual, 
would  have  been  false  in  reference  to  a  community;  since 
such  a  study  would  have  been  no  more  than  following  out 
the  deductions  of  philosophy  and  reason — something  the 
worse,  perhaps,  for  its  connection  with  humanity  ;  where- 
as, he  that  would  represent  the  world,  or  any  material  por- 
tion of  the  world,  must  draw  the  passions  and  the  more 
vulgar  interests  in  the  boldest  colors,  and  be  content  with 
portraying  the  intellectual  part  in  a  very  subdued  back- 
ground. We  know  not  that  any  will  be  disposed  to  make 
the  reflection  that  our  labors  are  intended  to  suggest,  and 
without  which  they  will  scarcely  be  useful ;  but,  while  we 
admit  the  imperfection  of  what  has  been  here  done,  we  feel 
satisfied  that  he  who  does  consider  it  coolly  and  in  candor, 
will  be  disposed  to  allow  that  our  picture  is  sufficiently 
true  for  its  object. 

We  have  written  in  vain,  should  it  now  be  necessary  to 
dwell  on  the  nature  of  the  misgivings  that  harassed  the 
minds  of  the  Count  and  Heinrich,  as  they  descended  the 
hill  of  Limburg  at  the  head  of  the  new  procession. 
Policy,  and  the  determination  to  secure  advantages  that 
had  been  so  dearly  obtained,  urged  them  on ;  while 
doubt  and  all  the  progeny  of  ancient  prejudices  contrib- 
uted to  their  distrust. 

The  people  advanced  much  in  the  same  order  as  that  in 
which  they  had  ascended  to  the  ruins  of  the  Abbey.  The 
pilgrims  were  in  front,  followed  closely  by  the  parochial 
priests  and  their  choirs ;  while  the  rest  succeeded  in  an 
eager,  trembling,  curious,  and  devout  crowd.  Religious 
change  existed,  as  yet,  rather  in  doctrine,  and  among  the 
few,  than  in  the  practices  of  the  many ;  and  all  the  rites, 
it  will  be  remembered,  were  those  usually  observed  by  the 
Church  of  Rome  on  an  occasion  of  exorcism,  or  of  an 
especial  supplication  to  be  released  from  a  mysterious  dis- 


346  THJ-:   HEIDENMAUER. 

play  of  Heaven's  displeasure.  The  Count  and  Heinrich, 
as  became  their  stations,  walked  boldly  in  advance ;  for, 
whatever  might  have  been  the  extent  and  nature  of  their 
distrust,  it  was  wisely  and  successfully  concealed  from  all 
but  themselves—even  the  worthy  Burgomaster  entertained 
a  respectful  opinion  of  the  noble's  firmness,  and  the  latter 
much  wondering  at  a  man  of  Heinrich's  education  and 
habits  of  life  being  able  to  show  a  resolution  that  he 
thought  more  properly  belonged  to  philosophy.  They 
passed  up  towards  the  plain  of  the  Heidenmauer,  by  the 
hollow  way  that  has  already  been  twice  mentioned  in  these 
pages — once  in  the  Introduction,  and  again  as  the  path  by 
which  Ulrike  descended  on  her  way  to  the  Abbey,  on  the 
night  of  its  destruction.  Until  near  the  summit,  nothing 
occurred  to  create  new  uneasiness  ;  and  as  the  choristers 
increased  the  depth  of  their  chant,  the  leaders  began  to 
feel  a  vague  hope  of  escaping  from  farther  interruption. 
As  the  moments  passed,  the  Count  breathed  freer,  and  he 
already  fancied  that  he  had  proved  the  Heidenmauer  to  be 
a  spot  as  harmless  as  any  other  in  the  Palatinate. 

"You  have  often  pricked  courser  over  this  wild  com- 
mon of  the  Devil,  noble  and  fearless  Count,"  said  Hein- 
rich,  when  they  drew  near  the  margin  of  the  superior 

Elain.  "  One  so  accustomed  to  its  view  is  not  easily  troub- 
;d  by  the  cries  and  vagaries  of  a  leash  of  uneasy  dogs, 
though  they  might  be  kennelled  beneath  the  shades  of  the 
Teufelstein ! " 

"Thou  mayest  well  say  often,  good  Heinrich.  When 
but  an  urchin,  my  excellent  father  was  wont  to  train  his 
chargers  on  this  height,  and  it  was  often  my  pleasure  to  be 
of  the  party.  Then  our  hunts  frequently  drove  the  deer 
from  the  cover  of  the  chases  to  this  open  ground — 

The  Count  paused,  for  a  swift,  pattering  rush,  like  that 
of  the  feet  of  hounds  beating  the  ground,  was  audible, 
just  above  their  heads,  though  the  edge  of  the  mountain 
still  kept  the  face  of  the  level  ground  from  being  seen. 
Spite  of  their  resolution,  the  two  leaders  came  to  a  dead 
halt — a  delay  which  those  in  the  rear  were  compelled  to 
imitate. 

"The  common  hath  its  tenants,  Herr  Frey,"  said  Emich, 
gravely,  but  in  a  tone  of  a  man  resolute  to  struggle  for  his 
rights  ;  "  it  will  soon  be  seen  if  they  are  disposed  to  admit 
the  sovereignty  of  their  feudal  lord." 

Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  the  Count  spite  of  him- 


THE   HE1DENMAI:ER.  347 

self  muttered  an  ave,  and  mounted  with  sturdy  limbs  to 
the  summit.  The  first  glance  was  rapid,  uneasy  and  dis- 
trustful ;  but  nothing  rewarded  the  look.  The  naked  rock 
of  the  Teufelstein  lay  in  the  ancient  bed — where  it  had 
probably  been  left,  by  some  revolution  of  the  earth's  crust, 
three  thousand  years  before — gray,  solitary,  and  weather- 
worn as  at  this  hour  ;  the  grassy  common  had  not  a  hoof 
or  foot  over  the  whole  of  its  surface  ;  and  the  cedars  of 
the  deserted  camp  sighed  in  the  breeze,  as  usual,  dark, 
melancholy,  and  suited  to  the  traditions  which  had  given 
them  interest. 

"  Here  is  nothing!"  said  the  Count,  drawing  a  heavy 
breath,  which  he  would  fain  ascribe  to  the  difficulty  of  the 
ascent. 

"  Herr  von  Hartenburg,  God  is  here,  as  he  is  among 
the  hills  we  have  lately  quitted — on  that  fair  and  wide 
plain  below— and  in  thy  hold " 

"  Prithee,  good  Ulrike,  we  will  of  this  another  time. 
We  touch  now  on  the  destruction  of  a  silly  legend,  and 
of  some  recent  alarms." 

At  a  wave  of  his  hand  the  procession  proceeded,  taking 
the  direction  of  the  ancient  gateway  of  the  camp,  the 
choir  renewing  its  chant,  and  the  same  leaders  always  in 
advance. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  say  that  the  Heidenmauer  was  ap- 
proached on  this  solemn  occasion  with  beating  hearts.  No 
man  of  reflection  and  proper  feeling  can  ever  visit  a  spot 
like  this  without  fancying  a  picture  that  is  fraught  with 
pleasing  melancholy.  The  certainty  that  he  has  before 
his  eyes  the  remains  of  a  work,  raised  by  the  hands  of  be- 
ings who  existed  so  many  centuries  before  him  in  that 
great  chain  of  events  which  unites  the  past  with  the  pres- 
ent, and  that  his  feet  tread  earth  that  has  been  trodden 
equally  by  the  Roman  and  the  Hun,  is  sufficient  of  itself 
to  raise  a  train  of  thought  allied  to  the  wonderful  and 
grand.  But  to  these  certain  and  natural  sensations  was 
now  added  a  dread  of  omnipotence  and  the  apprehension 
of  instantly  witnessing  some  supernatural  effect. 

Not  a  word  was  uttered,  until  Emich  and  the  Burgo- 
master turned  to  pass  the  pile  of  stones  which  mark  the 
position  of  the  ancient  wall,  by  means  of  the  gateway 
already  named,  when  the  former,  encouraged  by  the  tran- 
quillity, again  spoke. 

"  The  ear  is  often  a  treacherous  companion,  friend  Bur 


348  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

gomaster,"  he  said,  ''and  like  the  tongue,  unless  duty 
watched,  may  lead  to  misunderstandings.  No  doubt  we 
both  thought,  at  the  moment,  that  we  heard  the  feet  of 
hounds  beating  the  earth,  as  on  a  hunt ;  thou  now  seest, 
by  means  of  one  sense,  that  the  other  hath  served  us  false. 
But  we  approach  the  end  of  our  little  pilgrimage,  and  we 
will  halt,  while  I  speak  the  people  in  explanation  of  our 
opinions  and  intentions." 

Heinrich  gave  the  signal,  and  the  choir  ceased  its  chant, 
while  the  crowd  drew  near  to  listen.  The  Count  both 
saw  and  felt  that  he  touched  the  real  crisis,  in  the  further- 
ance of  his  own  views,  as  opposed  to  those  of  the  brother- 
hood, and  he  determined,  by  a  severe  effort,  not  only  to 
overcome  his  enemies,  but  himself.  In  this  mood,  he  spoke. 

"Ye  are  here,  my  honest  friends  and  vassals,"  he  com- 
menced, "  both  as  the  faithful  who  respect  the  usefulness 
of  the  altar  when  rightly  served,  and  as  men  who  are  dis- 
posed to  see  and  judge  for  themselves.  This  camp,  as  ye 
witness  by  its  remains,  was  once  occupied  by  armed  bands 
of  warriors  who,  in  their  day,  fought  and  fortified,  suffered 
and  were  happy,  bled  and  died,  conquered  or  were  A*an- 
quished,  much  as  we  see  those  who  carry  arms  in  our  own 
time,  perform  these  several  acts,  or  submit  to  these  several 
misfortunes.  The  report  that  their  spirits  frequent  this 
spot,  is  as  little  likely  to  be  true,  as  that  the  spirits  of  all 
who  have  fallen  with  arms  in  their  hands  remain  near  the 
earth  that  hath  swallowed  their  blood  ;  a  belief  that  would 
leave  no  place  in  our  fair  Palatinate  without  its  ghostly 
tenant.  As  for  this  late  alarm,  concerning  my  forester, 
poor  Berchthold  Hintermayer,  it  is  the  less  probable  from 
the  character  of  the  youth,  who  well  knew  when  living 
the  disrelish  I  have  for  all  such  tales,  and  my  particular 
desire  to  banish  them  altogether  from  the  Jaegerthal,  as 
well  as  from  his  known  modesty  and  dutiful  obedience. 
You  see  plainly  that  here  are  no  dogs — 

Emich  met  with  a  startling  contradiction.  Just  as  his 
tongue,  which  was  getting  fluent  with  the  impunity  that 
had  so  far  attended  his  declarations,  uttered  the  latter  word, 
the  long  drawn  cries  of  hounds  were  heard.  Fifty  strong 
German  exclamations  escaped  the  crowd,  which  waved 
like  a  troubled  sea.  The  sounds  came  from  among  the 
trees  in  the  very  centre  of  the  dreaded  Heidenmauer,  and 
seemed  only  the  more  unearthly  from  rising  beneath  that 
gloomy  canopy  of  cedars. 


THE  HEIDENMAUER.  349 

"  Let  us  go  on  !  "  cried  the  Count,  excited  nearly  to  mad- 
ness, and  seizing  the  handle  of  his  sword  with  iron  grasp. 
"  Tis  but  a  hound  !  Some  miscreant  hath  loosened  the  dog 
from  his  leash,  and  he  scents  the  footsteps  of  his  late 
master,  who  had  the  habit  of  visiting  the  holy  hermit  that 
dwelt  here  of  late — 

"  Hush  !  "  interrupted  Lottchen,  advancing  hurriedly, 
and  with  a  wild  eye,  from  the  throng  of  females.  "  God  is 
about  to  reveal  his  power  for  some  great  end!  I  know — 
I  know — that  footstep — 

She  was  fearfully  interrupted,  for  while  speaking,  the 
hounds  rushed  out  of  the  grove,  in  the  swift,  mad  manner 
common  to  the  animal,  and  made  a  rapid  circuit  around 
the  form  of  the  dazzled  and  giddy  woman.  In  the  next 
moment,  a  tottering  wall  gave  way  to  the  powerful  leap  of 
a  human  foot,  and  Lottchen  lay  senseless  on  the  bosom  of 
her  son  ! 

We  draw  a  veil  before  the  sudden  fear,  the  general  sur- 
prise, the  tears,  the  delight,  and  the  more  regulated  joy  of 
the  next  hour. 

At  the  end  of  that  period,  the  scene  had  altogether 
changed.  The  chant  \vas  ended,  the  order  of  the  proces- 
sion wras  forgotten,  and  a  burning  curiosity  had  taken 
place  of  all  sensations  of  superstitious  dread.  But  the  au- 
thority of  Emich  had  driven  the  crowd  back  upon  the 
common  of  the  Teufelstein,  where  it  was  compelled  to  con- 
tent itself,  for  the  moment,  with  conjectures,  and  with  tales 
of  similar  sudden  changes  from  the  incarnate  tothecarnate, 
that  were  reputed  to  have  taken  place  in  the  eventful  his- 
tory of  the  borders  of  the  Rhine. 

The  principal  group  of  actors  had  retired  a  little  within 
the  cover  of  the  cedars,  where,  favored  by  the  walls  and 
the  trees,  they  remained  unseen  from  without.  Young 
Berchthold  was  seated  on  a  fragment  of  fallen  wall,  sup- 
porting his  still  half-incredulous  mother  in  his  arms,  a 
position  which  he  had  received  the  Count's  peremptory, 
but  kind  orders  to  occupy.  Meta  was  kneeling  before 
Lottchen,  whose  hand  she  held  in  her  own,  though  the 
bright  eye  and  glowing  face  of  the  girl  followed,  with  un- 
disguised and  ingenuous  interest,  every  glance  and  move- 
ment of  the  countenance  of  the  youth.  The  emotions  of 
that  hour  were  too  powerful  for  concealment,  and  had 
there  been  any  secret  concerning  her  sentiments,  surprise 
and  the  sudden  burst  of  feeling  that  was  its  consequence, 


35° 


THE   HEIDENMA  UER. 


would  have  wrung  it  from  her  heart.  Ulrike  kneeled  too, 
supporting  the  head  of  her  friend,  but  smiling  and  happy. 
The  Knight  of  Rhodes,  the  Abbe,  Heinrich,  and  the  smith, 
paced  back  and  forth,  as  sentinels,  to  keep  the  curious  at 
a  distance,  though  occasionally  stopping  to  catch  sentences 
of  the  discourse.  Emich  leaned  on  his  sword,  rejoicing 
that  his  apprehensions  were  groundless,  and  we  should  do 
injustice  to  his  rude  but  not  ungenerous  feelings,  did  we 
not  say,  glad  to  find  that  Berchthold  was  still  in  the 
flesh.  When  we  add  that  the  dogs  played  their  frisky 
gambols  around  the  crowd  on  the  common,  which  could 
hardly  yet  believe  in  their  earthly  character,  our  picture  is 
fi  nisi  led. 

The  deserving  of  this  world  may  be  divided  into  two 
great  classes  ;  the  actively  and  the  passively  good.  Ulrike 
belonged  to  the  former,  for  though  she  felt  as  strongly  as 
most  others,  an  instinctive  rectitude  rarely  failed  to  sug- 
gest some  affirmative  duty  for  every  crisis  that  arrived.  It 
was  she,  then  (and  we  here  beg  to  tell  the  reader  plainly, 
she  is  our  heroine),  that  gave  such  a  direction  to  the  dis- 
course as  was  most  likely  to  explain  what  was  unknown, 
without  harassing  anew  feelings  that  had  been  so  long  and 
so  sorely  tried. 

"  And  thou  art  now  absolved  from  thy  vow,  Berchthold  !" 
she  asked,  after  one  of  those  short  interruptions,  in  which 
the  exquisite  happiness  of  such  a  meeting  was  best  ex- 
pressed by  silent  sympathy.  "  The  Benedictines  have  no 
longer  any  claim  to  thy  silence  ?  " 

"  They  set  the  return  of  the  pilgrims  as  their  own  period, 
and,  as  I  first  learned  the  agreeable  tidings  by  seeing  you 
all  in  the  procession,  I  had  called  in  the  hounds,  who  were 
scouring  the  chase,  and  was  about  to  hurry  down  to  pre- 
sent myself,  when  I  met  you  all  at  the  gateway  of  the 
camp.  Our  meeting  would  have  taken  place  in  the  valley, 
but  that  duty  required  me  first  to  visit  the  Herr  Odo  Von 
Ritterstein— 

"  The  Herr  Von  Ritterstein  !"  exclaimed  Ulrike,  turn- 
ing pale. 

"  What  of  my  ancient  comrade,  the  Herr  Odo,  boy  ? " 
demanded  Emich.  "  This  is  the  first  we  have  heard  of 
him  since  the  night  the  Abbey  fell." 

"  I  have  told  my  tale  badly,"  returned  Berchthold,  laugh- 
ing and  blushing,  for  he  was  neither  too  old  nor  too  prac- 
tised to  blush, "  since  I  have  forgotten  to  name  the  Herr  Odo," 


TffE  HE1DENMAUER.  351 

"  Thou  told  us  of  a  companion,"  rejoined  his  mother, 
glancing  a  look  at  Ulrike,  and  raising  herself  from  the  sup- 
port of  her  son,  instinctively  alive  to  her  friend's  embar- 
rassment, "  but  thou  called  him  merely  a  religious." 

"  I  should  have  said  the  holy  Hermit,  whom  all  now 
know  to  be  the  Baron  Von  Ritterstein.  When  obliged  to 
fly  from  the  falling  roof,  I  met  the  Herr  Odo  kneeling  be- 
fore an  altar,  and  recalling  the  form  of  one  who  had  shown- 
me  much  favor,  it  was  he  that  I  dragged  with  me  to 
the  crypt. — I  surely  spoke  of  our  wounds  and  helpless- 
ness !" 

"  True  ;  but  without  naming  thy  companion." 

"  It  was  the  Herr  Odo,  Heaven  be  praised  !  When  the 
monks  found  us,  on  the  following  day,  unable  to  resist,  and 
weakened  with  hunger  and  loss  of  blood,  we  were  secretly 
removed  together,  as  ye  have  heard,  and  cared  for  in  a 
manner  to  restore  us  both,  in  good  time,  to  our  strength 
and  to  the  use  of  our  limbs.  Why  the  Benedictines  chose 
to  keep  us  secret,  I  know  not ;  but  this  silly  tale  of  the  su- 
pernatural huntsman,  and  of  dogs  loosened  from  their 
leash,  would  seem  to  prove  that  they  had  hopes  of  still 
working  on  the  superstition  of  the  country." 

"  Wilhelm  of  Venloo  had  nought  to  do  with  this  !  "  ex- 
claimed Emich,  who  had  been  musing  deeply.  "  The  un- 
derlings have  continued  the  game  after  it  was  abandoned 
by  their  betters." 

"  This  may  be  so,  my  good  Lord  ;  for  I  thought  Father 
Bonifacius  more  than  disposed  to  let  us  depart.  But  we 
were  kept  until  the  matters  of  the  compensation  and  of  the 
pilgrimage  were  settled.  They  found  us  easy  abettors  in 
their  plot,  if  plot  to  work  upon  the  fears  of  Duerckheim 
was  in  their  policy  ;  for  when  they  pledged  their  faith  that 
my  two  mothers  and  dearest  Meta  had  been  let  into  the 
secret  of  our  safety,  I  felt  no  extraordinary  haste  to  quit 
leeches  so  skilful,  and  so  likely  to  make  a  speedy  cure  of 
our  hurts." 

"And  did  Bonifacius  affirm  this  lie  ? " 

"  I  say  not  the  Abbot,  my  Lord  Count,  but  most  cer- 
tainly the  Brothers  Cuno  and  Siegfried  said  all  this  and 
more — the  malediction  of  a  wronged  son,  and  of  a  most 
foully  treated  mother " 

His  mouth  was  stopped  by  the  hand  of  Meta. 

"  We  will  forgive  past  sorrow  for  the  present  joy,"  mur- 
mured the  weeping  girl. 


352  THE 

The  angry  and  Hushed  brow  of  Berchthold  grew  more 
calm,  and  the  discourse  continued  in  a  gentler  strain. 

Einich  now  walked  away  to  join  the  Burgomaster,  and 
together  they  endeavored  to  penetrate  the  motives  which 
had  led  the  monks  to  practise  their  deception.  In  the 
possession  of  so  effectual  a  key,  the  solution  of  the  prob- 
lem was  not  difficult.  The  meeting  of  Bonifacius  and 
the  Count  of  Einsiedlen  had  been  maturely  planned,  and 
the  uncertain  state  of  the  public  mind  in  the  valley  and 
town  was  encouraged  as  so  much  make-weight  in  the  final 
settlement  of  the  Convent's  claims  ;  for  in  that  age,  the 
men  of  the  cloisters  knew  well  how  to  turn  every  weak- 
ness of  humanity  to  good  purpose,  so  far  as  their  own  in- 
terests were  concerned. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

'Tis  over,  and  her  lovely  cheek  is  now 
On  her  hard  pillow." — ROGERS. 

ON  the  following  morning  the  Count  of  Hartenburg 
took  horse  at  an  early  hour.  His  train,  however,  showed 
that  the  journey  was  to  be  short.  But  Monsieur  Latouche, 
who  mounted  in  company,  wore  the  attire  and  furniture 
of  a  traveller.  It  was  in  truth  the  moment  when  Emich, 
having  used  this  quasi  churchman  for  his  own  ends,  was 
about  to  dismiss  him,  with  as  much  courtesy  and  grace  as 
the  circumstances  seemed  to  require.  Perhaps  no  picture 
of  the  different  faces  presented  by  a  Church  that  had  so 
long  enjoyed  an  undisputed  monopoly  in  Christendom,  and 
which,  as  a  consequence,  betrayed  so  strong  a  tendency  to 
abuses,  would  have  been  complete  without  some  notice  of 
such  characters  as  the  Knight  of  the  Cross  and  the  Abbe  ; 
and  it  was,  moreover,  our  duty,  as  faithful  chroniclers,  to 
speak  of  things  as  they  existed,  although  the  accessories 
might  not  have  a  very  capital  connection  with  the  interest 
of  the  principal  subject.  But  here  our  slight  relations 
with  the  Abbe"  are  to  cease  altogether,  his  host  having 
treated  him,  as  manv  politic  rulers  treat  others  of  his  pro- 
fession, purely  as  the  instrument  of  his  own  views.  Al- 
brecht  of  Viederbach  was  prepared  to  accompany  his  boon 
associate  far  as  Manheim,  but  with  the  intention  to  return, 


THE   HEIDENMAUEK.  353 

the  unsettled  state  of  his  order,  and  his  consanguinity  with 
the  Count,  rendering  such  a  course  both  expedient  and 
agreeable.  Young  Berchthold,  too,  was  in  the  saddle,  his 
lord  having,  by  especial  favor,  commanded  the  Forester  to 
keep  at  his  crupper. 

The  cavalcade  ambled  slowly  down  the  Jaegerthal,  the 
Count  courteously  endeavoring  to  show  the  departing 
Abbe,  by  a  species  of  misty  logic  that  appears  to  be  the 
poetical  atmosphere  of  diplomacy,  that  he  was  fully  justi- 
fied by  circumstances  for  effecting  all  that  had  been 
done,  and  the  latter  acquiescing  as  readily  in  his  conclu- 
sions as  if  he  did  not  feel  that  he  had  been  an  egregious 
dupe. 

"  Thou  wilt  see  this  matter  rightly  represented  among 
thy  friends,  Master  Latouche,"  concluded  the  Baron — 
<:  should  there  be  question  of  it,  at  the  court  of  thy  Fran- 
cis : — whom  may  Heaven  quickly  restore  to  his  longing 
people — the  right  valiant  and  loyal  Prince  and  gentle- 


man 


"  I  will  take  upon  myself,  high-born  and  ingenuous 
Emich,  to  see  thee  fully  justified,  whenever  there  shall  be 
discussion  of  thy  great  warfare  and  exquisite  policy  at  the 
court  of  France.  Nay  — by  the  mass  !  should  our  jurists, 
or  our  statesmen  take  upon  themselves  to  prove  to  the 
world  that  thy  house  hath  been  wrong  in  this  immortal 
enterprise,  I  pledge  thee  my  faitli  to  answer  their  reasons, 
both  logically  and  politically,  to  their  eternal  shame  and 
confusion." 

As  Monsieur  Latouche  uttered  this  promise  with  an  un- 
equivocal sneer,  he  thought  himself  fully  avenged  for  the 
silly  part  he  had  been  made  to  act  in  the  Count's  intrigues. 
At  a  later  day  he  often  told  the  tale,  always  concluding 
with  a  recital  of  this  bold  and  ironical  allusion  to  the  petty 
history  of  the  Jaegerthal,  which  not  only  he,  but  a  certain 
portion  of  his  listeners,  seemed  to  think  gave  him  alto- 
gether the  best  of  the  affair.  Satisfied  with  his  success, 
the  Abbe  pricked  on,  to  repeat  it  to  the  knight,  who 
laughed  in  his  sleeve  at  his  friend  while  he  most  extolled 
his  wit,  the  two  riding  ahead  in  a  manner  to  leave  Emich 
an  occasion  to  speak  in  confidence  with  his  Forester. 

"  Hast  treated  of  this  affair  with  Heinrich,  as  I  bid  thee, 
boy  ?"  demanded  the  Count,  in  a  manner  between  author- 
ity and  affection,  that  he  was  much  accustomed  to  use  with 
Berchthold. 

23 


354  THE   HEIDEXMAUER. 

"  I  have,  my  Lord  Count,  and  right  pressingly,  as  my 
heart  urged,  but  with  little  hope  of  benefit." 

"  How  ? — Doth  the  silly  burgher  still  count  upon  his 
marks,  after  what  hath  passed  !  Didst  tell  him  of  the  in- 
terest I  take  in  the  marriage,  and  of  my  intent  to  name 
thee  to  higher  duties,  in  my  villages  ? " 

"  None  of  these  favors  were  forgotten,  or  aught  else 
that  a  keen  desire  could  suggest,  or  a  willing  memory  re- 
call." 

"  What  answer  had  the  burgher  ?  " 

Berchthold  colored,  hesitating  to  reply.  It  was  only 
when  Emich  sternly  repeated  the  question,  that  the  truth 
was  extorted  from  him  ;  for  naught  but  truth  would  one 
so  loyal  consent  to  use. 

"  He  said,  Herr  Count,  that  if  it  was  your  pleasure  to 
name  a  husband  for  his  child,  it  should  also  be  your  pleas- 
ure to  see  that  he  was  not  a  beggar.  I  do  but  give  the 
words  of  the  Herr  Frey  ;  for  which  liberty,  I  beg  my  lord 
to  hold  me  free  of  all  disrespect." 

"  The  niggardly  miser  !  These  hounds  of  Duerckheim 
shall  be  made  to  know  their  master — But  be  of  cheer, 
boy  ;  our  tears  and  pilgrimages  shall  not  be  wasted,  and 
thou  shalt  soon  wive  with  a  fairer  and  better,  as  becometh 
him  I  love." 

"  Nay,  Herr  Emich,  I  do  beseech  and  implore— 

"  Ha  !  Yon  is  the  drivelling  Heinrich  seated  on  a  rock 
of  this  ravine,  like  a  vidette  watching  the  marauders !  Prick 
forward,  Berchthold,  and  desire  my  noble  friends  to  tarry 
at  the  Town-Hall  making  their  compliments  ; — as  for  thee, 
thou  mayest  humor  thy  folly,  and  greet  the  smiling  'face  of 
the  pretty  Meta  the  while." 

The  Forester  dashed  ahead  like  an  arrow  :  while  the 
Count  reined  his  own  courser  aside,  turning  into  that  ra- 
vine by  which  the  path  led  to  the  Heidenmauer,  when  the 
ascent  was  made  from  the  side  of  the  valley.  Emich  was 
soon  at  the  Burgomaster's  side,  having  thrown  his  bridle  to 
a  servitor  that  followed. 

"  How  is  this,  brother  Heinrich  ! "  he  cried,  displeasure 
disappearing  in  habitual  policy  and  well  practised  manage- 
ment— "art  still  bent  on  exorcism,  or  hast  neglected  some 
offices,  in  yester's  pilgrimage  ? " 

"  Praised  be  St.  Benedict,  or  Brother  Luther ! — for  I 
know  not  fairly  to  which  the  merit  is  most  due — our 
Duerckheim  is  in  a  thrice  happy  disposition,  as  touching 


THE   HEIDENMAUER. 


355 


all  witchcraft,  and  devilry,  or  even  churchly  miracles. 
This  mystery  of  the  hounds  being  so  happily  settled,  the 
public  mind  seemeth  to  have  taken  a  sudden  change,  and 
from  sweating  in  broad  daylight  at  the  nestling  of  a  mouse, 
or  the  hop  of  a  cricket,  our  crones  are  ready  to  set  demon- 
ology  and  Lucifer  himself  at  defiance." 

"The  lucky  clearing  up  of  that  difficulty  will,  in  sooth, 
do  much  to  favor  the  late  Saxon  -opinions  and  may  go 
near  to  set  the  monk  of  Wittenberg  firmly  upon  his  feet, 
in  our  country.  Thou  seest,  Heinrich,  that  a  dilemma  so 
unriddled  is  worth  a  library  of  musty  Latin  maxims." 

"  That  is  it,  Herr  Emich,  and  the  more  especially  as  we 
are  a  reasoning  town.  Our  minds  once  fairly  enlightened, 
it  is  no  easy  matter  to  throw  them  into  the  shade  again. 
It  was  seen  how  sorely  the  best  of  us  were  troubled  with  a 
couple  of  vagrant  dogs  so  lately  as  yesterday,  and  now  I 
much  question  if  the  whole  of  the  gallant  pack  would  so 
much  as  raise  a  doubt  !  We  have  had  a  lucky  escape,  Lord 
Count,  for  another  day  of  uncertainty  would  have  gone 
nigh  to  set  up  Limburg  church  again,  and  that  without 
the  masonry  of  the  devil.  There  is  naught  so  potent  in  an 
argument,  as  a  little  apprehension  of  losses  or  of  plagues 
thrown  into  the  scale.  Wisdom  weighs  light  against  profit 
or  fear." 

"  It  is  well  as  it  is,  though  Limburg  roof  will  never  again 
cover  Limburg  wall,  friend  Heinrich,  while  an  Emich  rules 
in  Hartenburg  and  Duerckheirn." — The  Count  saw  the 
cloud  on  the  Burgomaster's  brow  as  he  uttered  the  latter 
word,  and  slapping  him  familiarly  on  a  shoulder,  he  added 
so  quickly  as  to  prevent  reflection  : — "  But  how  now,  Herr 
Frey  ;  why  art  at  watch  in  this  solitary  ravine  ? " 

Heinrich  was  flattered  by  the  noble's  condescension,  and 
not  displeased  to  have  a  listener  to  his  tale.  First  looking 
about  him  to  see  that  no  one  could  overhear  their  discourse, 
he  answered  on  a  lower  key,  in  the  manner  in  which  com- 
munications that  need  confidence  are  usually  made. 

(-  You  know,  Herr  Emich,  this  weakness  of  Ulrike,  con- 
cerning hermitages  and  monks,  altars  and  saints'  days,  with 
all  those  other  practices  of  which  we  may  now  reasonably 
expect  to  be  quit,  since  late  rumors  speak  marvels  of  Lu- 
ther's success.  Well,  the  good  woman  would  have  a  wish 
to  come  upon  the  Heidenmauer  this  morning,  and  as  there 
had  been  some  warm  argument  between  us,  and  the  poor 
wife  had  wept  much  concerning  marrying  our  child  with 


356  THE   HEIDENMAUER. 

young  Berchthold,  a  measure  out  of  all  prudence  and 
reason,  as  you  must  see,  nobly-born  Count,  I  was  fain  wil- 
ling to  escort  her  thus  far,  that  she  might  give  vent  to  her 
sorrow  in  godly  discourse  with  the  hermit." 

"  And  Ulrike  is  above,  in  the  cedars,  with  the  anchorite  ? " 

"  As  sure  as  I  am  here  waiting  her  return,  Lord  Count.'' 

"  Thou  art  a  gallant  husband,  Master  Frey  ! — Wert  wont 
of  old  to  resort  much  with  the  Herr  Odo  Von  Ritterstein 
— he  who  playeth  this  masquerade  of  penitence  and  seclu- 
sion ? " 

"  Sapperment  !  —  I  never  could  endure  the  arrogant! 
But  Ulrike  fancieth  he  hath  qualities  that  are  not  so  evil, 
and  a  woman's  taste,  like  a  child's  humors,  is  easiest  altered 
by  giving  it  scope." 

Emich  laid  both  hands  on  the  shoulders  of  his  companion, 
looking  him  full  and  earnestly  in  the  face.  The  glances 
that  were  exchanged  in  this  attitude,  were  pregnant  with 
meaning.  That  of  the  Count  expressed  the  distrust,  the 
contempt,  and  the  wonder  of  a  man  of  loose  life,  while  that 
of  the  Burgomaster,  by  appearing  to  reflect  the  character 
of  the  woman  who  had  so  long  been  his  wife,  expressed 
volumes  in  her  favor.  No  language  could  have  said  more 
for  Ulrike's  principles  and  purity,  than  the  simple,  hearty, 
and  unalterable  confidence  of  the  man  who  necessarily  had 
so  many  opportunities  of  knowing  her.  Neither  spoke, 
until  the  Count,  releasing  his  grasp,  walked  slowly  up  the 
mountain,  saying  in  a  voice  which  proved  how  strongly  he 
felt— 

"  I  would  thy  consort  had  been  noble,  Heinrich  !  " 

"  Nay,  my  good  lord,"  answered  the  Burgomaster,  "  the 
wish  were  scarcely  kind  to  a  friend !  In  that  case,  I  could 
not  have  wived  the  Frau." 

"  Tell  me,  good  Heinrich — for  I  never  heard  the  history 
of  thy  love — wert  thou  and  thy  proposal  well  received, 
when  first  offered  to  the  virgin  heart  of  Herr  Hailtzinger's 
daughter  ? " 

The  Burgomaster  was  not  displeased  with  an  opportu- 
nity of  alluding  to  a  success  that  had  made  him  the  envy  of 
his  equals. 

"The  end  must  speak  for  the  means,  Herr  Count,"  he 
answered  chuckling.  "  Ulrike  is  none  of  your  free  and 
froward  spirits  to  jump  out  of  a  window,  or  to  meet  a 
youth  more  than  half-way,  but  such  encouragement  as  be- 
cometh  maiden  diffidence  was  not  wanting,  or  mine  own 


THE   HEIDENAfAUER.  357 

ill  opinion  of  myself  might  have  kept  me  a  bachelor  to 
this  hour." 

Emich  chafed  to  hear  such  language  coming  from  one  he 
so  little  respected,  and  applied  to  one  he  had  really  loved. 
The  effort  to  swallow  his  spleen  produced  a  short  silence,  of 
which  we  shall  avail  ourselves  to  transfer  this  scene  to  the 
hut  of  the  hermit,  where  there  was  an  interview  that 
proved  decisive  of  the  future  fortunes  of  several  of  the 
characters  of  our  tale. 

The  day  which  succeeded  the  restoration  of  Berchthold 
had  been  one  of  general  joy  and  felicitation  in  Duerck- 
heim.  There  was  an  end  to  the  doubts  of  the  timid  and 
superstitious,  concerning  an  especial  and  an  angry  visita- 
tion from  Heaven,  as  a  merited  punishment  for  overturn- 
ing the  altars  of  the  Abbey,  and  few  were  so  destitute  of 
good  feeling,  not  to  sympathize  in  the  happiness  of  those 
who  had  so  bitterly  mourned  the  fancied  death  of  the  For- 
ester. As  is  usual  in  cases  of  violent  transitions,  the  reac- 
tion helped  to  lessen  the  influence  of  the  monks,  and  even 
those  most  inclined  to  doubt  were  now  encouraged  to 
hope  that  the  religious  change,  which  was  so  fast  gaining 
ground,  might  not  produce  all  the  horrors  that  had  been 
dreaded. 

Heinrich  has  revealed  the  nature  of  the  discussion  that 
took  place  between  himself  and  his  wife.  The  latter  had 
endeavored  in  vain  to  seize  the  favorable  moment  to  work 
upon  the  feelings  of  the  Burgomaster,  in  the  interests  of 
the  lovers  ;  but  though  sincerely  glad  that  a  youth  who 
had  shown  such  mettle  in  danger  was  not  the  victim  of  his 
courage,  Heinrich  was  not  of  a  temperament  to  let  any 
admiration  of  generous  deeds  affect  the  settled  policy  of  a 
whole  life.  It  was  at  the  close  of  this  useless  and  painful 
conference,  that  the  mother  suddenly  demanded  permis- 
sion of  her  husband  to  visit  the  hermit,  who  had  been  left, 
as  before  the  recent  events,  in  undisturbed  possession  of 
the  dreaded  Heidenmauer. 

Any  other  than  a  man  constituted  like  Heinrich  might,  at 
such  a  moment,  have  heard  this  request  with  distrust.  But 
strong  in  his  opinion  of  himself,  and  accustomed  to  confide 
in  his  wife,  the  obstinate  Burgomaster  hailed  the  applica- 
tion as  a  means  of  relieving  him  from  a  discussion,  in 
which,  while  he  scarce  knew  how  plausibly  to  defend  his 
opinion,  he  was  resolutely  determined  not  to  yield.  The 
manner  in  which  he  volunteered  t«  accompany  his  wife, 


358  THE  HEIDENMAUER. 

and  in  which  he  remained  patiently  awaiting  her  return, 
and  the  commencement  of  his  dialogue  with  Emich  are 
known.  With  this  short  explanation,  we  shall  shift  the 
scene  to  the  hut  of  the  anchorite. 

Odo  of  Ritterstein  was  pale  with  loss  of  blood  from  the 
wounds  received  from  a  fragment  of  the  falling  roof, 
but  paler  still  by  the  force  of  that  inward  fire  which  con- 
sumed him.  The  features  of  his  fair  and  gentle  compan- 
ion wrere  not  bright,  as  usual,  though  naught  could  rob 
Ulrike  of  that  winning  beauty  which  owed  so  much  of  its 
charm  to  expression.  Both  appeared  agitated  with  what 
had  already  passed  between  them,  and  perhaps  still  more 
by  those  feelings,  which  each  had  struggled  to  conceal. 

"  Thou  hast  indeed  had  many  moving  passages  in  thy 
life,  Odo,"  said  the  gentle  Ulrike,  who  was  seemingly  listen- 
ing to  some  recital  from  the  other's  lips  ;  "  and  this  last  mi- 
raculous escape  from  death  is  among  the  most  wonderful." 

"  That  I  should  have  perished  beneath  the  roof  of  Lim- 
burg,  on  the  anniversary  of  my  crime,  and  with  the  fall  of 
those  altars  I  violated,  would  have  been  so  just  a  manifes- 
tation of  Heaven's  displeasure,  Ulrike,  that  even  now  I  can 
scarce  believe  I  am  permitted  to  live  !  Thou  then  thought 
in  common  with  others,  that  I  had  been  released  from  this 
life  of  woe  ?" 

"  Thou  lookest  with  an  unthankful  eye  at  what  thou  hast 
of  hope  and  favor,  or  thou  wouldst  not  use  a  term  so  un- 
grateful in  speaking  of  thy  sorrows.  Remember,  Odo, 
that  our  joys,  in  this  being,  are  tainted  with  mortality,  and 
that  thy  unhappiness  does  not  surpass  that  of  thousands 
who  still  struggle  with  their  duties." 

"  This  is  the  difference  between  the  unquiet  ocean  and 
tranquil  waters — between  the  oak  and  the  reed !  The  cur- 
rent of  thy  calm  existence  may  be  ruffled  by  the  casual  in- 
terruption of  some  trifling  obstacle,  but  the  gentle  surface 
soon  subsides,  leaving  the  element  limpid  and  without 
stain  !  Thy  course  is  that  of  the  flowing  and  pure  spring, 
while  mine  is  the  torrent's  mad  and  turbulent  leaps.  Thou 
hast  indeed  well  said,  Ulrike,  God  did  not  form  us  for  each 
other ! " 

"  Whatever  nature  may  have  done  towards  suiting  our 
dispositions  and  desires,  Odo,  Providence  and  the  world's 
usages  have  interposed  to  defeat." 

The  hermit  gazed  at  the  mild  speaker  with  eyes  so  fixed 
and  dazzling,  that  she  bowed  her  own  look  to  the  earth, 


THF.    IIRIDRNMAUER.  339 

"  No,"  he  murmured  rapidly,  "  Heaven  and  earth  have 
different  destinies — the  lion  and  the  lamb  different  in- 
stincts !  " 

"  Nay,  I  will  none  of  this  disreputable  depreciation  of 
thyself,  poor  Odo.  That  thou  hast  been  erring,  we  shall 
not  deny — for  who  is  without  reproach  ? — but  that  thou 
meritest  these  harsh  epithets,  none  but  thyself  would  vent- 
ure to  affirm." 

"  I  have  met  with  many  enigmas,  Ulrike,  in  an  eventful 
and  busy  life — I  have  seen  those  who  worked  both  good 
and  evil — encountered  those  who  have  defeated  their 
own  ends  by  their  own  wayward  means — but  never  have  I 
known  one  so  devoted  to  the  right,  that  seemed  so  dis- 
posed to  extenuate  the  sinner's  faults  !  " 

"  Then  hast  thou  never  met  the  true  lover  of  God  or 
known  a  Christian.  It  matters  not,  Odo,  whether  we  ad- 
mit of  this  or  that  form  of  faith — the  fruit  of  the  right  tree 
is  charity  and  self-abasement,  and  these  teach  us  to  think 
humbly  of  ourselves  and  kindly  of  others." 

"Thou  began  early  to  practise  these  golden  rules,  or 
surely  thou  never  wouldst  have  forgotten  thine  own  excel- 
lence, or  have  been  ready  to  sacrifice  it  to  the  heedless  im- 
pulses of  one  so  reckless  as  him  to  whom  thou  wast  be- 
trothed!" 

The  eye  of  Ulrike  grew  brighter,  but  it  was  merely  be- 
cause a  tinge  of  color  diffused  itself  on  her  features. 

"  I  know  not  for  what  good  purpose,  Herr  Von  Ritter- 
stein,"  she  said,  "that  these  allusions  are  now  made.  You 
know  that  I  have  come  to  make  a  last  effort  to  secure  the 
peace  of  Meta.  Berchthold  spoke  to  me  of  your  intention 
to  reward  the  service  he  did  your  life,  and  I  have  now  to 
say,  that  if  in  aught  you  can  do  the  youth  favor,  the  mo- 
ment when  it  will  be  most  acceptable,  hath  come — for  Lott- 
chen  has  been  too  sorely  stricken  to  bear  up  long  against 
further  grief." 

The  hermit  was  reproved.  He  turned  slowly  to  one  of 
his  receptacles  of  worldly  stores,  and  drew  forth  a  packet. 
The  rattling  told  his  companion  that  it  was  of  parchment, 
and  she  waited  the  result  with  curious  interest. 

"I  will  scarce  say,  Ulrike,"  he  replied,  "  that  this  deed 
is  the  price  of  a  life  that  is  scarce  worth  the  gift.  Early 
in  my  acquaintance  with  young  Berchthold  and  Meta,  I 
wrung  their  secret  from  them  ;  and  from  that  moment  it 
hath  been  my  greatest  pleasure  to  devise  means  to  secure 


360  THE   HEIDEN-MAUER. 

the  happiness  of  one  so  dear  to  thee.  I  found  in  the  child, 
the  simple,  ingenuous  faith  which  was  so  admirable  in  the 
mother,  and  shall  I  say  that  reverence  for  the  latter  quick- 
ened the  desire  to  serve  her  offspring  ? " 

"I  certainly  owe  thee  thanks,  Herr  Von  Ritterstein,  for 
the  constancy  of  this  good  opinion,"  returned  Ulrike, 
showing  sensibility. 

"Thank  me  not,  but  rather  deem  the  desire  to  serve  thy 
child  a  tribute  that  repentant  error  gladly  pays  to  virtue. 
Thou  knowest  that  I  am  the  last  of  my  race,  and  there  re- 
mained naught  but  to  endow  some  religious  house,  to  let 
my  estate  and  gold  pass  to  the  feudal  prince,  or  to  do  this." 

"  I  could  not  have  thought  it  easy  to  effect  this  change, 
in  opposition  to  the  Elector's  interests !  " 

"Those  have  been  looked  to  ;  a  present  fine  has  smoothed 
the  way,  and  these  parchments  contain  all  that  is  neces- 
sary to  install  young  Berchthold  as  my  substitute  and 
heir." 

"Friend! — dear,  generous  friend!"  exclaimed  the 
mother,  moved  to  tears,  for,  at  that  moment,  Ulrike  saw 
nothing  but  the  future  happiness  of  her  child  assured,  and 
Berchthold  restored  to  more  than  his  former  hopes — 
"generous  and  noble  Odo  ! " 

The  hermit  arose,  and  placed  the  parchment  in  her  hand, 
in  the  manner  of  one  long  prepared  to  perform  the  act. 

"And  now,  Ulrike,"  he  said  with  a  forced  calm,  "this 
solemn  and  imperative  duty  done,  there  remaineth  but  the 
last  leave-taking." 

"  Leave-taking! — Thou  wilt  live  with  Meta.and  Bercht- 
hold,— the  castle  of  Ritterstein  will  be  thy  resting-place, 
after  so  much  sorrow  and  suffering !  " 

u  This  may  not  be — my  vo\v — my  duties — Ulrike,  I  fear, 
my  prudence  forbids." 

"  Thy  prudence  ! — Thou  art  no  longer  young,  dear  Odo, 
privations  thou  hast  hitherto  despised  will  overload  thy  in- 
creasing years,  and  we  shall  not  be  happy  with  the  knowl- 
edge that  thou  art  suffering  for  the  very  conveniences 
which  thine  own  liberality  hath  conferred  on  others.  " 

"  Habit  hath  taken  nature's  place,  and  the  hermitage  and 
the  camp  are  no  longer  strangers  to  me.  If  thou  wouldst 
secure  not  only  my  peace,  but  my  salvation,  Ulrike,  let  me 
depart.  I  have  already  lingered  too  long  near  a  scene 
which  is  filled  with  recollections  that  prove  dread  enemies 
to  the  penitent." 


THE  HE1DENMAUER.  361 

Ulrike  recoiled,  and  her  cheek  blanched  to  paleness. 
Every  limb  trembled,  for  that  quick  sympathy,  which 
neither  time  nor  duty  had  entirely  extinguished,  silently 
admonished  her  of  his  meaning.  There  was  a  fervor  in 
his  voice,  too,  that  thrilled  on  her  ear  like  tones  which, 
spite  of  all  her  care,  the  truant  imagination  would  some- 
times recall  ;  for,  in  no  subsequent  condition  of  life,  can 
a  woman  entirely  forget  the  long  cherished  sounds  with 
which  true  love  first  greets  the  maiden  ear. 

"Odo,"  said  a  voice  so  gentle  that  it  caused  the  heart  of 
the  anchorite  to  beat,  "  when  dost  thou  think  to  depart  ?" 

"  This  day — this  hour — this  minute.' 

"  I  believe — yes — thou  art  right  to  go  !  "• 

"  Ulrike,  God  will  keep  thee  in  mind.  Pray  often  for 
me." 

"  Farewell,  dear  Odo." 

"  God  bless  thee — may  He  have  mercy  on  me  ! " 

There  was  then  a  short  pause.  The  hermit  approached 
and  lifted  his  hands  in  the  attitude  of  benediction  ;  twice 
he  seemed  about  to  clasp  the  unresisting  Ulrike  to  his 
bosom,  but  her  meek,  tearful  countenance  repressed  the 
act,  and,  muttering  a  prayer,  he  rushed  from  the  hut. 
Left  to  herself,  Ulrike  sank  on  a  stool,  and  remained  like 
an  image  of  woe,  tears  flowing  in  streams  down  her 
cheeks. 

Some  minutes  elapsed  before  the  wife  of  Heinrich  Frey 
was  aroused  from  her  forgetfulness.  Then  the  approach 
of  footsteps  told  her  that  she  was  no  longer  alone.  For 
the  first  time  in  her  life,  Ulrike  endeavored  to  conceal  her 
emotion  with  a  sentiment  of  shame  ;  but  ere  this  could  be 
effected,  the  Count  and  Heinrich  entered. 

"  What  hast  done  with  poor  Odo  Von  Ritterstein,  good 
Frau  ;  that  man  of  sin  and  sorrow  ? "  demanded  the  latter, 
in  his  hearty,  unsuspecting  manner. 

"He  has  left  us,  Heinrich." 

"  For  his  castle  ! — well,  the  man  hath  had  his  share  of 
sorrow,  and  ease  may  not  yet  come  too  late.  The  life  of 
Odo,  Lord  Count,  hath  not  been,  like  our  own  histories, 
of  a  nature  to  make  him  content.  Had  that  affair  of  the 
Host,  though  at  the  best  but  an  irreverent  and  unwarrant- 
able act,  happened  in  these  days,  less  might  have  been 
thought  of  it  ;  and  then,  (tapping  his  wife's  cheek)  to  lose 
Ulrike's  favor  was  no  slight  calamity  of  itself. — B^it  what 
have  we  here  ? " 


362  THE   PIEIDENMAUER. 

"  'Tis  a  deed,  by  which  the  Herr  Von  Ritterstein  invests 
Berchthold  with  his  worldly  effects." 

The  Burgomaster  hastily  unfolded  the  ample  parch- 
ment. At  a  glance,  though  unable  to  comprehend  the 
Latin  of  the  instrument,  his  accustomed  eye  saw  that  all 
the  usual  appliances  were  there.  Turning  suddenly  to 
Emich,  for  he  was  not  slow  to  comprehend  the  cause  of 
the  gift,  he  exclaimed — 

"  Here  is  manna  in  the  wilderness  !  Our  differences  are 
all  happily  settled,  nobly-born  Count,  and  next  to  accord- 
ing the  hand  of  Meta  to  the  owner  of  the  lands  of  Ritter- 
stein, I  hold  it  a  pleasure  to  oblige  an  illustrious  friend 
and  patron.  Henceforth,  Herr  Emich,  let  there  be  nought 
but  fair  words  between  us." 

Since  entering  the  hut,  the  Count  had  not  spoken.  His 
look  had  studied  the  tearful  eyes,  and  colorless  cheeks  of 
Ulrike,  and  he  put  his  own  constructions  on  the  scene. 
Still  he  did  the  fair  wife  of  the  burgher  justice,  for,  though 
less  credulous  than  Heinrich  on  the  subject  of  his  con- 
sort's affections,  he  too  well  knew  the  spotless  character 
of  her  mind,  to  change  the  opinion  her  virtue  had  extorted 
from  him,  in  early  youth.  He  accepted  the  conditions  of 
his  friend,  with  as  much  apparent  frankness  as  they  were 
offered,  and,  after  a  few  short  explanations,  the  whole 
party  left  the  Heidenmauer  together. 

Our  task  is  ended.  On  the  following  day  Berchthold 
and  Meta  were  united.  The  Castle  and  the  Town  vied 
with  each  other  in  doing  honor  to  the  nuptials,  and  Ulrike 
and  Lottchen  endeavored  to  forget  their  own  permanent 
causes  of  sorrow  in  the  happiness  of  their  children. 

In  due  time  Berchthold  took  possession  of  his  lands,  re- 
moving with  his  bride  and  mother  to  the  Castle  of  Ritter- 
stein, which  he  always  affected  to  hold  merely  as  the 
trustee  of  its  absent  owner.  Gottlob  was  promoted  in  his 
service,  and  having  succeeded  in  persuading  Gisela  to  for- 
get the  gay  cavalier  who  had  frequented  Hartenburg, 
these  two  wayward  spirits  settled  down  into  a  half-loving, 
half-wrangling  couple,  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 

Duerckheim,  as  is  commonly  the  case  with  the  second- 
ary actors  in  most  great  changes,  shared  the  fate  of  the 
frogs  in  the  fable  ;  it  got  rid  of  the  Benedictines  for  a 
new  master,  and  though  the  Burgomaster  and  Dietrich,  in 
after-life,  had  many  wise  discourses  concerning  the  nature 
of  the  revolution  of  Limburg,  as  the  first  affected  to  call 


THE   HEWENMAUER.  363 

the  destruction  of  the  Abbey,  he  never  could  very  clearly 
explain  to  the  understanding  of  the  latter,  the  great  prin- 
ciples of  its  merits.  Still  the  smith  was  not  the  less  an  ad- 
mirer of  the  Count,  and  to  this  day  his  descendants  show 
the  figure  of  a  marble  cherub,  as  a  trophy  brought  away 
by  their  ancestor  on  that  occasion. 

Bonifacius  and  his  monks  found  shelter  in  other  con- 
vents, each  endeavoring  to  lessen  the  blow,  by  such  ex- 
pedients as  best  suited  his  tastes  and  character.  The  pious 
Arnolph  persevered  to  the  end,  and,  believing  charity  to  be 
the  fairest  attribute  of  the  Christian,  he  never  ceased  to 
pray  for  the  enemies  of  the  Church,  or  to  toil  that  they 
might  have  the  benefit  of  his  intercession. 

As  for  Odo  Von  Ritterstein,  the  country  was  long  moved 
by  different  tales  of  his  fate.  One  rumor — and  it  had  much 
currency — said  he  was  serving  in  company  with  Albrecht  of 
Viederbach,  who  rejoined  his  brother  knights,  and  that  he 
died  on  the  sands  of  Africa.  But  there  is  another  tradition 
extant  in  the  Jaegethal,  touching  his  end.  It  is  said,  that, 
thirty  years  later,  after  Heinrich,  and  Emich  of  Leiningen, 
and  most  of  the  other  actors  of  this  legend,  had  been  called 
to  their  great  accounts,  an  aged  wanderer  came  to  the  gate 
of  Ritterstein,  demanding  shelter  for  the  night.  He  is  re- 
ported to  have  been  well  received  by  Meta,  her  husband 
and  son  being  then  absent  in  the  wars,  and  to  have  greatly 
interested  his  hostess  by  the  histories  he  gave  of  customs 
and  events  in  distant  regions.  Pleased  with  her  guest,  the 
Madame  Von  Ritterstein  (for  Berchthold  had  purchased 
this  appellation  by  his  courage)  urged  him  to  rest  himself 
another  day  within  her  walls.  From  communicating,  the 
stranger  began  to  inquire  ;  and  he  so  knew  how  to  put  his 
questions,  that  he  soon  obtained  the  history  of  the  family. 
Ulrike  was  the  last  he  named  ;  and  the  younger  female  in- 
mates of  the  castle  fancied  that  his  manner  changed  as  he 
listened  to  the  account  of  the  close  of  her  life,  and  of  her 
peaceful  and  pious  end.  The  stranger  departed  that  very 
day,  nor  would  his  visit  probably  have  been  remembered, 
had  not  his  body  been  shortly  after  found  in  the  hut  of  the 
Heidenmauer,  stiffened  by  death.  Those  who  love  to  throw 
a  coloring  of  romance  over  the  affections,  are  fond  of  be- 
lieving this  was  the  hermit,  who  had  found  a  secret  satis- 
faction, even  at  the  close  of  so  long  a  life,  in  breathing  his 
last  on  the  spot  where  he  had  finally  separated  from  the 
woman  he  had  so  long  and  fruitlessly  loved. 


364  THE.  HEIDENMAUEK. 

To  this  tradition — true  or  false — we  attach  no  impor* 
tance.  Our  object  has  been  to  show,  by  a  rapidly-traced 
picture  of  life,  the  reluctant  manner  in  which  the  mind  ox 
man  abandons  old,  to  receive  new  impressions — the  incon- 
sistencies between  profession  and  practice — the  error  in 
confounding  the  good  with  the  bad,  in  any  sect  or  per- 
suasion— the  common  and  governing  principles  that  control 
the  selfish,  under  every  shade  and  degree  of  existence— 
and  the  high  and  immutable  qualities  of  the  good,  the  virt- 
uous and  of  the  really  noble. 


THE  END. 


"As  Sigismund  uttered  this  communication  so  terrible  to  the  ear  of  the 
listener,  he  arose  and  fled  from  the  room." — The  Headsman,  page  148. 


THE  HEADSMAN 


OR 


THE  ABBAYE  DES  VIGNERONS 


A    TALE 


BY 


J,  FENIMORE    COOPER 


1  How  oft  the  sight  of  means  to  do  ill  deeds 
Makes  deeds  ill  done  I" 


INTRODUCTION. 


EARLY  in  October,  1832,  a  travelling-carriage  stopped  on 
the  summit  of  that  long  descent  where  the  road  pitches 
from  the  elevated  plain  of  Moudon,  in  Switzerland,  to  the 
level  of  the  lake  of  Geneva,  immediately  above  the  little 
city  of  Vevey.  The  postilion  had  dismounted  to  chain  a 
wheel,  and  the  halt  enabled  those  he  conducted  to  catch  a 
glimpse  of  the  lovely  scenery  of  that  remarkable  view. 

The  travellers  were  an  American  family,  which  had  long 
been  wandering  about  Europe,  and  which  was  now  des- 
tined it  knew  not  whither,  having  just  traversed  a  thousand 
miles  of  Germany  in  its  devious  course.  Four  years  be- 
fore, the  same  family  had  halted  on  the  same  spot,  nearly 
on  the  same  day  of  the  month  of  October,  and  for  precisely 
the  same  object.  It  was  then  journeying  to  Italy,  and  as 
its  members  hung  over  the  view  of  the  Leman,  with  its 
accessories  of  Chillon,  Chatelard,  Blonay,  Meillerie,  the 
peaks  of  Savoy,  and  the  wild  ranges  of  the  Alps,  they  had 
felt  regret  that  the  fairy  scene  was  so  soon  to  pass  away. 
The  case  was  now  different,  and  yielding  to  the  charm  of 
a  nature  so  noble,  and  yet  so  soft,  within  a  few  hours  the 
carriage  was  in  remise,  a  house  was  taken,  the  baggage 
unpacked,  and  the  household  gods  of  the  travellers  were 
erected,  for  the  twentieth  time,  in  a  strange  land. 

Our  American  (for  the  family  had  its  head)  was  familiar 
with  the  ocean,  and  the  sight  of  water  awoke  old  and 
pleasant  recollections.  He  was  hardly  established  in 
Vevey  as  a  housekeeper,  before  he  sought  a  boat.  Chance 
brought  him  to  a  certain  Jean  Descloux  (we  give  the  spell- 
ing at  hazard),  with  whom  he  soon  struck  up  a  bargain, 
and  they  launched  forth  in  company  upon  the  lake. 

This  casual  meeting  was  the  commencement  of  an  agree- 
able and  friendly  intercourse.  Jean  Descloux,  besides  be- 
ing a  very  good  boatman,  was  a  respectable  philosopher  in 


4  INTRODUCTION. 

his  way  ;  possessing  a  tolerable  stock  of  general  informa- 
tion. His  knowledge  of  America,  in  particular,  might  be 
deemed  a  little  remarkable.  He  knew  it  was  a  continent, 
which  lay  west  of  his  own  quarter  of  the  world  ;  that  it 
had  a  place  in  it  called  New  Vevey  ;  that  all  the  whites 
who  had  gone  there  were  not  yet  black,  and  that  there 
were  plausible  hopes  it  might  one  day  be  civilized.  Find- 
ing Jean  so  enlightened  on  a  subject  under  which  most  of 
the  eastern  savants  break  down,  the  American  thought  it 
well  enough  to  prick  him  closely  on  other  matters.  The 
worthy  boatman  turned  out  to  be  a  man  of  singularly  just 
discrimination.  He  was  a  reasonably  good  judge  of  the 
weather  ;  had  divers  marvels  to  relate  concerning  the  do- 
ings of  the  lake  ;  thought  the  city  very  wrong  for  not 
making  a  port  in  the  great  square  ;  always  maintained  that 
the  wine  of  Saint  Saphorin  was  very  savory  drinking  for 
those  who  could  get  no  better  ;  laughed  at  the  idea  of 
there  being  sufficient  cordage  in  the  world  to  reach  to  the 
bottom  of  the  Genfer  See  ;  was  of  opinion  that  the  trout 
was  a  better  fish  than  the  fera  ;  spoke  with  singular  mod- 
eration of  his  ancient  masters,  the  bourgeoisie  of  Berne, 
which,  however,  he  always  affirmed  kept  singularly  bad 
roads  in  Vaud,  while  those  around  its  own  city  were  the 
best  in  Europe,  and  otherwise  showed  himself  to  be  a  dis- 
creet and  observant  man.  In  short,  honest  Jean  Descloux 
was  a  fair  sample  of  that  home-bred,  upright  common  sense, 
which  seems  to  form  the  instinct  of  the  mass,  and  which  it 
is  greatly  the  fashion  to  deride  in  those  circles  in  which 
mystification  passes  for  profound  thinking,  bold  assump- 
tion for  evidence,  a  simper  for  wit,  particular  personal  ad- 
vantages for  liberty,  and  in  which  it  is  deemed  a  mortal 
offence  against  good  manners  to  hint  that  Adam  and  Eve 
were  the  common  parents  of  mankind. 

"Monsieur  has  chosen  a  good  time  to  visit  Vevey,"  ob- 
served Jean  Descloux,  one  evening  that  they  were  drifting 
in  front  of  the  town,  the  whole  scenery  resembling  a  fairy 
picture  rather  than  a  portion  of  this  much-abused  earth  ; 
"  it  blows  sometimes  at  this  end  of  the  lake  in  a  way  to 
frighten  the  gulls  out  of  it.  We  shall  see  no  more  of  the 
steamboat  after  the  last  of  the  month." 

The  American  cast  a  glance  at  the  mountain,  drew  upon 
his  memory  lor  sundry  squalls  and  gales  which  he  had 
seen  himself,  and  thought  the  boatman's  figure  of  speech 
less  extravagant  than  it  had  at  first  seemed 


INTRODUCTION.  5 

"If  your  lake  craft  were  better  constructed,  they  would 
make  better  weather,"  he  quietly  observed. 

Monsieur  Descloux  had  no  wish  to  quarrel  with  a  cus- 
tomer who  employed  him  every  evening,  and  who  pre- 
ferred floating  with  the  current  to  being  rowed  with  a 
crooked  oar.  He  manifested  his  prudence,  therefore,  by 
making  a  reserved  reply. 

"No  doubt,  monsieur,"  he  said,  "that  the  people  who 
live  on  the  sea  make  better  vessels,  and  know  how  to  sail 
them  more  skilfully.  We  had  a  proof  of  that  here  at 
Vevey  "  (he  pronounced  the  word  like  v-vais,  agreeably  to 
the  sounds  of  the  French  vowels),  "last  summer,  which 
you  might  like  to  hear.  An  English  gentleman — they  say 
he  was  a  captain  in  the  marine — had  a  vessel  built  at  Nice, 
and  dragged  over  the  mountains  to  our  lake.  He  took  a 
run  across  to  Meillerie  one  fine  morning,  and  no  duck  ever 
skimmed  along  lighter  or  swifter!  He  was  not  a  man  to 
take  advice  from  a  Swiss  boatman,  for  he  had  crossed  the 
line  and  seen  waterspouts  and  whales  !  Well,  he  was  on 
his  way  back  in  the  dark,  and  it  came  on  to  blow  here  from 
off  the  mountains,  and  he  stood  on  boldly  toward  our  shore, 
heaving  the  lead  as  he  drew  near  the  land,  as  if  he  had 
been  beating  into  Spithead  in  a  fog," — Jean  chuckled  at 
the  idea  of  sounding  in  the  Leman — "  while  he  flew  along 
like  a  bold  mariner,  as  no  doubt  he  was  ! " 

"  Landing,  I  suppose,"  said  the  American,  "  among  the 
lumber  in  the  great  square  ?" 

"  Monsieur  is  mistaken.  He  broke  his  boat's  nose 
against  that  wall  ;  and  the  next  day,  a  piece  of  her,  big 
enough  to  make  a  thole-pin,  was  not  to  be  found.  He 
might  as  well  have  sounded  the  heavens !  " 

"The  lake  has  a  bottom,  notwithstanding?" 

"Your  pardon,  monsieur.  The  lake  has  no  bottom. 
The  sea  may  have  a  bottom,  but  we  have  no  bottom  here." 

There  was  little  use  in  disputing  the  point. 

Monsieur  Descloux  then  spoke  of  the  revolutions  he  had 
seen.  He  remembered  the  time  when  Vaud  was  a  prov- 
ince of  Berne.  His  observations  on  this  subject  were  ra- 
tional, and  were  well  seasoned  with  common  sense.  His 
doctrine  was  simply  this  :  "  If  one  man  rule,  he  will  rule 
for  his  own  benefit  and  that  of  his  parasites  ;  if  a  minority 
rule,  we  have  many  masters  instead  of  one  "  (honest  Jean 
had  got  hold  here  of  a  cant  saying  of  the  privileged,  which 
he  very  ingeniously  converted  against  themselves),  "  all  of 


6  INTR  OD  UCTION-. 

whom  must  be  fed  and  served  ;  and  if  the  majority  rule, 
and  rule  wrongfully,  why,  the  minimum  of  harm  is  done." 
He  admitted  that  the  people  might  be  deceived  to  their 
own  injury,  but  then  he  did  not  think  it  was  quite  as  likely 
to  happen,  as  that  they  should  be  oppressed  when  they 
were  governed  without  any  agency  of  their  own.  On  these 
points  the  American  and  the  Vaudois  were  absolutely  of 
the  same  mind. 

From  politics  the  transition  to  poetry  was  natural,  for  a 
common  ingredient  in  both  would  seem  to  be  fiction.  On 
the  subject  of  his  mountains,  Monsieur  Descloux  was  a 
thorough  Swiss.  He  expatiated  on  their  grandeur,  their 
storms,  their  height,  and  their  glaciers,  with  eloquence. 
The  worthy  boatman  had  some  such  opinions  of  the  supe- 
riority of  his  own  country  as  all  are  apt  to  form  who  have 
never  seen  any  other.  He  dwelt  on  the  glories  of  an  Ab- 
baye  des  Vignerons,  too,  with  the  gusto  of  a  Vevaisan,  and 
seemed  to  think  it  would  be  a  high  stroke  of  state  policy, 
to  get  up  a  new  fete  of  this  kind  as  speedily  as  possible. 
In  short,  the  world  and  its  interests  were  pretty  generally 
discussed  between  these  two  philosophers  during  an  inter- 
course that  extended  to  a  month. 

Our  American  was  not  a  man  to  let  instruction  of  this 
nature  easily  escape  him.  He  lay  hours  at  a  time  on  the 
seats  of  Jean  Descloux's  boat,  looking  up  at  the  mountains, 
or  watching  some  lazy  sail  on  the  lake,  and  speculating  on 
the  wisdom  of  which  he  was  so  accidentally  made  the  re- 
pository. His  view  on  one  side  was  limited  by  the  glacier 
of  Mount  Velan,  a  near  neighbor  of  the  celebrated  col  of 
St.  Bernard  ;  and  on  the  other,  his  eye  could  range  to  the 
smiling  fields  that  surround  Geneva.  Within  this  setting 
is  contained  one  of  the  most  magnificent  pictures  that  Nat- 
ure ever  drew,  and  he  bethought  him  of  the  human  actions, 
passions,  and  interests,  of  which  it  might  have  been  the 
scene.  By  a  connection  that  was  natural  enough  to  the 
situation,  he  imagined  a  fragment  of  life  passed  between 
these  grand  limits,  and  the  manner  in  which  men  could 
listen  to  the  never-wearied  promptings  of  their  impulses 
in  the  immediate  presence  of  the  majesty  of  the  Creator. 
He  bethought  him  of  the  analogies  that  exist  between 
inanimate  nature  and  our  own  wayward  inequalities  ;  of 
the  fearful  admixture  of  good  and  evil  of  which  we  are 
composed  ;  of  the  manner  in  which  the  best  betray  their 
submission  to  the  devils,  and  in  which  the  worst  have 


INTRODUCTION.  7 

gleams  of  that  eternal  principle  of  right,  by  which  they 
have  been  endowed  by  God  ;  of  those  tempests  which 
sometimes  lie  dormant  in  our  systems,  like  the  slumbering 
lake  in  the  calm,  but  which  excited,  equal  its  fury  when 
lashed  by  the  winds  ;  of  the  strength  of  prejudices  ;  of  the 
worthlessness  and  changeable  character  of  the  most  cher- 
ished of  our  opinions,  and  of  that  strange,  incomprehensi- 
ble, and  yet  winning  melange  of  contradictions,  of  fallacies, 
of  truths,  and  of  wrongs,  which  make  up  the  sum  of  our 
existence. 

The  following  pages  are  the  result  of  this  dreaming. 
The  reader  is  left  to  his  own  intelligence  for  the  moral. 

A  respectable  English  writer  observed  :  "  All  pages  of 
human  life  are  worth  reading  ;  the  wise  instruct  ;  the  gay 
divert  us  ;  the  imprudent  teach  us  what  to  shun  ;  the  ab- 
surd cure  the  spleen." 


THE       HEADSMAN; 

OR,  THE  ABBAYE  DES  VIGNERONS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

"  Day  glimmered  and  I  went,  a  gentle  breeze 
Ruffling  the  Leman  lake." — ROGERS. 

THE  year  was  in  its  fall,  according  to  a  poetical  expres- 
sion of  our  own,  and  the  morning  bright,  as  the  fairest  and 
swiftest  bark  that  navigated  the  Leman  lay  at  the  quay  of 
the  ancient  and  historical  town  of  Geneva,  ready  to  depart 
for  the  country  of  Vaud.  This  vessel  was  called  the  Win- 
kelried,  in  commemoration  of  Arnold  of  that  name,  who 
had  so  generously  sacrificed  life  and  hopes  to  the  good  of 
his  country,  and  who  deservedly  ranks  among  the  truest  of 
those  heroes  of  whom  we  have  well-authenticated  legends. 
She  had  been  launched  at  the  commencement  of  the  sum- 
mer, and  still  bore  at  the  fore-top-mast-head  a  bunch  of 
evergreens,  profusely  ornamented  with  knots  and  stream- 
ers of  ribbon,  the  offerings  of  the  patron's  female  friends, 
and  the  fancied  gage  of  success.  The  use  of  steam,  and 
the  presence  of  unemployed  seamen  of  various  nations,  in 
this  idle  season  of  the  warlike,  are  slowly  leading  to  inno- 
vations and  improvements  in  the  navigation  of  the  lakes 
of  Italy  and  Switzerland,  it  is  true  ;  but  time,  even  at  this 
hour,  has  done  little  toward  changing  the  habits  and  opin- 
ions of  those  who  ply  on  these  inland  waters  for  a  sub- 
sistence. The  Winkelreid  had  the  two  low  diverging 
masts  ;  the  attenuated  and  picturesquely  poised  latine 
yards  ;  the  light  triangular  sails  ;  the  sweeping  and  pro- 
jecting gangways  ;  the  receding  and  falling  "stern  ;  the 
high  and  peaked  prow,  with,  in  general,  the  classical  and 


10  THE   HEADSMAN. 

quaint  air  of  those  vessels  that  are  seen  in  the  older  paint* 
ings  and  engravings.  A  gilded  ball  glittered  on  the  sum- 
mit of  each  mast,  for  no  canvas  was  set  higher  than  the 
slender  and  well-balanced  yards,  and  it  was  above  one  of 
these  that  the  wilted  bush,  with  its  gay  appendages,  trem- 
bled and  fluttered  in  a  fresh  western  wind.  The  hull  was 
worthy  of  so  much  goodly  apparel,  being  spacious,  com- 
modious, and,  according  to  the  wants  of  the  navigation,  of 
approved  mould.  The  freight,  which  was  sufficiently  ob- 
vious, much  the  greatest  part  being  piled  on  the  ample 
deck,  consisted  of  what  our  own  watermen  would  term  an 
assorted  cargo.  It  was,  however,  chiefly  composed  of 
those  foreign  luxuries,  as  they  were  then  called,  though 
use  has  now  rendered  them  nearly  indispensable  to  do- 
mestic economy,  which  were  consumed,  in  singular  mod- 
eration, by  the  more  affluent  of  those  who  dwelt  deeper 
among  the  mountains,  and  of  the  two  principal  products 
of  the  dairy  ;  the  latter  being  destined  to  a  market  in  the 
less  verdant  countries  of  the  south.  To  these  must  be 
added  the  personal  effects  of  an  unusual  number  of  pas- 
sengers, which  were  stowed  on  the  top  of  the  heavier  part 
of  the  cargo,  with  an  order  and  care  that  their  value  would 
scarcely  seem  to  require.  The  arrangement,  however,  was 
necessary  to  the  convenience,  and  even  to  the  security  of 
the  bark,  having  been  made  by  the  patron  with  a  view  to 
posting  each  individual  by  his  particular  wallet,  in  a  man- 
ner to  prevent  confusion  in  the  crowd,  and  to  leave  the 
crew  space  and  opportunity  to  discharge  the  necessary 
duties  of  the  navigation. 

With  a  vessel  stowed,  sails  ready  to  drop,  the  wind  fair, 
and  the  day  drawing  on  apace,  the  patron  of  the  Winkel- 
ried,  who  was  also  her  owner,  felt  a  very  natural  wish  to 
depart.  But  an  unlooked-for  obstacle  had  just  presented 
itself  at  the  water  gate,  where  the  officer  charged  with  the 
duty  of  looking  into  the  characters  of  all  who  wrent  and 
came  was  posted,  and  around  whom  some  fifty  representa- 
tives of  half  as  many  nations  were  now  clustered  in  a 
clamorous  throng,  filling  the  air  with  a  confusion  of 
tongues  that  had  some  probable  affinity  to  the  noises  which 
deranged  the  workmen  of  Babel.  It  appeared,  by  parts  of 
sentences  and  broken  remonstrances,  equally  addressed  to 
the  patron,  whose  name  was  Baptiste,  and  to  the  guardian 
of  the  Genevese  laws,  a  rumor  was  rife  among  these 
truculent  travellers,  that  Balthazar,  the  headsman,  or  exe< 


THE   HEADSMAN.  II 

cutioner,  of  the  powerful  and  aristocratical  canton  of 
Berne,  was  about  to  be  smuggled  into  their  company  by 
the  cupidity  of  the  former,  contrary,  not  only  to  what  was 
due  to  the  feelings  and  rights  of  men  of  more  creditable 
callings,  but,  as  it  was  vehemently  and  plausibly  insisted, 
to  the  very  safety  of  those  who  were  about  to  trust  their 
fortunes  to  the  vicissitudes  of  the  elements. 

Chance  and  the  ingenuity  of  Baptiste  had  collected,  on 
this  occasion,  as  party-colored  and  heterogeneous  an  assem- 
blage of  human  passions,  interests,  dialects,  wishes,  and 
opinions,  as  any  admirer  of  diversity  of  character  could 
desire.  There  were  several  small  traders,  some  returning 
from  adventures  in  Germany  and  France,  and  some  bound 
southward,  with  their  scanty  stock  of  wares;  a  few  poor 
scholars,  bent  on  a  literary  pilgrimage  to  Rome  ;  an  artist 
or  two,  better  provided  with  enthusiasm  than  wTith  either 
knowledge  or  taste,  journeying  with  poetical  longings 
towards  skies  and  tints  of  Italy ;  a  troupe  of  street  jugglers, 
who  had  been  turning  their  Neapolitan  buffoonery  to 
account  among  the  duller  and  less  sophisticated  inhabitants 
6f  Swabia  ;  divers  lackeys  out  of  place  ;  some  six  or  eight 
capitalists  who  lived  on  their  wits,  and  a  nameless  herd  of 
that  set  which  the  French  call  "  bad  subjects ; "  a  title  that 
is  just  now,  oddly  enough,  disputed  between  the  dregs  of 
society  and  a  class  that  would  fain  become  its  exclusive 
leaders  and  lords. 

These,  with  some  slight  qualifications  that  it  is  not  yet 
necessary  to  particularize,  composed  that  essential  req- 
uisite of  all  fair  representation — the  majority.  Those 
who  remained  were  of  a  different  caste.  Near  the  noisy 
crowd  of  tossing  heads  and  brandished  arms,  in  and  around 
the  gate,  was  a  party  containing  the  venerable  and  still  fine 
figure  of  a  man  in  the  travelling  dress  of  one  of  superior 
condition,  and  who  did  not  need  the  testimony  of  the  twro  or 
three  liveried  menials  that  stood  near  his  person,  to  give 
an  assurance  of  his  belonging  to  the  more  fortunate  of  his 
fellow  creatures,  as  good  and  evil  are  usually  estimated  in 
calculating  the  chances  of  life.  On  his  arm  leaned  a  fe- 
male, so  young,  and  yet  so  lovely,  as  to  cause  regret  in  all 
who  observed  her  fading  color,  the  sweet  but  melancholy 
smile  that  occasionally  lighted  her  mild  and  pleasing  feat- 
ures, at  some  of  the  more  marked  exuberances  of  folly 
among  the  crowd,  and  a  form  which,  notwithstanding  her 
lessened  bloom,  was  nearly  perfect.  If  these  symptoms  of 


12  THE  HEADSMAN". 

delicate  health  did  riot  prevent  this  fair  girl  from  being 
amused  at  the  volubility  and  arguments  of  the  different 
orators,  she  oftener  manifested  apprehension  at  finding 
herself  the  companion  of  creatures  so  untrained,  so  vio- 
lent, so  exacting,  and  so  grossly  ignorant.  A  young  man, 
wearing  the  roquelaure  and  other  similar  appendages  of  a 
Swiss  in  foreign  military  service,  a  character  to  excite 
neither  observation  nor  comment  in  that  age,  stood  at  her 
elbow,  answering  the  questions  that  from  time  to  time 
were  addressed  to  him  by  the  others,  in  a  manner  to  show 
he  was  an  intimate  acquaintance,  though  there  were  signs 
about  his  travelling  equipage  to  prove  he  was  not  ex- 
actly of  their  ordinary  society.  Of  all  who  were  not  im- 
mediately engaged  in  the  boisterous  discussion  at  the  gate, 
this  young  soldier,  who  was  commonly  addressed  by  those 
near  him  as  Monsieur  Sigismund,  was  much  the  most  in- 
terested in  its  progress.  Though  of  herculean  frame,  and 
evidently  of  unusual  physical  force,  he  was  singularly  agi- 
tated. His  cheek,  which  had  not  yet  lost  the  freshness  due 
to  the  mountain  air,  would,  at  times,  become  pale  as  that 
of  the  wilting  flower  near  him  ;  while  at  others,  the  blood 
rushed  across  his  brow  in  a  torrent  that  seemed  to  threaten 
a  rupture  of  the  starting  vessels  in  which  it  so  tumultuously 
flowed.  Unless  addressed,  however,  he  said  nothing  ;  his 
distress  gradually  subsiding,  until  it  was  merely  betrayed 
by  the  convulsive  writhings  of  his  fingers,  which  uncon- 
sciously grasped  the  hilt  of  his  sword. 

The  uproar  had  now  continued  for  some  time  ;  throats 
were  getting  sore,  tongues  clammy,  voices  hoarse,  and 
words  incoherent,  when  a  sudden  check  was  given  to  the 
useless  clamor  by  an  incident  quite  in  unison  with  the  dis- 
turbance itself.  Two  enormous  dogs  were  in  attendance 
hard  by,  apparently  awaiting  the  movements  of  their  re- 
spective masters,  who  were  lost  to  view  in  the  mass  of 
heads  and  bodies  that  stopped  the  passage  of  the  gate. 
One  of  these  animals  was  covered  with  a  short,  thick  coating 
of  hair,  whose  prevailing  color  was  a  dingy  yellow,  but 
whose  throat  and  legs,  with  most  of  the  inferior  parts  of 
the  body,  were  of  a  dull  white.  Nature,  on  the  other  hand, 
had  given  a  dusky,  brownish,  shaggy  dress  to  his  rival, 
though  his  general  hue  was  relieved  by  a  few  shades 
of  a  more  decided  black.  As  respects  weight  and  force 
of  body,  the  difference  between  the  brutes  was  not  very 
obvious,  though  perhaps  it  slightly  inclined  in  favor  of 


THE  HEADSMAX.  13 

the  former,  who  in  length,  if  not  in  strength,  of  limb,  how- 
ever, had  more  manifestly  the  advantage. 

It  would  much  exceed  the  intelligence  we  have  brought 
to  this  task  to  explain  how  far  the  instincts  of  the  dogs 
sympathized  in  the  savage  passions  of  the  human  beings 
around  them,  or  whether  they  were  conscious  that  their 
masters  had  espoused  opposite  sides  in  the  quarrel,  and 
that  it  became  them,  as  faithful  esquires,  to  tilt  together 
by  way  of  supporting  the  honor  of  those  they  followed  ;  but, 
after  measuring  each  other  for  the  usual  period  with  the 
eye,  they  came  violently  together,  body  to  body,  in  the 
manner  of  their  species.  The  collision  was  fearful,  and  the 
struggle,  being  between  two  creatures  of  so  great  size 
and  strength,  of  the  fiercest  kind.  The  roar  resembled  that 
of  lions,  effectually  drowning  the  clamor  of  human  voices. 
Every  tongue  was  mute,  and  each  head  was  turned  in  the 
direction  of  the  combatants.  The  trembling  girl  recoiled 
with  averted  face,  while  the  young  man  stepped  eagerly 
forward  to  protect  her,  for  the  conflict  was  near  the  place 
they  occupied  ;  but  powerful  and  active  as  was  his  frame, 
he  hesitated  about  mingling  in  an  affray  so  ferocious.  At 
this  critical  moment,  when  it  seemed  that  the  furious  brutes 
were  on  the  point  of  tearing  each  other  in  pieces,  the 
crowd  was  pushed  violently  open,  and  two  men  burst,  side 
by  side,  out  of  the  mass.  One  wore  the  black  robes,  the 
conical,  Asiatic  looking,  tufted  cap,  and  the  white  belt  of 
an  Augustine  monk,  and  the  other  had  the  attire  of  a  man 
addicted  to  the  seas,  without,  however,  being  so  decidedly 
maritime  as  to  leave  his  character  a  matter  that  was  quite 
beyond  dispute.  The  former  was  fair,  ruddy,  with  an  oval, 
happy  face,  of  which  internal  peace  and  good-will  to  his  fel- 
lows were  the  principal  characteristics,  while  the  latter  had 
the  swarthy  hue,  bold  lineaments,  and  glittering  eye,  of 
an  Italian. 

"  Uberto  ! "  said  the  monk  reproachfully,  affecting  the 
sort  of  offended  manner  that  one  would  be  apt  to  show 
to  a  more  intelligent  creature,  willing,  but  at  the 
same  time  afraid,  to  trust  his  person  nearer  to  the 
furious  conflict,  "  shame  on  thee,  old  Uberto  !  Hast  for- 
gotten thy  schooling — hast  no  respect  for  thine  own 
good  name  ?  " 

On  the  other  hand,  the  Italian  did  not  stop  to  ex- 
postulate ;  but  throwing  himself  with  reckless  hardihood 
on  the  dogs,  by  dint  of  kicks  and  blows,  of  which  much 


14  THE   HEADSMAN. 

the  heaviest  portion  fell  on  the  follower  of  Augustine,  he 
succeeded  in  separating  the  combatants. 

"  Ha,  Nettuno  !  "  he  exclaimed,  with  the  severity  of  one 
accustomed  to  exercise  a  stern  and  absolute  authority,  so 
soon  as  this  daring  exploit  was  achieved,  and  he  had  re- 
covered a  little  of  the  breath  lost  in  the  violent  exertion — 
"what  dost  mean  ?  Canst  find  no  better  amusement  than 
quarrelling  with  a  dog  of  San  Bernardo  !  Fie  upon  thee, 
foolish  Nettuno  !  I  am  ashamed  of  thee,  dog:  thou,  that 
hast  discreetly  navigated  so  many  seas,  to  lose  thy  temper 
on  a  bit  of  fresh  water  ! " 

The  dog,  which  was  in  truth  no  other  than  a  noble  animal 
of  the  well-known  Newfoundland  breed,  hung  his  head, 
and  made  signs  of  contrition,  by  drawing  nearer  to  his 
master  with  a  tail  that  swept  the  ground,  while  his  late  ad- 
versary quietly  seated  himself  with  a  species  of  monastic 
dignity,  looking  from  the  speaker  to  his  foe,  as  if  endeav- 
oring to  comprehend  the  rebuke  which  his  powerful  and 
gallant  antagonist  took  so  meekly. 

"  Father,"  said  the  Italian,  "  our  dogs  are  both  too  use- 
ful, in  their  several  ways,  and  both  of  too  good  character 
to  be  enemies.  I  know  Uberto  of  old,  for  the  paths  of  St. 
Bernard  and  I  are  no  strangers,  and,  if  report  does  the 
animal  no  more  than  justice,  he  hath  not  been  an  idle  cur 
among  the  snows." 

"  He  hath  been  the  instrument  of  saving  seven  Chris- 
tians from  death,"  answered  the  monk,  beginning  again  to 
regard  his  mastiff  with  friendly  looks,  for  at  first  there  had 
been  keen  reproach  and  severe  displeasure  in  his  manner 
— "  not  to  speak  of  the  bodies  that  have  been  found  by  his 
activity,  after  the  vital  spark  had  fled." 

"  As  for  the  latter,  father,  we  can  count  little  more  in 
favor  of  the  dog  than  a  good  intention.  Valuing  services 
on  this  scale,  I  might  ere  this  have  been  the  Holy  Father 
himself,  or  at  least  a  cardinal ;  but  seven  lives  saved,  for 
their  owners  to  die  quietly  in  their  beds,  and  with  oppor- 
tunity to  make  their  peace  with  heaven,  is  no  bad  recom- 
mendation for  a -dog.  Nettuno,  here,  is  every  way  worthy 
to  be  the  friend  of  old  Uberto,  for  thirteen  drowning  men 
have  I  myself  seen  him  draw  from  the  greedy  jaws  of 
sharks  and  other  monsters  of  deep  water.  What  dost  thou 
say,  father,  shall  we  make  peace  between  the  brutes  ? " 

The  Augustine  expressed  his  readiness,  as  well  as  his 
desire,  to  aid  in  an  effort  so  laudable,  and  by  dint  of  com' 


THE    HEADSMAN.  15 

mands  and  persuasion,  the  dogs,  who  were  predisposed  to 
peace  from  having  had  a  mutual  taste  of  the  bitterness  of 
war,  and  who  now  felt  for  each  other  the  respect  which 
courage  and  force  are  apt  to  create,  were  soon  on  the  usual 
terms  of  animals  of  their  kind  that  have  no  particular 
grounds  for  contention. 

The  guardian  of  the  city  improved  the  calm  produced  by 
this  little  incident,  to  regain  a  portion  of  his  lost  authority. 
Beating  back  the  crowd  with  his  cane,  he  cleared  a  space 
around  the  gate  into  which  but  one  of  the  travellers  could 
enter  at  a  time,  while  he  professed  himself  not  only  ready 
but  determined  to  proceed  with  his  duty,  without  further 
procrastination.  Baptiste,  the  patron,  who  beheld  the 
precious  moments  wasting,  and  who,  in  the  delay,  foresaw 
a  loss  of  wind,  which,  to  one  of  his  pursuits,  was  loss  of 
money,  now  earnestly  pressed  the  travellers  to  comply  with 
the  necessary  forms,  and  to  take  their  stations  in  his  bark 
with  all  convenient  speed. 

"  Of  what  matter  is  it,"  continued  the  calculating  water- 
man, who  was  rather  conspicuously  known  for  the  love  of 
thrift  that  is  usually  attributed  to  most  of  the  inhabitants 
of  that  region,  "whether  there  be  one  headsman  or  twenty 
in  the  bark,  so  long  as  the  good  vessel  can  float  and  steer  ? 
Our  Leman  winds  are  fickle  friends,  and  the  wise  take 
them  while  in  the  humor.  Give  me  the  breeze  at  west, 
and  I  will  load  the  Winkelried  to  the  water's  edge  with 
executioners,  or  any  other  pernicious  creatures  thou  wilt, 
and  thou  mayest  take  the  lightest  bark  that  ever  swam  in 
the  bise,  and  let  us  see  who  will  first  make  the  haven  of 
Vevey !  " 

The  loudest,  and  in  a  sense  that  is  very  important  in  all 
such  discussions,  the  principal  speaker  in  the  dispute  was 
the  leader  of  the  Neapolitan  troupe,  who,  in  virtue  of  good 
lungs,  an  agility  that  had  no  competitor  in  any  present, 
and  a  certain  mixture  of  superstition  and  bravado,  that 
formed  nearly  equal  ingredients  in  his  character,  was  a 
man  likely  to  gain  great  influence  with  those  who,  from 
their  ignorance  and  habits,  had  an  inherent  love  of  the 
marvellous,  and  a  profound  respect  for  all  who  possessed, 
in  acting,  more  audacity,  and,  in  believing,  more  credulity 
than  themselves.  The  vulgar  like  an  excess,  even  if  it  be 
of  folly ;  for,  in  their  eyes,  the  abundance  of  any  particu- 
lar quality  is  very  apt  to  be  taken  as  the  standard  of  its 
excellence. 


16  THE   HEADSMAN. 

"  This  is  well  for  him  who  receives,  but  it  may  be  death 
to  him  that  pays,"  cried  the  son  of  the  south,  gaining  not 
a  little  among  his  auditors  by  the  distinction,  for  the  argu- 
ment was  sufficiently  wily,  as  between  the  buyer  and  the 
seller.  "  Thou  wilt  get  thy  silver  for  the  risk,  and  we  may 
get  watery  graves  for  our  weakness.  Naught  but  mishaps 
can  come  of  wicked  company,  and  accursed  will  they  be, 
in  the  evil  hour,  that  are  found  in  brotherly  communion 
with  one  whose  trade  is  hurrying  Christians  into  eternity, 
before  the  time  that  has  been  lent  by  nature  is  fairly  up. 
Santa  Madre  !  I  would  not  be  the  fellow-traveller  of  such 
a  wretch,  across  this  wild  and  changeable  lake,  for  the 
honor  of  leaping  and  showing  my  poor  powers  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Holy  Father,  and  the  whole  of  the  learned 
conclave ! " 

This  solemn  declaration,  which  was  made  with  suitable 
gesticulation,  and  an  action  of  the  countenance  that  was 
well  adapted  to  prove  the  speaker's  sincerity,  produced 
a  corresponding  effect  on  most  of  the  listeners,  who  mur- 
mured their  applause  in  a  manner  sufficiently  significant 
to  convince  the  patron  he  was  not  about  to  dispose  of 
the  difficulty  simply  by  virtue  of  fair  words.  In  this  di- 
lemma, he  bethought  him  of  a  plan  of  overcoming  the 
scruples  of  all  present,  in  which  he  was  warmly  seconded 
by  the  agent  of  the  police,  and  to  which,  after  the  usual 
number  of  cavilling  objections  that  were  generated  by  dis- 
trust, heated  blood,  and  the  obstinacy  of  disputation,  the 
other  parties  were  finally  induced  to  give  their  consent. 
It  was  agreed  that  the  examination  should  no  longer  be 
delayed,  but  that  a  species  of  deputation  from  the  crowd 
might  take  their  stand  within  the  gate,  where  all  who 
passed  would  necessarily  be  subject  to  their  scrutiny,  and, 
in  the  event  of  their  vigilance  detecting  the  abhorred  and 
proscribed  Balthazar,  that  the  patron  should  return  his 
money  to  the  headsman,  and  preclude  him  from  forming 
one  of  a  party  that  was  so  scrupulous  of  its  association, 
and  apparently  with  so  little  reason.  The  Neapolitan,  whose 
name  was  Pippo ;  one  of  the  indigent  scholars,  for  a  cen- 
tury since  learning  was  rather  an  auxiliary  than  the  foe  of 
superstition  ;  and  a  certain  Nicklaus  Wagner,  a  fat  Bern- 
ese, who  was  the  owner  of  most  of  the  cheeses  in  the 
bark,  were  the  chosen  of  the  multitude  on  this  occasion. 
The  first  owed  his  election  to  his  vehemence  aud  volubil- 
ity, qualities  that  the  ignoble  vulgar  are  very  apt  to  mis* 


THE   HEADSMAN.  17 

take  for  conviction  and  knowledge  ;  the  second  to  his 
silence  and  a  demureness  of  air  which  pass  with  another 
class  for  the  stillness  of  deep  water  ;  and  the  last  to  his 
substance,  as  a  man  of  known  wealth,  an  advantage  which, 
in  spite  of  all  that  alarmists  predict  on  one  side,  and  en- 
thusiasts affirm  on  the  other,  will  always  carry  greater 
weight  with  those  who  are  less  fortunate  in  this  respect, 
than  is  either  reasonable  or  morally  healthful,  provided  it 
is  not  abused  by  arrogance  or  the  assumption  of  very  ex- 
travagant and  oppressive  privileges.  As  a  matter  of  course, 
these  deputed  guardians  of  the  common  rights  were  first 
obliged  to  submit  their  own  papers  to  the  eye  of  the  Gen- 
evese.* 

The  Neapolitan,  than  whom  an  archer  knave,  or  one 
that  had  committed  more  petty  wrongs,  did  not  present 
himself  that  day  at  the  water-gate,  was  regularly  fortified 
by  every  precaution  that  the  long  experience  of  a  vaga- 
bond could  suggest,  and  he  was  permitted  to  pass  forthwith. 
The  poor  Westphalian  student  presented  an  instrument 
fairly  written  out  in  a  scholastic  Latin,  and  escaped  fur- 
ther trouble  by  the  vanity  of  the  unlettered  agent  of  the 
police,  who  hastily  affirmed  it  was  a  pleasure  to  encounter 
documents  so  perfectly  in  form.  But  the  Bernese  was 
about  to  take  his  station  by  the  side  of  the  other  two,  ap- 
pearing to  think  inquiry  in  his  case  unnecessary.  While 
moving  through  the  passage  in  stately  silence,  Nicklaus 
Wagner  was  occupied  in  securing  the  strings  of  a  well- 
filled  purse,  which  he  had  just  lightened  of  a  small  cop- 
per coin  to  reward  the  varlet  of  the  hostelry  in  which  he 
had  passed  the  night,  and  who  had  been  obliged  to  follow 
him  to  the  port  to  obtain  even  this  scanty  boon  ;  and  the 
Genevese  was  fain  to  believe  that,  in  the  urgency  of  this 
important  concern,  he  had  overlooked  those  forms  which 
all  were  just  then  obliged  to  respect,  on  quitting  the  town. 

"Thou  hast  a  name  and  character  ?"  observed  the  latter, 
with  official  brevity. 

"  God  help  thee,  friend  !     I   did  not  think  Gerleva  had 

*  As  we  have  so  often  alluded  to  this  examination,  it  may  be  well  to  ex- 
plain that  the  present  system  of  gendarmerie  and  passports  did  not  then 
prevail  in  Europe  ;  taking  their  rise  nearly  a  century  later  than  that  in 
which  the  events  of  this  tale  had  place.  But  Geneva  was  a  small  and  ex- 
posed state,  and  the  regulation  to  which  there  is  reference  here,  was  one  of 
the  provisions  which  were  resorted  to  from  time  to  time  in  order  to  protect 
those  liberties  and  that  independence,  of  which  its  citizens  were  so  unoeas- 
ingly  and  so  wisely  jealous. 
3 


i8  THE   HEADSMAN. 

been  so  particular  with  a  Swiss  ; — and  a  Swiss  who  is  so 
favorably  known  on  the  Aar,  and  indeed  over  the  whole 
of  the  great  canton  !  I  am  Nicklaus  Wagner,  a  name  of 
little  account,  perhaps,  but  which  is  well  esteemed  among 
men  of  substance,  and  which  has  a  right  even  to  the  Biir- 
gerschaft — Nicklaus  Wagner  of  Berne — thou  wilt  scarce 
need  more  ?  " 

"  Naught  but  proof  of  its  truth.  Thou  wilt  remember 
this  is  Geneva  ;  the  laws  of  a  small  and  exposed  state  need 
be  particular  in  affairs  of  this  nature." 

"  I  never  questioned  thy  state  being  Geneva  ;  I  only 
wonder  thou  shouldst  doubt  my  being  Nicklaus  Wagner! 
I  can  journey  the  darkest  night  that  ever  threw  a  shadow 
from  the  mountains,  anywhere  between  the  Jura  and  the 
Oberland,  and  none  shall  say  my  word  is  to  be  disputed. 
Look'ee,  there  is  the  patron,  Baptiste,  who  will  tell  thee, 
that  if  he  were  to  land  the  freight  which  is  shipped  in  my 
name,  his  bark  would  float  greatly  the  lighter." 

All  this  time  Nicklaus  was  loath  to  show  his  papers, 
which  were  quite  in  rule.  He  even  held  them,  with  a 
thumb  and  finger  separating  the  folds,  ready  to  be  pre- 
sented to  his  questioner.  The  hesitation  came  from  a 
feeling  of  wounded  vanity,  which  would  gladly  show  that 
one  of  his  local  importance  and  known  substance  was  to 
be  exempt  from  the  exactions  required  from  men  of  small- 
er means.  The  officer,  who  had  great  practice  in  this 
species  of  collision  with  his  fellow  creatures,  understood 
the  character  with  which  he  had  to  deal,  and  seeing  no  good 
reason  for  refusing  to  gratify  a  feeling  which  was  innocent, 
though  sufficiently  silly,  he  yielded  to  the  Bernese  pride. 

"  Thou  canst  proceed,"  he  said,  turning  the  indulgence 
to  account,  with  a  ready  knowledge  of  his  duty;  "and 
when  thou  gettest  again  among  thy  burghers,  do  us  of 
Geneva  the  grace  to  say,  we  treat  our  allies  fairly." 

"  I  thought  thy  question  hasty !  "  exclaimed  the  wealthy 
peasant,  swelling  like  one  who  gets  justice  though  tardily. 
"  Now  let  us  to  this  knotty  affair  of  the  headsman," 

Taking  his  place  with  the  Neapolitan  and  the  Westpha- 
lian,  Nicklaus  assumed  the  grave  air  of  a  jucjge,  and  an 
austerity  of  manner  which  proved  that  he  entered  on  his 
duty  with  a  firm  resolution  to  do  justice. 

(-  Thou  art  well  known  here,  pilgrim,"  observed  the 
officer,  with  some  severity  of  tone,  to  the  next  that  came 
to  the  gate. 


t    HEADSMAN.  19 

"  St.  Francis  to  speed,  master,  it  were  else  wonderful ! 
I  should  be  so,  for  the  seasons  scarce  come  and  go  more 
regularly." 

"There  must  be  a  sore  conscience  somewhere,  that  Rome 
and  thou  should  need  each  other  so  often?*' 

The  pilgrim,  who  was  enveloped  in  a  tattered  coat, 
sprinkled  with  cockle-shells,  who  wore  his  beard,  and  was 
altogether  a  disgusting  picture  of  human  depravity,  ren- 
dered still  more  revolting  by  an  ill-concealed  hypocrisy, 
laughed  openly  and  recklessly  at  the  remark. 

"Thou  art  a  follower  of  Calvin,  master,"  he  replied, 
"or  thou  would'st  not  have  said  this.  My  own  failings 
give  me  little  trouble.  I  am  engaged  by  certain  parishes 
of  Germany  to  take  upon  my  poor  person  their  physical 
pains,  and  it  is  not  easy  to  name  another  that  hath  done  as 
many  messages  of  this  kind  as  myself,  with  better  proofs 
of  fidelity.  If  thou  hast  any  little  offering  to  make,  thou 
shalt  see  fair  papers  to  prove  what  I  say  ; — papers  that 
would  pass  at  St.  Peter's  itself !  " 

The  officer  perceived  that  he  had  to  do  with  one  of  those 
unequivocal  hypocrites — if  such  a  word  can  properly  be 
applied  to  him  who  scarcely  thought  deception  necessary 
— who  then  made  a  traffic  of  expiations  of  this  nature  ;  a 
pursuit  that  was  common  enough  at  the  close  of  the  seven- 
teenth and  in  the  commencement  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, and  which  has  not  even  yet  entirely  disappeared  from 
Europe.  He  threw  the  pass  with  unconcealed  aversion 
toward  the  profligate,  who,  recovering  his  document,  as- 
sumed unasked  his  station  by  the  side  of  the  three  who 
had  been  selected  to  decide  on  the  fitness  of  those  who 
were  to  be  allowed  to  embark. 

"  Go  to !  "  cried  the  officer,  as  he  permitted  this  ebulli- 
tion of  disgust  to  escape  him  ;  "thou  hast  well  said  that 
we  are  followers  of  Calvin.  Geneva  has  little  in  common 
with  her  of  the  scarlet  mantle,  and  thou  wilt  do  well  to 
remember  this,  in  thy  next  pilgrimage,  lest  the  beadle  make 
acquaintance  with  thy  back.  Hold  !  who  art  thou  ?  " 

"  A  heretic,  hopelessly  damned  by  anticipation,  if  that 
of  yonder  travelling  prayer-monger  be  the  true  faith  ;"  an- 
swered one  who  was  pressing  past,  with  a  quiet  assurance 
that  had  near  carried  its  point  without  incurring  the  risks 
of  the  usual  investigation  into  his  name  and  character.  It 
was  the  owner  of  Nettuno,  whose  aquatic  air  and  perfect 
self-possession  now  caused  the  officer  to  doubt  whether  he 


20  THE   HEADSMAN. 

had  not  stopped  a  waterman  of  the  lake — a  class  privileged 
to  come  and  go  at  will. 

"Thou  knowest  our  usages,"  said  the  half-satisfied  Gen- 
evese. 

"  I  were  a  foffi  else  !  Even  the  ass  that  often  travels  the 
same  path  comes  in  time  to  tell  its  turns  and  windings. 
Art  not  satisfied  with  touching  the  pride  of  the  worthy 
Nicklaus  Wagner,  by  putting  the  well-warmed  burgher  to 
his  proofs,  but  thou  would'st  e'en  question  me  !  Come 
hither,  Nettuno  ;  thou  shalt  answer  for  both,  being  a  dog 
of  discretion.  We  are  no  go-betweens  of  heaven  and  earth, 
thou  knowest,  but  creatures  that  come  part  of  the  water 
and  part  of  the  land  !  " 

The  Italian  spoke  loud  and  confidently,  and  in  the  man- 
ner of  one  who  addressed  himself  more  to  the  humors  of 
those  near  than  to  the  understanding  of  the  Genevese.  He 
laughed,  and  looked  about  him  in  a  manner  to  extract  an 
echo  from  the  crowd,  though  not  one  among  them  all 
could  probably  have  given  a  sufficient  reason  why  he  had 
so  readily  taken  part  with  the  stranger  against  the  authori- 
ties of  the  town,  unless  it  might  have  been  from  the  instinct 
of  opposition  to  the  law. 

"Thou  hast  a  name!"  continued  the  half-yielding,  half- 
doubting  guardian  of  the  port. 

"  Dost  take  me  to  be  worse  oif  than  the  bark  of  Baptiste, 
there  ?  I  have  papers,  too,  if  thou  wilt  that  I  go  to  the 
vessel  in  order  to  seek  them.  This  dog  is  Nettuno,  a  brute 
from  a  far  country,  where  brutes  swim  like  fishes,  and  my 
name  is  Maso,  though  wicked-minded  men  call  me  oftener 
II  Maledetto  than  by  any  other  title." 

All  in  the  throng,  who  understood  the  signification  of 
what  the  Italian  said,  laughed  aloud,  and  apparently  with 
great  glee,  for,  to  the  grossly  vulgar,  extreme  audacity  has 
an  irresistible  charm.  The  officer  felt  that  the  merriment 
was  against  him,  though  he  scarce  knew  why  ;  and  igno- 
rant of  the  language  in  which  the  other  had  given  his  ex- 
traordinary appellation,  he  yielded  to  the  contagion,  and 
laughed  with  the  others,  like  one  who  understood  the  joke 
to  the  bottom.  The  Italian  profited  by  this  advantage, 
nodded  familiarly  with  a  good-natured  and  knowing  smile, 
and  proceeded.  Whistling  the  dog  to  his  side,  he  walked 
leisurely  to  the  bark,  into  which  he  was  the  first  that  en- 
tered, always  preserving  the  deliberation  and  calm  of  a 
man  who  felt  himself  privileged,  and  safe  from  further 


THE   HEADSMAN.  ±i 

molestation.      This   cool    audacity   effected    its   purpose, 
though  one  long  and  closely  hunted  by  the  law  evaded  the 
authorities  of  the  town,  when  this  singular  being  took  his 
seat  by  the  little  package  which  contained  his  scanty  ward 
robe. 


CHAPTER  II. 

"  My  nobiel  liege  !  all  my  request 
Ys  for  a  nobile  knyghte, 
Who,  tho'  mayhap  he  has  clone  wronge, 
Hee  thoughte  ytt  stylle  was  righte." — CHATTERTON. 

WHILE  this  impudent  evasion  of  vigilance  was  success- 
fully practised  by  so  old  an  offender,  the  trio  of  sentinels, 
with  their  volunteer  assistant,  the  pilgrim,  manifested  the 
greatest  anxiety  to  prevent  the  contamination  of  admitting 
the  highest  executioner  of  the  law  to  form  one  of  the 
strangely  assorted  company.  No  sooner  did  the  Genevese 
permit  a  traveller  to  pass,  than  they  commenced  their  pri- 
vate and  particular  examination,  which  was  sufficiently 
fierce,  for  more  than  once  had  they  threatened  to  turn 
back  the  trembling,  ignorant  applicant  on  mere  suspicion. 
The  cunning  Baptiste  lent  himself  to  their  feelings  with 
the  skill  of  a  demagogue,  affecting  a  zeal  equal  to  their 
own,  while,  at  the  same  time,  he  took  care  most  to  excite 
their  suspicions  where  there  was  the  smallest  danger  of 
their  being  rewarded  with  success.  Through  this  fiery  or- 
deal one  passed  after  another,  until  most  of  the  nameless 
vagabonds  had  been  found  innocent,  and  the  throng  around 
the  gate  was  so  far  lessened  as  to  allow  a  freer  circulation 
in  the  thoroughfare.  The  opening  permitted  the  venerable 
noble,  who  has  already  been  presented  to  the  reader,  to  ad- 
vance to  the  gate,  accompanied  by  the  female,  and  closely 
followed  by  the  menials.  The  servitor  of  the  police  saluted 
the  stranger  with  deference,  for  his  calm  exterior  and  im- 
posing presence  were  in  singular  contrast  with  the  noisy 
declamation  and  rude  deportment  of  the  rabble  that  had 
preceded. 

"  I  am  Melchior  de  Willading,  of  Berne,"  said  the  travel- 
ler, quietly  offering  the  proofs  of  what  he  said,  with  the 
ease  of  one  sure  of  his  impunity  ;  '*  this  is  my  child — my 
only  child  ; "  the  old  man  repeated  the  latter  words  with 


22  THE   HEADSMAN. 

melancholy  emphasis  ;  "and  these,  that  wear  my  livery,  are 
old  and  faithful  followers  of  my  house.  We  go  by  the  St. 
Bernard,  to  change  the  ruder  side  of  our  Alps  for  that 
which  is  more  grateful  to  the  weak — to  see  if  there  be  a 
sun  in  Italy  that  hath  warmth  enough  to  revive  this 
drooping  flower,  and  to  cause  it  once  more  to  raise  its 
head  joyously,  as  until  lately  it  did  ever  in  its  native 
halls." 

The  officer  smiled  and  repeated  his  reverences,  always 
declining  to  receive  the  offered  papers ;  for  the  aged 
father  indulged  the  overflowing  of  his  feelings  in  a 
manner  that  would  have  awakened  even  duller  sym- 
pathies. 

"The  lady  has  youth  and  a  tender  parent  on  her  side," 
he  said  ;  "  these  are  much  when  health  fails  us." 

u  She  is  indeed  too  young  to  sink  so  early  ! "  returned 
the  father,  who  had  apparently  forgotten  his  immediate 
business,  and  wras  gazing  with  a  tearful  eye  at  the  faded 
but  still  eminently  attractive  features  of  the  young  female, 
who  rewarded  his  solicitude  with  a  look  of  lo've  ;  "  but 
thou  hast  not  seen  I  am  the  man  I  represent  myself  to 
be." 

"  It  is  not  necessary,  noble  Baron ;  the  city  knows  of 
your  presence,  and  I  have  it  in  especial  charge  to  do  all 
that  may  be  grateful  to  render  the  passage  through  Gen- 
eva, of  one  so  honored  among  our  allies,  agreeable  to  his 
recollections." 

"Thy  city's  courtesy  is  of  known  repute,"  said  the  Baron 
de  Willading,  replacing  his  papers  in  their  usual  envelope, 
and  receiving  the  grace  like  one  accustomed  to  honors  of 
this  sort  : — *'  art  thou  a  father  ? " 

"  Heaven  has  not  been  niggardly  of  gifts  of  this  nat- 
ure ;  my  table  feeds  eleven,  besides  those  who  gave  them 
being." 

"  Eleven  !  The  will  of  God  is  a  fearful  mystery  !  And 
this  thou  seest  is  the  sole  hope  of  my  line  ; — the  only  heir 
that  is  left  to  the  name  and  lands  of  Willading  ?  Art  thou 
at  ease  in  thy  condition  ?" 

"There  are-those  in  our  town  who  are  less  so,  with  many 
thanks  for  the  friendliness  of  the  question." 

A  slight  color  suffused  the  face  of  Adelheid  de  Willading, 
for  so  was  the  daughter  of  the  Bernese  called,  and  she  ad- 
vanced a  step  nearer  to  the  officer. 

"  They  who  have  so  few  at  their  own  board,  need  think 


THE   HEADSMAN.  23 

of  those  who  have  so  many,"  she  said,  dropping  a  piece  of 
gold  into  the  hand  of  the  Genevese  ;  then  she  added,  in 
a  voice  scarce  louder  than  a  whisper — "  If  the  young  and 
innocent  of  thy  household  can  offer  a  prayer  in  the  behalf 
of  a  poor  girl  who  has  much  need  of  aid,  'twill  be  remem- 
bered of  God,  and  it  may  serve  to  lighten  the  grief  of 
one  who  has  the  dread  of  being  childless." 

"  God  bless  thee,  lady  !  "  said  the  officer,  little  used  to 
deal  with  such  spirits,  and  touched  by  the  mild  resigna- 
tion and  piety  of  the  speaker,  whose  simple  but  winning 
manner  moved  him  nearly  to  tears  ;  "  all  of  my  family, 
old  as  well  as  young,  shall  bethink  them  of  thee  and  thine." 

Adelheid's  cheek  resumed  its  paleness,  and  she  quietly 
accompanied  her  father,  as  he  slowly  proceeded  toward 
the  bark.  A  scene  of  this  nature  did  not  fail  to  shake  the 
pertinacity  of  those  who  stood  at  watch  near  the  gate.  Of 
course  they  had  nothing  to  say  to  any  of  the  rank  of  Mel- 
chior  de  Willading,  who  went  into  the  bark  without  a  ques- 
tion. The  influence  of  beauty  and  station,  united  to  so 
much  simple  grace  as  that  shown  by  the  fair  actor  in  the 
little  incident  we  have  just  related,  was  much  too  strong 
for  the  ill-trained  feelings  of  the  Neapolitan  and  his  com- 
panions. They  not  only  let  all  the  menials  pass  unques- 
tioned also,  but  it  was  some  little  time  before  their  vigilance 
resumed  its  former  truculence.  The  two  or  three  travel- 
lers that  succeeded  had  the  benefit  of  this  fortunate  change 
of  disposition. 

The  next  who  came  to  the  gate  was  the  young  soldier, 
whom  the  Baron  de  Willading  had  so  often  addressed  as 
Monsieur  Sigismund.  His  papers  were  regular,  and  no 
obstacle  was  offered  to  his  departure.  It  may  be  doubted 
how  far  this  young  man  would  have  been  disposed  to  sub- 
mit to  these  extra-official  inquiries  of  the  three  deputies 
of  the  crowd,  had  there  been  a  desire  to  urge  them,  for  he 
went  toward  the  quay  with  an  eye  that  expressed  any 
other  sensation  than  that  of  amity  or  compliance.  Re- 
spect, or  a  more  equivocal  feeling,  proved  his  protection  ; 
for  none  but  the  pilgrim,  who  displayed  ultra  zeal  in  the 
pursuit  of  his  object,  ventured  so  far  as  to  hazard  even  a 
smothered  remark  as  he  passed. 

"  There  goes  an  arm  and  a  sword  that  might  well  shorten 
a  Christian's  days,"  said  the  dissolute  and  shameless  dealer 
in  the  Church's  abuses,  "and  yet  no  one  asks  his  nanie  or 
calling!" 


24  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  Thou  hadst  better  put  the  question  thyself,"  returned 
the  sneering  Pippo,  "  since  penitence  is  thy  trade.  For 
myself,  I  am  content  with  whirling  round  at  my  own  bid- 
ding, without  taking  a  hint  from  that  young  giant's  arm." 

The  poor  scholar  and  the  Burgher  of  Berne  appeared  to 
acquiesce  in  this  opinion,  and  no  more  was  said  in  the  mat- 
ter. In  the  meanwhile  there  was  another  at  the  gate.  The 
new  applicant  had  little  in  his  exterior  to  renew  the  vigil- 
ance of  the  superstitious  trio.  A  quiet,  meek-looking 
man,  seemingly  of  middle  condition  in  life,  and  of  an  air 
altogether  calm  and  unpretending,  had  submitted  his  pass- 
port to  the  faithful  guardian  of  the  city.  The  latter  read 
the  document,  cast  a  quick  and  inquiring  glance  at  its 
owner,  and  returned  the  paper  in  a  way  to  show  haste,  and 
a  desire  to  be  rid  of  him. 

"  It  is  well,"  he  said  ;  "  thou  canst  go  thy  way." 

"  How  now  !  "  cried  the  Neapolitan,  to  whom  buffoon- 
ery was  a  congenial  employment,  as  much  by  natural  dis- 
position as  by  practice  ;  "  how  now  ! — have  we  Balthazar 
at  last  in  this  bloody-minded  and  fierce-looking  traveller?" 
As  the  speaker  had  expected,  this  sally  was  rewarded  by  a 
general  laugh,  and  he  was  accordingly  encouraged  to  pro- 
ceed. "  Thou  knowest  our  office,  friend,"  added  the  un- 
feeling mountebank,  "  and  must  show  us  thy  hands.  None 
pass  who  bear  the  stain  of  blood !  " 

The  traveller  appeared  staggered,  for  he  was  plainly  a 
man  of  retired  and  peaceable  habits,  who  had  been  thrown, 
by  the  chances  of  the  road,  in  contact  with  one  only  too 
practised  in  this  unfeeling  species  of  wit.  He  showed  his 
open  palm,  however,  with  a  direct  and  confiding  sim- 
plicity that  drew  a  shout  of  merriment  from  all  the  by- 
standers. 

"  This  will  not  do  ;  soap,  and  ashes,  and  the  tears  of 
victims,  may  have  washed  out  the  marks  of  his  work  from 
Balthazar  himself.  The  spots  we  seek  are  on  the  soul, 
man,  and  we  must  look  into  that,  ere  thou  art  permitted  to 
make  one  in  this  goodly  company." 

"  Thou  didst  not  question  yonder  young  soldier  thus," 
returned  the  stranger,  whose  eye  kindled,  as  even  the  meek 
repel  unprovoked  outrage,  though  his  frame  trembled 
violently  at  being  subject  to  open  insults  from  men  so  rude 
and  unprincipled  ;  "  thou  didst  not  dare  to  question  yon- 
der young  soldier  thus  !  " 

"  By  the  prayers  of  San  Gennaro  !  which  are  known  to 


THE   HEADSMAN.  25 

stop  running  and  melted  lava,  I  would  rather  thou  shouldst 
undertake  that  office  than  I.  Yonder  young  soldier  is  an 
honorable  decapitator,  and  it  is  a  pleasure  to  be  his  com- 
panion on  a  journey  ;  for,  no  doubt,  some  six  or  eight  of 
the  saints  are  speaking  in  his  behalf  daily.  But  he  we 
seek  is  the  outcast  of  all,  good  or  bad,  whether  in  heaven 
or  on  earth,  or  in  that  other  hot  abode  to  which  he  will 
surely  be  sent  when  his  time  shall  come." 

"And  yet  he  does  no  more  txhan  execute  the  law  !  " 

"  What  is  law  to  opinion,  friend  ?  But  go  thy  way  ; 
none  suspect  thee  to  be  the  redoubtable  enemy  of  our 
heads.  Go  thy  way,  for  Heaven's  sake,  and  mutter  thy 
prayers  to  be  delivered  from  Balthazar's  axe." 

The  countenance  of  the  stranger  worked,  as  if  he  would 
have  answered  ;  then  suddenly  changing  his  purpose,  he 
passed  on,  and  instantly  disappeared  in  the  bark.  The 
monk  of  St.  Bernard  came  next.  Both  the  Augustine  and 
his  dog  were  old  acquaintances  of  the  officer,  who  did  not 
require  any  evidence  of  his  character  or  errand  from  the 
former. 

"  We  are  the  protectors  of  life  and  not  its  foes,"  ob- 
served the  monk,  as,  leaving  the  more  regular  watchman 
uf  the  place,  he  drew  near  to  those  whose  claims  to  the 
office  would  have  admitted  of  dispute  ;  "  we  live  among  the 
snows,  that  Christians  may  not  die  without  the  Church's 
comfort." 

"  Honor,  holy  Augustine,  to  thee  and  thy  office  !  "  said 
the  Neapolitan,  who,  reckless  and  abandoned  as  he  was, 
possessed  that  instinct  of  respect  for  those  who  deny  their 
natures  for  the  good  of  others  which  is  common  to  all, 
however  tainted  by  cupidity  themselves.  "  Thou  and  thy 
dog,  old  Uberto,  can  freely  pass,  with  our  best  good  wishes 
lor  both." 

There  no  longer  remained  any  to  examine,  and,  after  a 
short  consultation  among  the  more  superstitious  of  the 
travellers,  they  came  to  the  very  natural  opinion  that,  in- 
timidated by  their  just  remonstrances,  the  offensive  heads- 
man had  shrunk,  unperceived,  from  the  crowd,  and  that 
they  were  at  length  haply  relieved  from  his  presence.  The 
annunciation  of  the  welcome  tidings  drew  much  self-felici- 
tation from  the  different  members  of  the  motley  company, 
and  all  eagerly  embarked,  for  Baptiste  now  loudly  and 
vehemently  declared  that  a  single  moment  of  further  delay 
was  entirely  out  of  the  question. 


26  THE   HEADSMAN. 

"  Of  what  are  you  thinking,  men !"  he  exclaimed  with 
well-acted  heat  ;  "  are  the  Leman  winds  liveried  lackeys, 
to  come  and  go  as  may  suit  your  fancies  ;  now  to  blow 
west,  and  now  east,  as  shall  be  most  wanted,  to  help  you 
on  your  journeys  ?  Take  example  of  the  noble  Melchior 
de  Willading,  who  has  long  been  in  his  place,  and  pray 
the  saints,  if  you  will,  in  your  several  fashions,  that  this 
fair  western  wind  do  not  quit  us  in  punishment  of  our  neg- 
lect." 

"  Yonder  come  others,  in  haste  to  be  of  the  party  !  "  in- 
terrupted the  cunning  Italian  ;  "  loosen  thy  fasts  quickly, 
Master  Baptiste,  or,  by  San  Gennaro  !  we  shall  still  be  de- 
tained !  " 

The  patron  suddenly  checked  himself,  and  hurried  back 
to  the  gate,  in  order  to  ascertain  what  he  might  expect 
from  this  unlooked-for  turn  of  fortune. 

Two  travellers,  in  the  attire  of  men  familiar  with  the 
road,  accompanied  by  a  menial,  and  followed  by  a  porter 
staggering  under  the  burden  of  their  luggage,  were  fast 
approaching  the  water  gate,  as  if  conscious  the  least  delay 
might  cause  their  being  left.  This  party  was  led  by  one 
considerably  past  the  meridian  of  life,  and  who  evidently 
was  enabled  to  maintain  his  post  more  by  the  deference  of 
his  companions  than  by  his  physical  force.  A  cloak  was 
thrown  across  -one  arm,  while  in  the  hand  of  the  other  he 
carried  the  rapier,  which  all  of  gentle  blood  then  consid- 
ered a  necessary  appendage  of  their  rank. 

"  You  were  near  losing  the  last  bark  that  sails  for  the 
Abbaye  des  Vignerons,  signori,"  said  the  Genevese,  recog- 
nizing the  country  of  the  strangers  at  a  glance,  "if,  as  1 
judge  from  your  direction  and  haste,  these  festivities  are 
in  your  minds." 

"  Such  is  our  aim,"  returned  the  elder  of  the  travellers, 
"  and,  as  thou  sayest,  we  are,  of  a  certainty,  tardy.  A 
hasty  departure  and  bad  roads  have  been  the  cause — but 
as  happily  we  are  yet  in  time  to  profit  by  this  bark,  wilt  do 
us  the  favor  to  look  into  our  authority  to  pass  ?" 

The  officer  perused  the  offered  document  with  the  cus- 
tomary care,  turning  it  from  side  to  side,  as  if  all  were  not 
right,  though  in  a  way  to  show  that  he  regretted  the  in- 
formality. 

"  Signore,  your  pass  is  quite  in  rule  as  touches  Savoy 
and  the  country  of  Nice,  but  it  wants  the  city's  forms." 

"  By  San  Francesco  ?  more's  the  pity.     We  are  honest 


THE   HEADSMAN.  27 

gentlemen  of  Genoa,  hurrying  to  witness  the  revels  at  Ve- 
vey,  of  which  rumor  gives  an  enticing  report,  and  our  sole 
desire  is  to  come  and  go  peaceably.  As  thou  seest,  we  are 
late  ;  for  hearing  at  the  post,  on  alighting,  that  a  bark  was 
about  to  spread  its  sails  for  the  other  extremity  of  the  lake, 
we  had  no  time  to  consult  all  the  observances  that  thy 
city's  rules  may  deem  necessary.  So  many  turn  their  faces 
the  same  way,  to  witness  these  ancient  games,  that  we  had 
not  thought  our  quick  passage  through  the  town  of  suffi- 
cient importance  to  give  thy  authorities  the  trouble  to  look 
into  our  proofs." 

"  Therein,  signore,  you  have  judged  amiss.  It  is  my 
sworn  duty  to  stay  all  who  want  the  republic's  permission 
to  proceed." 

"  That  is  unfortunate,  to  say  no  more.  Art  thou  the  pa- 
tron of  the  bark,  friend  ?  " 

"  And  her  owner,  signore,"  answered  Baptiste,  who  lis- 
tened to  the  discourse  with  longings  equal  to  his  doubts. 
"  I  should  be  a  great  deal  too  happy  to  count  such  honor- 
able travellers  among  my  passengers." 

"  Thou  wilt  then  delay  thy  departure  until  this  gentle- 
man shall  see  the  authorities  of  the  town,  and  obtain  the 
required  permission  to  quit  it  ?  Thy  compliance  shall  not 
go  unrewarded." 

As  the  Genoese  concluded,  he  dropped  into  a  palm 
that  was  well  practised  in  bribes,  a  sequin  of  the  cele- 
brated republic  of  which  he  was  a  citizen.  Baptiste  had 
long  cultivated  an  aptitude  to  suffer  himself  to  be  influ- 
enced by  gold,,  and  it  was  with  unfeigned  reluctance  that 
he  admitted  the  necessity  of  refusing,  in  this  instance,  to 
profit  by  his  own  good  dispositions.  Still  retaining  the 
money,  however,  for  he  did  not  well  know  how  to  over- 
come his  reluctance  to  part  with  it,  he  answered  in  a  man- 
ner sufficiently  embarrassed  to  show  the  other  that  he  had 
at  least  gained  a  material  advantage  by  his  liberality. 

"  His  Excellency  knows  not  what  he  asks,"  said  the  pa- 
tron, fumbling  the  coin  between  a  finger  and  thumb  ;  "our 
Genevese  citizens  love  to  keep  house  till  the  sun  is  up, 
lest  they  should  break  their  necks  by  walking  about  the 
uneven  streets  in  the  dark,  and  it  will  be  two  long  hours 
before  a  single  bureau  will  open  its  windows  in  the  town. 
Besides,  your  man  of  the  police  is  not  like  us  of  the  lake, 
happy  to  get  a  morsel  when  the  weather  and  occasion  per- 
mit ;  but  he  is  a  regular  feeder,  that  must  have  his  grapes 


28  THE   HEADSMAN". 

and  his  wine  before  he  will  use  his  wits  for  the  benefit  of 
his  employers.  The  Winkelried  would  weary  of  doing 
nothing,  with  this  fresh  western  breeze  humming  between 
her  masts,  while  the  poor  gentleman  was  swearing  before 
the  town-house  gate  at  the  laziness  of  the  officers.  I  know 
the  rogues  better  than  your  Excellency,  and  would  advise 
some  other  expedient." 

Baptiste  looked,  with  a  certain  expression,  at  the  guar- 
dian of  the  water-gate,  and  in  a  manner  to  make  his  mean- 
ing sufficiently  clear  to  the  travellers.  The  latter  studied 
the  countenance  of  the  Genevese  a  moment,  and,  better 
practised  than  the  patron,  or  a  more  enlightened  judge  of 
character,  he  fortunately  refused  to  commit  himself  by  of- 
fering to  purchase  the  officer's  good-will.  If  there  are  too 
many  who  love  to  be  tempted  to  forget  their  trusts,  by  a 
well-managed  venality,  there  are  a  few  who  find  a  greater 
satisfaction  in  being  thought  beyond  its  influence.  The 
watchman  of  the  gate  happened  to  be  one  of  the  latter 
class,  and  by  one  of  the  many  unaccountable  workings  of 
human  feeling,  the  very  vanity  which  had  induced  him  to 
suffer  II  Maledetto  to  go  through  unquestioned,  rather 
than  expose  his  own  ignorance,  now  led  him  to  wish  he 
might  make  some  return  for  the  stranger's  good  opinion 
of  his  honesty. 

"  Will  you  let  me  look  again  at  the  pass,  signore  ? "  said 
the  Genevese,  as  if  he  thought  a  sufficient  legal  warranty 
for  that  which  he  now  strongly  desired  to  do  might  yet  be 
found  in  the  instrument  itself. 

The  inquiry  was  useless,  unless  it  was  to  show  that  the 
elder  Genoese  was  called  the  Signore  Grimaldi,  and  that 
his  companion  went  by  the  name  of  Marcelli.  Shaking 
his  head  he  returned  the  paper  m  the  manner  of  a  disap- 
pointed man. 

"  Thou  canst  not  have  read  half  of  what  the  paper  con- 
tains," said  Baptiste,  peevishly;  "your  reading  and  writ- 
ing are  not  such  easy  matters,  that  a  squint  of  the  eye  is 
all-sufficient.  Look  at  it  again,  and  thou  mayest  yet  find 
all  in  rule.  It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose  signori  of  their 
rank  would  journey  like  vagabonds,  with  paper  to  be  sus- 
pected." 

"  Nothing  is  wanting  but  our  city  signatures,  without 
which  my  duty  will  let  none  go  by,  that  are  truly  trav- 
ellers." 

"  This  comes,  signore,  of  the   accursed  art  of  writing, 


THE  HEADSMAN.  29 

which  is  much  pushed  and  greatly  abused  of  late.  I  have 
heard  the  aged  waterman  of  the  Lernan  praise  the  good 
old  time,  when  boxes  and  bales  went  and  came,  and  no 
ink  touched  paper  between  him  that  sent  and  him  that 
carried  ;  and  yet  it  has  now  reached  the  pass  that  a  Chris- 
tian may  not  transport  himself  on  his  own  legs  without 
calling  on  the  scriveners  for  permission." 

"  We  lose  the  moment  in  words,  when  it  were  far  better 
to  be  doing,"  returned  the  Signore  Grimaldi.  "  The  pass 
is  luckily  in  the  language  of  the  country,  and  needs  but  a 
glance  to  get  the  approval  of  the  authorities.  Thou  wilt 
do  well  to  say  thou  canst  remain  the  time  necessary  to  see 
this  little  done." 

"  Were  your  Excellency  to  offer  me  the  Doge's  crown 
as  a  bribe,  this  could  not  be.  Our  Leman  winds  will  not 
wait  for  king  or  noble,  bishop  or  priest,  and  duty  to  those 
I  have  in  the  bark  commands  me  to  quit  the  port  as  soon 
as  possible." 

"  Thou  art  truly  well  charged  with  living  freight  al- 
ready," said  the  Genoese,  regarding  the  deeply  loaded 
bark  with  a  half-distrustful  eye.  "  I  hope  thou  hast  not 
overdone  thy  vessel's  powers  in  receiving  so  many?" 

"I  could  gladly  reduce  the  number  a  little,  excellent 
signore,  for  all  that  you  see  piled  among  the  boxes  and 
tubs  are  no  better  than  so  many  knaves,  fit  only  to  give 
trouble  and  raise  questions  touching  the  embarkation  of 
those  who  are  willing  to  pay  better  than  themselves.  The 
noble  Swiss  whom  you  see  seated  near  the  stern,  with  his 
daughter  and  people,  the  worthy  Melchior  de  Willading, 
gives  a  more  liberal  reward  for  his  passage  to  Vevey  than 
all  those  nameless  rogues  together." 

The  Genoese  made  a  hasty  movement  toward  the  patron, 
with  an  earnestness  of  eye  and  air  that  betrayed  a  sudden 
and  singular  interest  in  what  he  heard. 

"  Didst  thou  say  De  Willading  ?"  he  exclaimed,  eager  as 
one  of  much  fewer  years  would  have  been  at  the  unex- 
pected announcement  of  some  pleasurable  event.  "  Mel- 
chior, too,  of  that  honorable  name  ?  " 

"  Signore,  the  same.  None  other  bears  the  title  now,  for 
the  old  line  they  say  is  drawing  to  an  end.  I  remember 
this  same  Baron,  when  he  was  as  ready  to  launch  his  boat 
into  a  troubled  lake  as  any  in  Switzerland " 

"  Fortune  hath  truly  favored  me,  good  Marcelli  !  "  inter- 
rupted the  other,  grasping  the  hand  of  his  companion  witb 


30  7'HE   HEADSMAN. 

strong  feeling.  "  Go  thou  to  the  bark,  master  patron,  and 
advise  thy  passenger  that — what  shall  we  say  to  Melchior  ? 
Shall  we  tell  him  at  once  who  waits  him  here,  or  shall  we 
practise  a  little  on  his  failing  memory  ?  By  San  Fran- 
cesco !  we  will  do  this,  Enrico,  that  we  may  try  his  powers  ! 
'Twill  be  pleasant  to  see  him  wonder  and  guess — my  life 
on  it,  however,  that  he  knows  me  at  a  glance.  I  am  truly 
little  changed  for  one  who  hath  seen  so  much." 

The  Signore  Marcelli  lowered  his  eyes  respectfully  at 
this  opinion  of  his  friend,  but  he  did  not  see  fit  to  dis- 
courage a  belief  which  was  merely  a  sudden  ebullition, 
produced  by  the  recollection  of  younger  days.  Baptiste 
was  instantly  despatched  with  a  request  that  the  Baron 
would  do  a  stranger  of  rank  the  favor  to  come  to  the 
water-gate. 

"  Tell  him  'tis  a  traveller  disappointed  in  the  wish  to  be 
of  his  company,"  repeated  the  Genoese.  "  That  will  suffice. 
I  know  him  courteous,  and  he  is  not  my  Melchior,  honest 
Marcelli,  if  he  delay  an  instant : — thou  seest !  he  is  already 
quitting  the  bark,  for  never  did  I  know  him  refuse  an  act 
of  friendliness — dear,  dear  Melchior — thou  art  the  same  at 
seventy  as  thou  wast  at  thirty  !  " 

Here  the  agitation  of  the  Genoese  got  the  better  of  him, 
and  he  walked  aside  under  a  sense  of  shame,  lest  he  might 
betray  unmanly  weakness.  In  the  meantime  the  Baron  de 
Willading  advanced  from  the  water-side,  without  suspect- 
ing that  his  presence  was  required  for  more  than  an  act  of 
simple  courtesy. 

'•  Baptiste  tells  me  that  gentlemen  of  Genoa  are  here 
who  are  desirous  of  hastening  to  the  games  of  Vevey," 
said  the  latter,  raising  his  beaver,  "  and  that  my  presence 
may  be  of  use  in  obtaining  the  pleasure  of  their  com- 
pany." 

*'  1  will  not  unmask  until  we  are  fairly  and  decently  em- 
barked, Enrico,"  whispered  Signore  Grimaldi  ;,"  nay — by 
the  mass  !  not  till  we  are  fairly  disembarked  !  The  laugh 
against  him  will  never  be  forgotten.  Signore,"  addressing 
the  Bernese  with  affected  composure,  endeavoring  to  as- 
sume the  manner  of  a  stranger,  though  his  voice  trembled 
with  eagerness  at  each  syllable,  "  we  are  indeed  of  Genoa, 
and  most  anxious  to  be  of  the  party  in  your  bark — but — 
he  little  suspects  who  speaks  to  him,  Marcelli ! — but,  sign- 
ore,  there  has  been  some  small  oversight  touching  the  city 
signatures,  3-nd  we  have  need  of  friendly  assistance  either 


THE   HEADSMAN.  31 

to  pass  the  gate,  or  to  detain  the  bark  until  the  forms  of 
the  place  shall  have  been  respected." 

"  Signore,  the  city  of  Geneva  hath  need  to  be  watchful, 
for  it  is  an  exposed  and  weak  state,  and  I  have  little  hope 
that  my  influence  can  cause  this  trusty  watchman  to  dis- 
pense with  his  duty.  Touching  the  bark,  a  small  gratuity 
will  do  much  with  honest  Baptiste,  should  there  not  be  a 
question  of  the  stability  of  the  breeze,  in  which  case  he 
might  be  somewhat  of  a  loser." 

"  You  say  the  truth,  noble  Melchior,"  put  in  the  patron, 
"  were  the  wind  ahead,  or  were  it  two  hours  earlier  in  the 
morning,  the  little  delay  should  not  cost  the  strangers  a 
batz — that  is  to  say,  nothing  unreasonable  ;  but  as  it  is,  I 
have  not  twenty  minutes  more  to  lose,  even  were  all  the 
city  magistrates  cloaking  to  be  of  the  party,  in  their  proper 
and  worshipful  persons." 

"  I  greatly  regret,  signore,  it  should  be  so,"  resumed  the 
Baron,  turning  to  the  applicant  with  the  consideration  of 
one  accustomed  to  season  his  refusals  by  a  gracious  man- 
ner ;  "  but  these  watermen  have  their  secret  signs,  by  which 
it  would  seem  they  know  the  latest  moment  they  may  with 
prudence  delay." 

"  By  the  mass  !  Marcelli,  I  will  try  him  a  little — I  should 
have  known  him  in  a  carnival  dress.  Signor  Barone,  we 
are  but  poor  Italian  gentlemen,  it  is  true,  of  Genoa.  You 
have  heard  of  our  Republic,  beyond  question — the  poor 
state  of  Genoa?" 

"  Though  of  no  great  pretensions  to  letters,  signore," 
answered  Melchior,  smiling,  "  I  am  not  quite  ignorant  that 
such  a  state  exists.  You  could  not  have  named  a  city  on 
the  shores  of  your  Mediterranean  that  would  sooner  warm 
my  heart  than  this  very  town  of  which  you  speak.  Many 
of  my  happiest  hours  were  passed  within  its  walls,  and 
often,  even  at  this  late  day,  do  I  live  over  again  my  life  to 
recall  the  pleasures  of  that  merry  period.  Were  there 
leisure  I  could  repeat  a  list  of  honorable  and  much  es- 
teemed names  that  are  familiar  to  your  ears,  in  proof  of 
what  I  say." 

"  Name  them,  Signor  Barone  ; — for  the  love  of  the  saints 
and  the  blessed  Virgin,  name  them,  I  beseech  you  ! " 

A  little  amazed  at  the  eagerness  of  the  other,  Melchior 
de  Willading  earnestly  regarded  his  furrowed  face  ;  and, 
for  an  instant,  an  expression  like  incertitude  crossed  his 
features. 


32  TffK  HEADSMAN'. 

"  Nothing  would  be  easier,  signore,  than  to  name  many 
The  first  in  my  memory,  as  he  has  always  been  the  first  in 
my  love,  is  Gaetano  Grimaldi,  of  whom,  I  doubt  not,  both 
of  you  have  often  heard  ?  " 

"  We  have,  we  have  !  That  is — yes,  I  think  we  may  say, 
Marcelli,  that  we  have  often  heard  of  him,  and  not  unfa- 
vorably. Well,  what  of  this  Grimaldi  ? " 

"  Signore,  the  desire  to  converse  of  your  noble  towns- 
man is  natural,  but  were  I  to  yield  to  my  wishes  to  speak 
of  Gaetano,  I  fear  the  honest  Baptiste  might  have  reason 
to  complain." 

"To  the  devil  with  Baptiste  and  his  bark!  Melchior, — 
my  good  Melchior  ! — dearest,  dearest  Melchior  !  hast  thou 
indeed  forgotten  me  ?  " 

Here  the  Genoese  opened  wide  his  arms,  and  stood 
ready  to  receive  the  embrace  of  his  friend.  The  Baron  de 
Willading  was  troubled,  but  he  was  still  so  far  from  sus- 
pecting the  real  fact,  that  he  could  not  have  easily  told 
the  reason  why.  He  gazed  wistfully  at  the  working  feat- 
ures of  the  fine  old  man  who  stood  before  him,  and  though 
memory  seemed  to  flit  around  the  truth,  it  was  in  gleams 
so  transient  as  completely  to  baffle  his  wishes. 

"  Dost  thou  deny  me,  De  Willading  ? — dost  thou  refuse 
to  own  the  friend  of  thj  youth — the  companion  of  thy 
pleasures — the  sharer  of  thy  sorrows — thy  comrade  in  the 
wars— nay,  more — thy  confidant  in  a  dearer  tie  ? " 

"  None  but  Gaetano  Grimaldi  himself  can  claim  these 
titles  !  "  burst  from  the  lips  of  the  trembling  Baron. 

"Am  I  aught  else? — am  I  not  this  Gaetano? — that 
Gaetano — thy  Gaetano, — old  and  very  dear  ?  " 

"  Thou  Gaetano  ! "  exclaimed  the  Bernois,  recoiling  a 
step,  instead  of  advancing  to  meet  the  eager  embrace  of 
the  Genoese,  whose  impetuous  feelings  were  little  cooled 
by  time — "  thou,  the  gallant,  active,  daring,  blooming  Gri- 
maldi !  Signore, you  trifle  with  an  old  man's  affections." 

"  By  the  holy  mass,  I  do  not  deceive  thee  !  Ha,  Mar- 
celli, he  is  slow  to  believe  as  ever,  but  fast  and  certain  as 
the  vow  of  a  churchman  when  convinced.  If  we  are  to 
distrust  each  other  for  a  few  wrinkles,  thou  wilt  find  objec- 
tions rising  against  thine  own  identity  as  well  as  against 
mine,  friend  Melchior.  I  am  none  other  than  Gaetano — 
the  Gaetano  of  thy  youth — the  friend  thou  hast  not  seen 
these  many  long  and  weary  years." 

Recognition  was  slow  in  making  its  way  in  the  mind  of 


THE   HEADSMAN.  3g 

the  Bernese.  Lineament  after  lineament,  however,  became 
successively  known  to  him,  and  most  of  all,  the  voice 
served  to  awaken  long  dormant  recollections.  But  as 
heavy  natures  are  said  to  have  the  least  self-command 
when  fairly  excited,  so  did  the  Baron  betray  the  most  un- 
governable emotion  of  the  two,  when  conviction  came  at 
last  to  confirm  the  words  of  his  friend.  He  threw  himself 
on  the  neck  of  the  Genoese,  and  the  old  man  wept  in  a 
manner  that  caused  him  to  withdraw  aside,  in  order  to  con- 
ceal the  tears  which  had  so  suddenly  and  profusely  bro- 
ken from  the  fountains  that  he  had  long  thought  nearly 
dried. 


CHAPTER  III. 

"  Ha,  cousin  Silence,  that  thou  hadst  seen 
*        That,  that  this  knight  and  I  have  seen  !  " 

—King  Henry  IV. 

THE  calculating  patron  of  the  Winkelried  had  patiently 
watched  the  progress  of  the  foregoing  scene  with  great 
inward  satisfaction,  but  now  that  the  stranger  seemed  to  be 
assured  of  support  powerful  as  that  of  Melchior  de  Wil- 
lading,  he  was  disposed  to  turn  it  to  account  without 
further  delay.  The  old  men  were  still  standing  with  their 
hands  grasping  each  other,  after  another  warm  and  still 
closer  embrace,  and  with  tears  rolling  down  the  furrowed 
face  of  each,  when  Baptiste  advanced  to  put  in  his  raven- 
like  remonstrance. 

"  Noble  gentlemen,"  he  said,  "  if  the  felicitations  of  one 
humble  as  I  can  add  to  the  pleasure  of  this  happy  meeting, 
I  beg  you  to  accept  them  ;  but  the  wind  has  no  heart  for 
friendships  nor  any  thought  for  the  gains  or  losses  of 
as  watermen.  I  feel  it  my  duty,  as  patron  of  the  bark,  to 
recall  to  your  honors  that  many  poor  travellers,  far  from 
their  homes  and  pining  families,  are  waiting  our  leisure, 
not  to  speak  of  foot-sore  pilgrims  and  other  worthy  ad- 
venturers, wha  are  impatient  in  their  hearts,  though  re- 
spect for  their  superiors  keeps  them  tongue-tied,  while  we 
are  losing  the  best  of  the  breeze." 

"  By  San  Francesco  !  the  varlet  is  right,"  said  the  Geno- 
ese, hurriedly  erasing  the  marks  of  his  recent  weakness 
from  his  cheeks.  "We  are  forgetful  of  all  these  worthy 


34  THE  HEADSMAN. 

people,  while  joy  at  our  meeting  is  so  strong,  and  it  is  time 
that  we  thought  of  others.  Canst  thou  aid  me  in  dispens- 
ing with  the  city's  signatures  ?  " 

The  Baron  de  Willading  paused  ;  for  well-disposed  at 
first  to  assist  any  gentlemen  who  found  themselves  in  an 
unpleasant  em  harassment,  it  will  be  readily  imagined  that 
the  case  lost  none  of  its  interest,  when  he  found  that  his 
oldest  and  most  tried  friend  was  the  party  in  want  of  his^ 
influence.  Still  it  was  much  easier  to  admit  the  force  of 
this  new  and  unexpected  appeal,  than  to  devise  the  means 
of  success.  The  officer  was,  to  use  a  phrase  which  most 
men  seem  to  think  supplies  a  substitute  for  reason  and 
principle,  too  openly  commited  to  render  it  probable  he 
would  easily  yield.  It  was  necessary,  however,  to  make 
the  trial,  and  the  Baron,  therefore,  addressed  the  keeper 
of  the  water-gate  more  urgently  than  he  had  yet  done  in 
behalf  of  the  strangers. 

"  It  is  beyond  my  functions  ;  there  is  not  one  of  our 
Syndics  whom  I  would  more  gladly  oblige  than  yourself, 
noble  Baron,"  answered  the  officer  ;  "  but  the  duty  of  the 
watchman  is  to  adhere  strictly  to  the  commands  of  those 
who  have  placed  him  at  his  post." 

"  Gaetano,  we  are  not  the  men  to  complain  of  this ! 
We  have  stood  together  too  long  in  the  same  trench, 
and  have  too  often  slept  soundly,  in  situations  where 
failure  in  this  doctrine  might  have  cost  us  our  lives,  to 
quarrel  with  the  honest  Genevese  for  his  watchfulness.  To 
be  frank,  'twere  little  use  to  tamper  with  the  fidelity  of  a 
Swiss  or  with  that  of  his  ally." 

"  With  the  Swiss  that  is  well  paid  to  be  vigilant  ! "  an- 
swered the  Genoese,  laughing  in  a  way  to  show  that  he  had 
only  revived  one  of  those  standing  but  biting  jests,  that 
they  who  love  each  other  best  are,  perhaps,  most  accus- 
tomed to  practise. 

The  Baron  de  Willading  took  the  facetiousness  of  his 
friend  in  good  part,  returning  the  mirth  of  the  other  in  a 
manner  to  show  that  the  allusion  recalled  days  when  their 
hours  had  idly  passed  in  the  indulgence  of  spontaneous 
outbreakings  of  animal  spirits. 

"Were  this  thy  Italy,  Gaetano,  a  sequin  would  not  only 
supply  the  place  of  a  dozen  signatures,  but,  by  the  name 
of  thy  favorite,  San  Francesco,  it  would  give  the  honest 
gate-keeper  that  gift  of  second-sight,  on  which  the  Scot- 
tish seers  are  said  to  pride  themselves." 


THE   HEADSMAN.  35 

"  Well,  the  two  sides  of  the  Alps  will  keep  their  charac- 
ters, even  though  we  quarrel  about  their  virtues — but  we 
shall  never  see  again  the  days  that  we  have  known  !  Nei- 
ther the  games  of  Vevey,  nor  the  use  of  old  jokes,  will 
make  us  the  youths  we  have  been,  dear  De  Willading  !  " 

"Signore,  a  million  of  pardons,"  interrupted  Baptiste, 
"  but  this  western  wind  is  more  inconstant  even  than  the 
spirits  of  the  young." 

"  The  rogue  is  again  right,  and  we  forget  yonder  cargo 
of  honest  travellers,  who  are  wishing  us  both  in  Abraham's 
bosom,  for  keeping  the  impatient  bark  in  idleness  at  the 
quay.  Good  Marcelli,  hast  them  aught  to  suggest  in  this 
strait  ?" 

"  Signore,  you  forget  that  we  have  another  document 
that  may  be  found  sufficient " — the  person  questioned, 
who  appeared  to  fill  a  middle  station  between  that  of  a 
servant  and  that  of  a  companion,  rather  hinted  than  ob- 
served : 

"  Thou  sayest  true — and  yet  I  would  gladly  avoid  pro- 
ducing it — but  anything  is  better  than  the  loss  of  thy  com- 
pany, Melchior." 

"Name  it  not !  We  shall  not  separate,  though  the  Win- 
kelried  rot  where  she  lies.  'Twere  easier  to  separate  our 
faithful  cantons  than  two  such  friends." 

"  Nay,  noble  Baron,  you  forget  the  wearied  pilgrims  and 
the  many  anxious  travellers  in  the  bark." 

"  If  twenty  crowns  will  purchase  thy  consent,  honest 
Baptiste,  we  will  have  no  further  discussion." 

"  It  is  scarce  in  human  will  to  withstand  you,  noble  sir ! 
Well,  the  pilgrims  have  weary  feet,  and  rest  will  only  fit 
them  the  better  for  the  passage  of  the  mountains  ;  and  as 
for  the  others,  why,  let  them  quit  the  bark,  if  they  dislike 
the  conditions.  I  am  not  a  man  to  force  my  commerce  on 
any." 

"  Nay,  nay,  I  will  have  none  of  this.  Keep  thy  gold, 
Melchior,  and  let  the  honest  Baptiste  keep  his  passengers, 
to  say  nothing  of  his  conscience." 

"  I  beseech  your  Excellency,"  interrupted  Baptiste,  "  not 
to  distress  yourself  in  tenderness  for  me.  I  am  ready  to 
do  far  more  disagreeable  things  to  oblige  so  noble  a  gen- 
tleman." 

"  I  will  none  of  it  !  Signor  officer,  wilt  thou  do  me  the 
favor  to  cast  a  glance  at  this  ?  " 

As  the  Genoese  concluded,  he  placed  in  the  hands  of  the 


36  THE  HEADSMAN. 

watchman  at  the  gate,  a  paper  different  from  that  which  he 
had  first  shown.  The  officer  perused  the  new  instrument 
with  deep  attention,  and,  when  half  through  its  contents, 
his  eyes  left  the  page  to  become  riveted  in  respectful  at- 
tention on  the  face  of  the  expectant  Italian.  He  then  read 
the  passport  to  the  end.  Raising  his  cap  ceremoniously, 
the  keeper  of  the  gate  left  the  passage  free,  bowing  with 
deep  deference  to  the  strangers. 

"  Had  I  sooner  known  this,"  he  said,  "  there  would  have 
been  no  delay.  I  hope  your  Excellency  will  consider  my 
ignorance — 

"  Name  it  not,  friend.  Thou  hast  done  well  ;  in  proof 
of  which  I  beg  thy  acceptance  of  a  small  token  of  esteem." 

The  Genoese  dropped  a  sequin  into  the  hand  of  the 
officer,  passing  him,  at  the  same  time,  on  his  way  to  the 
water-side.  As  the  reluctance  of  the  other  to  receive  gold 
came  rather  from  a  love  of  duty  than  from  any  particular 
aversion  to  the  metal  itself,  this  second  offering  met  with  a 
more  favorable  reception  than  the  first.  The  Baron  de 
Willading  was  not  without  surprise  at  the  sudden  success 
of  his  friend,  though  he  was  far  too  prudent  and  well  bred 
to  let  his  wonder  be  seen. 

Every  obstacle  to  the  departure  of  the  Winkelried  was 
now  removed,  and  Baptiste  and  his  crew  were  soon  actively 
engaged  in  loosening  the  sails  and  in  casting  off  the  fasts. 
The  movement  of  the  bark  was  at  first  slow  and  heavy,  for 
the  wind  was  intercepted  by  the  buildings  of  the  town  ; 
but,  as  she  receded  from  the  shore,  the  canvas  began  to 
flap  and  belly,  and  ere  long  it  filled  outward  with  a  report 
like  that  of  a  musket  ;  after  which  the  motion  of  the  trav- 
ellers began  to  bear  some  relation  to  their  nearly  exhaust- 
ed patience. 

Soon  after  the  party  which  had  been'so  long  detained  at 
the  water-gate  were  embarked,  Adelheid  first  learned  the 
reason  of  the  delay.  She  had  long  known,  from  the  mouth 
of  her  father,  the  name  and  early  history  of  the  Signer 
Grimaldi,  a  Genoese  of  illustrious  family,  who  had  been 
the  sworn  friend  and  comrade  of  Melchoir  de  Willading, 
when  the  latter  pursued  his  career  in  arms  in  the  wars  of 
Italy.  These  circumstances  having  passed  long  before  her 
own  birth,  and  even  before  the  marriage  of  her  parents, 
and  she  being  the  youngest  and  the  only  survivor  of  a  nu- 
merous family  of  children,  they  were,  as  respected  herself, 
events  that  already  began  to  assume  the  hue  of  history 


THE  HEADSMAN.  37 

She  received  the  old  man  frankly,  and  even  with  affection, 
though  in  his  yielding  but  still  fine  form,  she  had  quite  as 
much  difficulty  as  her  father  in  recognizing  the  young,  gay, 
gallant,  brilliant,  and  handsome  Gaetano  Grimaldi  that 
her  imagination  had  conceived  from  the  verbal  descriptions 
she  had  so  often  heard,  and  from  her  fancy  was  still  wont 
to  draw  as  he  was  painted  in  the  affectionate  descriptions 
of  her  father.  When  he  suddenly  and  affectionately  offered 
a  kiss,  the  color  flushed  her  face,  for  no  man  but  he  to 
whom  she  owed  her  being  had  ever  before  taken  that  lib- 
erty ;  but,  after  an  instant  of  virgin  embarrassment,  she 
laughed,  and  blushingly  presented  her  cheek  to  receive  the 
salute. 

''The  last  tidings  I  had  of  thee,  Melchior,"  said  the 
Italian,  "was  the  letter  sent  by  the  Swiss  Embassador, 
who  took  our  city  in  his  way  as  he  travelled  south,  and 
which  was  written  on  the  occasion  of  the  birth  of  this  very 
girl." 

"Not  of  this,  dear  friend,  but  of  an  elder  sister,  who  is 
long  since  a  cherub  in  heaven.  Thou  seest  the  ninth 
precious  gift  that  God  bestowed,  and  thou  seest  all  that  is 
now  left  of  His  bounty." 

The  countenance  of  the  Signor  Grimaldi  lost  its  joyous- 
ness,  and  a  deep  pause  in  the  discourse  succeeded.  They 
lived  in  an  age  when  communications  between  friends  that 
were  separated  by  distance,  and  by  the  frontiers  of  differ- 
ent States,  were  rare  and  uncertain.  The  fresh  and  novel 
affections  of  marriage  had  first  broken  an  intercourse  that 
was  continued,  under  such  disadvantages  as  marked  the 
period,  long  after  their  duties  called  them  different  ways, 
and  time,  with  its  changes  and  the  embarrassments  of  wars, 
had  finally  destroyed  nearly  every  link  in  the  chain  of  their 
correspondence.  Each  had,  therefore,  much  of  a  near  and 
interesting  character  to  communicate  to  the  other,  and 
each  dreaded  to  speak,  lest  he  might  cause  some  wound, 
that  was  not  perfectly  healed,  to  bleed  anew.  The  volume 
of  matter  conveyed  in  the  few  words  uttered  by  the  Baron 
de  Willading,  showed  both  in  how  many  ways  they  might 
inflict  pain  without  intention,  and  how  necessary  it  was  to 
be  guarded  in  their  discourse  during  the  first  days  of  their 
renewed  intercourse. 

"  This  girl  at  least  is  a  treasure  of  itself,  of  which  I  must 
envv  thee  the  possession,"  the  Signor  Grimaldi  at  length 
rejoined. 


38  THE  HEADSMAN. 

The  Swiss  made  one  of  those  quick  movements  which 
betray  surprise,  and  it  was  very  apparent,  that,  just  at  the 
moment,  he  was  more  affected  by  some  interest  of  his 
friend  than  by  the  apprehensions  which  usually  beset  him 
when  any  very  direct  allusion  was  made  to  his  surviving 
child. 

"  Gaetano,  thou  hast  a  son  ? " 

"  He  is  lost — hopelessly — irretrievably  lost — at  least,  to 
me!" 

These  were  brief  but*  painful  glimpses  into  each  other's 
concerns,  and  another  melancholy  and  embarrassed  pause 
followed.  As  the  Baron  de  Willading  witnessed  the  sor- 
row that  deeply  shadowed  the  face  of  the  Genoese,  he  al- 
most felt  that  Providence,  in  summoning  his  own  boys  to 
early  graves,  might  have  spared  him  the  still  bitter  grief 
of  mourning  over  the  unworthiness  of  a  living  son. 

"  These  are  God's  decrees,  Melchior,"  the  Italian  con- 
tinued of  his  own  accord,  "  and  we,  as  soldiers,  as  men, 
and  more  than  either,  as  Christians,  should  know  how  to 
submit.  The  letter,  of  which  I  spoke,  contained  the  last 
direct  tidings  that  I  received  of  thy  welfare,  though  differ- 
ent travellers  have  mentioned  thee  as  among  the  honored 
and  trusted  of  thy  country,  without  descending  to  the  par- 
ticulars of  thy  private  life." 

"  The  retirement  of  our  mountains,  and  the  little  inter- 
course of  strangers  with  the  Swiss,  have  denied  me  even 
this  meagre  satisfaction  as  respects  thee  and  thy  fortunes. 
Since  the  especial  courier  sent  according  to  our  ancient 
agreement,  to  announce — 

The  Baron  hesitated,  for  he  felt  he  was  again  touching 
on  forbidden  ground. 

'*  To  announce  the  birth  of  my  unhappy  boy,"  continued 
the  Signer  Grimaldi,  firmly. 

"  To  announce  that  much  wished-for  event,  I  have  not 
had  news  of  thee,  except  in  a  way  so  vague,  as  to  whet  the 
desire  to  know  more  rather  than  to  appease  the  longings  of 
love." 

"  These  doubts  are  the  penalties  that  friendship  pays  to 
separation.  We  enlist  the  affections  in  youth  with  the 
recklessness  of  hope,  and,  when  called  different  ways  by 
duties  or  interest,  we  first  begin  to  perceive  that  the  world 
is  not  the  heaven  we  thought  it,  but  that  each  enjoy- 
ment has  its  price,  as  each  grief  has  its  solace.  Thou  hast 
carried  arms  since  we  were  soldiers  in  company  ? " 


THE  HEADSMAN.  39 

"As  a  Swiss  only." 

The  answer  drew  a  gleam  of  habitual  humor  from  the 
keen  eye  of  the  Italian,  whose  countenance  was  apt  to 
change  as  rapidly  as  his  thoughts. 

"In  what  service  ?" 

"  Nay,  a  truce  to  thy  old  pleasantries,  good  Grimaldi — 
and  yet  I  should  scarce  love  thee  as  I  do,  wert  thou  other 
than  thou  art !  I  believe  we  come  at  last  to' prize  even  the 
foibles  of  those  we  truly  esteem  ! " 

"  It  must  be  so,  young  lady,  or  boyish  follies  would  long 
since  have  weaned  thy  father  from  me.  I  have  never 
spared  him  on  the  subject  of  snows  and  money,  and  yet  he 
beareth  with  me  marvellously.  Well,  strong  love  endureth 
much.  Hath  the  Baron  often  spoken  to  thee  of  old  Gri- 
maldi— young  Grimaldi,  I  should  say — and  of  the  many 
freaks  of  our  thoughtless  days  ?  " 

"  So  much,  signore,"  returned  Adelheid,  who  had  wept 
and  smiled  by  turns  during  the  interrupted  dialogue  of  her 
father  and  his  friend,  "  that  I  can  repeat  most  of  your 
youthful  histories.  The  Castle  of  Willading  is  deep  among 
the  mountains,  and  it  is  rare  indeed  for  the  foot  of  stran- 
ger to  enter  its  gates.  During  the  long  evenings  of  our 
severe  winters,  I  have  listened  as  a  daughter  would  be  apt 
to  listen  to  the  recital  of  most  of  your  common  adventures, 
and  in  listening,  I  have  not  only  learned  to  know,  but  to 
esteem,  one  that  is  justly  so  dear  to  my  parent." 

"  I  make  no  doubt  now,  thou  hast  the  history  of  the 
plunge  into  the  canal,  by  over-stooping  to  see  the  Vene- 
tian beauty,  at  thy  fingers'  ends?" 

"I  do  remember  some  such  act  of  humid  gallantry," 
returned  Adelheid,  laughing. 

"  Did  thy  father  tell  thee,  child,  of  the  manner  in  which 
he  bore  me  off  in  a  noble  rescue  from  a  deadly  charge  of 
the  Imperial  cavalry?" 

"  I  have  heard  some  slight  allusion  to  such  an  event, 
too,"  returned  Adelheid,  evidently  trying  to  recall  the  his- 
tory of  the  affair  to  her  mind,  "but " 

"  Light  does  he  call  it,  and  of  small  account  ?  I  wish 
never  to  see  another  as  heavy !  This  is  the  impartiality  of 
thy  narratives,  good  Melchior,  in  which  a  life  preserved, 
wounds  received,  and  a  charge  to  make  the  German  quail, 
are  set  down  as  matters  to  be  touched  with  a  light  hand  !  " 

"  If  I  did  thee  this  service,  it  was  more  than  deserved 
by  the  manner  in  which,  before  Milan " 


40  THE   HEADSMAN. 

"  Well,  let  it  all  pass  together.  We  are  old  fools,  young 
lady,  and  should  we  get  garrulous  in  each  other's  praise, 
thou  mightest  mistake  us  for  braggarts  ;  a  character  that, 
in  truth,  neither  wholly  merits.  Didst  thou  ever  tell  the 
girl,  Melchior,  of  our  mad  excursion  into  the  forests  of 
the  Apennines,  in  search  of  a  Spanish  lady  that  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  banditti  ;  and  how  we  passed  weeks  on 
a  foolish  enterprise  of  errantry,  that  had  become  useless 
by  the  timely  application  of  a  few  sequins  on  the  part  of 
the  husband,  even  before  we  started  on  the  chivalrous, 
not  to  say  silly,  excursion  ?" 

"Say  chivalrous,  but  not  silly,"  answered  Adelheid,  with 
the  simplicity  of  a  young  and  sincere  mind.  "  Of  this  ad- 
venture I  have  heard,  but  to  me  it  has  never  seemed  ridic- 
ulous. A  generous  motive  might  well  excuse  an  under- 
taking of  less  favorable  auspices." 

"  'Tis  fortunate,"  returned  the  Signer  Grimaldi,  thought- 
fully, "  that,  if  youth  and  exaggerated  opinions  lead  us  to 
commit  mad  pranks  under  the  name  of  spirit  and  gener- 
osity, there  are  other  youthful  and  generous  minds  to  re- 
flect our  sentiments  ahd  to  smile  upon  our  folly." 

"This  is  more  like  the  wary  gray-headed  expounder  of 
wisdom  than  like  the  hot-headed  Gaetano  Grimaldi  of 
old ! "  exclaimed  the  Baron,  though  he  laughed  while  utter- 
ing the  words,  as  if  he  felt  at  least  a  portion  of  the  other's 
indifference  to  those  exaggerated  feelings  that  had  entered 
much  into  the  characters  of  both  in  youth.  "  The  time 
has  been  when  the  words  policy  and  calculation  would 
have  cost  a  companion  thy  favor  !  " 

"  Tis  said  that  the  prodigal  of  twenty  makes  the  miser 
of  seventy.  It  is  certain  that  even  our  southern  sun  does 
not  warm  the  blood  of  three-score  as  suddenly  as  it  heats 
that  of  one.  But  we  will  not  darken  thy  daughter's  views 
of  the  future  by  a  picture  too  faithfully  drawn,  lest  she 
become  wise  before  her  time.  I  have  often  questioned, 
Melchior,  which  is  the  most  precious  gift  of  nature — a 
warm  fancy,  or  the  colder  powers  of  reason.  But  if  I 
must  say  which  I  most  love,  the  point  becomes  less  diffi- 
cult of  decision.  I  \vould  prefer  each  in  its  season,  01 
rather  the  two  united,  with  a  gradual  change  in  their  in- 
fluence. Let  the  youth  commence  with  the  first  in  the 
ascendant,  and  close  with  the  last.  He  who  begins  life 
too  cold  a  reasoner  may  end  it  a  calculating  egotist  ;  and 
he  who  is  ruled  solely  by  his  imagination  is  in  danger  of 


7Y/7?  HEADSMAN.  41 

having  his  mind  so  ripened  as  to  bring  forth  the  fruits  of 
a  visionary.  Had  it  pleased  Heaven  to  have  left  me  the 
dear  son  I  possessed  for  so  short  a  period,  I  would  rather 
have  seen  him  leaning  to  the  side  of  exaggeration  in  his 
estimate  of  men  before  experience  came  to  chill  his  hopes, 
than  to  see  him  scan  his  fellows  with  a  too  philosophical 
eye  in  boyhood.  'Tis  said  we  are  but  clay  at  the  best  ; 
but  the  ground,  before  it  has  been  well  tilled,  sends  forth 
the  plants  that  are  most  congenial  to  its  soil,  and  though 
it  be  of  no  great  value,  give  me  the  spontaneous  and  gen- 
erous growth  of  the  weed,  which  proves  the  depth  of  the 
loam,  rather  than  a  stinted  imitation  of  that  which  culti- 
vation may,  no  doubt,  render  more  useful  if  not  more 
grateful." 

The  allusion  to  his  lost  son  caused  another  cloud  to  pass 
athwart  the  brow  of  the  Genoese. 

"  Thou  seest,  Adelheid,"  he  continued,  after  a  pause — 
"  for  Adelheid  will  I  call  thee,  in  virtue  of  a  second  father's 
rights — that  we  are  making  our  folly  respectable,  at  least 
to  ourselves — Master  Patron,  thou  hast  a  well-charged 
bark  ! " 

"  Thanks  to  your  two  honors,"  answered  Baptiste,  who 
stood  at  the  helm,  near  the  group  of  principal  passengers. 
"  These  windfalls  come  rarely  to  the  poor,  and  we  must 
make  much  of  such  as  offer,  The  games  at  Vevey  have 
called  every  craft  on  the  Leman  to  the  upper  end  of  the 
lake,  and  a  little  mother  wit  led  me  to  trust  to  the  last  turn 
of  the  wheel,  which,  as  you  see,  signore,  has  not  corne  up  a 
blank." 

"  Have  many  strangers  passed  by  your  city  on  their  way 
to  these  sports  ?  " 

"  Many  hundreds,  noble  gentleman  ;  and  report  speaks 
of  thousands  that  are  collecting  at  Vevey  and  in  the  neigh- 
boring villages.  The  country  of  Vaud  has  not  had  a  richer 
harvest  from  her  games  this  many  a  year." 

"  It  is  fortunate,  Melchior,  that  the  desire  to  witness 
these  revels  should  have  arisen  in  us  at  the  same  moment. 
The  hope  of  at  last  obtaining  certain  tidings  of  thy  welfare 
was  the  chief  inducement  that  caused  me  to  steal  from 
Genoa,  whither  I  am  compelled  to  return  forthwith.  There 
is  truly  something  providential  in  this  meeting  !  " 

"  I  so  esteem  it,"  returned  the  Baron  de  Willading ; 
"  though  the  hope  of  soon  embracing  thee  was  strongly 
alive  in  me.  Thou  art  mistaken  in  fancying  that  curiosity 


42  THE  HEADSMAN. 

or  a  wish  to  mingle  with  the  multitude  at  Vevey  has  drawn 
me  from  my  castle.  Italy  was  in  my  eye,  as  it  has  long 
been  in  my  heart." 

"How!— Italy?" 

"  Nothing  less.  This  fragile  plant  of  the  mountains  has 
drooped  of  late  in  her  native  air,  and  skilful  advisers  have 
counselled  the  sunny  side  of  the  Alps  as  a  shelter  to  revive 
her  animation.  I  have  promised  Roger  de  Blonay  to  pass 
a  night  or  two  within  his  ancient  walls,  and  then  we  are 
destined  to  seek  the  hospitality  of  the  monks  of  St.  Ber- 
nard. Like  thee,  I  had  hoped  this  unusual  sortie  from  my 
hold  might  lead  to  intelligence  touching  the  fortunes  of 
one  I  have  never  ceased  to  love." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  turned  a  more  scrutinizing  look 
toward  the  face  of  their  female  companion.  Her  gentle 
and  winning  beauty  gave  him  pleasure  ;  but,  with  his 
attention  quickened  by  what  had  just  fallen  from  her 
father,  he  traced,  in  silent  pain,  the  signs  of  that  early  fad- 
ing which  threatened  to  include  this  last  hope  of  his  friend 
in  the  common  fate  of  the  family.  Disease  had  not,  how- 
ever, set  its  seal  on  the  sweet  face  of  Adelheid  in  a  man 
ner  to  attract  the  notice  of  a  common  observer.  The 
lessening  of  the  bloom,  the  mournful  character  of  a  dove- 
like  eye,  and  a  look  of  thoughtfulness  on  a  brow  that  he 
had  ever  known  devoid  of  care  and  open  as  day  with 
youthful  ingenuousness,  were  the  symptoms  that  first  gave 
the  alarm  to  her  father,  whose  previous  losses,  and  whose 
solitariness,  as  respects  the  ties  of  the  world,  had  rendered 
him  keenly  alive  to  impressions  of  such  a  nature.  The 
reflections  excited  by  this  examination  brought  painful 
recollections  to  all,  and  it  was  long  before  the  discourse 
was  renewed. 

In  the  meantime,  the  Winkelried  was  not  idle.  As  the 
vessel  receded  from  the  cover  of  the  buildings  and  the 
hills,  the  force  of  the  breeze  was  felt,  and  her  speed  became 
quickened  in  proportion  ;  though  the  watermen  of  her 
crew  often  studied  the  manner  in  which  she  dragged  her 
way  through  the  element  with  a  shake  of  the  head,  that 
was  intended  to  express  their  consciousness  that  too  much 
had  been  required  of  the  craft.  The  cupidity  of  Baptiste 
had  indeed  charged  his  good  bark  to  the  uttermost.  The 
water  was  nearly  on  a  line  with  the  low  stern,  and  when 
the  bark  had  reached  a  part  of  the  lake  where  the  waves 
were  rolling  with  some  force,  it  was  found  that  the  vast 


THE   HEADSMAN.  43 

weight  was  too  much  to  be  lifted  by  the  feeble  and  broken 
efforts  of  these  miniature  seas.  The  consequences  were, 
however,  more  vexatious  than  alarming.  A  few  wet  feet 
among  the  less  quiet  of  the  passengers,  with  an  occasional 
slapping  of  a  sheet  of  water  against  the  gangways,  and  a 
consequent  drift  of  spray  across  the  pile  of  human  heads 
in  the  centre  of  the  bark,  were  all  the  immediate  personal 
inconveniences.  Still  unjustifiable  greediness  of  gain  had 
tempted  the  patron  to  commit  the  unseaman-like  fault  of 
overloading  his  vessel.  The  decrease  of  speed  was  another 
and  a  graver  consequence  of  his  cupidity,  since  it  might 
prevent  their  arrival  in  port  before  the  breeze  had  expended 
itself. 

The  lake  of  Geneva  lies  nearly  in  the  form  of  a  crescent, 
stretching  from  the  southwest  toward  the  northeast.  Its 
northern,  or  the  Swiss  shore,  is  chiefly  what  is  called,  in 
the  language  of  the  country,  a  cote,  or  a  declivity  that  ad- 
mits of  cultivation  ;  and,  with  few  exceptions,  it  has  been, 
since  the  earliest  periods  of  history,  planted  with  the  gen- 
erous vine.  Here  the  Romans  had  many  stations  and 
posts,  vestiges  of  which  are  still  visible.  The  confusion 
and  the  mixture  of  interests  that  succeeded  the  fall  of  the 
empire,  gave  rise  in  the  middle  ages  to  various  baronial 
castles,  ecclesiastical  towns,  and  towers  of  defence,  which 
still  stand  on  the  margin  of  this  beautiful  sheet  of  water, 
or  ornament  the  eminences  a  little  inland.  At  the  time  of 
which  we  write,  the  whole  coast  of  the  Leman,  if  so  im- 
posing a  word  may  be  applied  to  the  shores  of  so  small  a 
body  of  water,  was  in  the  possession  of  the  three  several 
states  of  Geneva,  Savoy,  and  Berne.  The  first  consisted 
of  a  mere  fragment  of  territory  at  the  western,  or  lower 
horn  of  the  crescent ;  the  second  occupied  nearly  the  whole 
of  the  southern  side  of  the  sheet,  or  the  cavity  of  the  half 
moon  ;  while  the  latter  was  mistress  of  the  whole  of  the 
convex  border,  and  of  the  eastern  horn.  The  shores  of 
Savoy  are  composed,  with  immaterial  exceptions,  of  ad- 
vanced spurs  of  the  high  Alps,  among  which  towers  Mont 
Blanc,  like  a  sovereign  seated  in  majesty  in  the  midst  of  a 
brilliant  court,  the  rocks  frequently  rising  from  the  water's 
edge  in  perpendicular  masses.  None  of  the  lakes  of  this 
remarkable  region  possess  a  greater  variety  of  scenery  than 
that  of  Geneva,  which  changes  from  the  smiling  aspect  of 
fertility  and  cultivation,  at  its  lower  extremity,  to  the  sub- 
limity of  a  savage  and  sublime  nature  at  its  upper.  Vevey, 


l\  TUP.    HEADSMAN. 

the  haven  for  which  the  Winkelried  was  bound,  lies  at  the 
distance  of  three  leagues  from  the  head  of  the  lake,  or  the 
point  where  it  receives  the  Rhone  ;  and  Geneva,  the  port 
from  which  the  reader  has  just  seen  her  take  her  depart- 
ure, is  divided  by  that  river  as  it  glances  out  of  the  blue 
basin  of  the  Leman  again,  to  traverse  the  fertile  fields  of 
France,  on  its  hurried  course  toward  the  distant  Mediter- 
ranean. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  currents  of  air,  on  all  bodies  of 
water  that  lie  amid  high  and  broken  mountains,  are  un- 
certain both  as  to  their  direction  and  their  force.  This  was 
the  difficulty  which  had  most  disturbed  Baptiste  during 
the  delay  of  the  bark,  for  the  experienced  waterman  well 
knew  it  required  the  first  and  the  freest  effort  of  the  wind 
to  "  drive  the  breeze  home,"  as  it  is  called  by  seamen, 
against  the  opposing  currents  that  frequently  descend  from 
the  mountains  which  surrounded  his  port.  In  addition  to 
this  difficulty,  the  shape  of  the  lake  was  another  reason 
why  the  winds  rarely  blow  in  the  same  direction  over  the 
whole  of  its  surface  at  the  same  time.  Strong  and  con- 
tinued gales  commonly  force  themselves  down  into  the 
deep  basin,  and  push  their  way  against  all  resistance,  into 
every  crevice  of  the  rocks  ;  but  a  power  less  than  this, 
rarely  succeeds  in  favoring  the  bark  with  the  same  breeze 
from  the  entrance  to  the  outlet  of  the  Rhone. 

As  a  consequence  of  these  peculiarities,  the  passengers 
of  the  Winkelried  had  early  evidence  that  they  had  trilled 
too  long  with  the  fickle  air.  The  breeze  carried  them  up 
abreast  of  Lausanne  in  good  season,  but  here  the  influence 
of  the  mountains  began  to  impair  its  force,  and  by  the 
time  the  sun  had  a  little  fallen  toward  the  long,  dark,  even 
line  of  the  Jura,  the  good  vessel  was  driven  to  the  usual 
expedients  of  jibbing  and  hauling-in  of  sheets. 

Baptiste  had  only  to  blame  his  own  cupidity  for  this  dis- 
appointment ;  and  the  consciousness»that,  had  he  complied 
with  the  engagement,  made  on  the  previous  evening  with 
the  mass  of  the  passengers,  to  depart  with  the  dawn,  he 
should  now  have  been  in  a  situation  to  profit  by  any  turn 
of  fortune  that  was  likely  to  arise  from  the  multitude  of 
strangers  who  were  in  Vevey,  rendered  him  moody.  As 
is  usual  with  the  headstrong  and  the  selfish  when  they 
possess  the  power,  others  wrere  made  to  pay  for  the  fault 
that  he  alone  committed.  His  men  were  vexed  with  con- 
tradictory and  useless  orders  ;  the  inferior  passengers  were 


TTIR   HEADSMAN.  45 

accused  of  constant  neglect  of  his  instructions,  a  fault 
which  he  did  not  hesitate  to  affirm  had  caused  the  bark  to 
sail  less  swiftly  than  usual,  and  he  no  longer  even  an- 
swered the  occasional  questions  of  those  for  whom  he 
felt  habitual  deference,  with  his  former  respect  and  readi- 
ness. 


CHAPTER   IV. 

"  Thrice  to  thine,  and  thrice  to  mine, 
And  thrice  again,  to  make  up  nine." — Macbeth. 

BAFFLING  and  light  airs  kept  the  Winkelried  a  long  time 
nearly  stationary,  and  it  was  only  by  paying  the  greatest 
attention  to  trimming  the  sails  and  to  all  the  little  minutiae 
of  the  waterman's  art,  that  the  vessel  was  worked  into  the 
eastern  horn  of  the  crescent,  as  the  sun  touched  the  hazy 
line  of  the  Jura.  Here  the  wind  failed  entirely,  the  sur- 
face of  the  lake  becoming  as  glassy  and  smooth  as  a  mir- 
ror, and  further  motion,  for  the  time  at  least,  was  quite 
out  of  the  question.  The  crew,  perceiving  the  hopeless- 
ness of  their  exertions,  and  fatigued  with  the  previous  toil, 
threw  themselves  among  the  boxes  and  bales,  and  endeav- 
ored to  catch  a  little  sleep,  in  anticipation  of  the  north 
breeze,  which,  at  this  season  of  the  year,  usually  blew  from 
the  shores  of  Vaud  within  an  hour  or  two  of  the  disappear- 
ance of  the  sun. 

The  deck  of  the  bark  was  now  left  to  the  undisputed 
possession  of  her  passengers.  The  day  had  latterly  been 
sultry  for  the  season,  the  even  water  having  cast  back  the 
hot  rays  in  fierce  reflection,  and,  as  evening  drew  on,  a  re- 
freshing coolness  came  to  relieve  the  densely  packed  and 
scorching  travellers.  The  effect  of  such  a  change  was  like 
that  which  would  have  been  observed  among  a  flock  of 
heavily  fleeced  sheep,  which,  after  gasping  for  breath  be- 
neath trees  and  hedges  during  the  time  of  the  sun's  power, 
are  seen  scattering  over  their  pastures  to  feed,  or  to  play 
their  antics,  as  a  grateful  shade  succeeds  to  cool  their 
panting  sides. 

Baptiste,  as  is  but  too  apt  to  be  the  case  with  men  pos- 
sessed with  brief  authority,  during  the  day  had  mercilessly 
played  the  tyrant  with  all  the  passengers  that  were  beneath 
the  privileged  degrees,  more  than  once  threatening  to 


46  THE  HEADSMAN. 

come  to  extremities  with  several  who  had  betrayed  rest 
lessness  under  the  restraint  and  suffering  of  their  unac- 
customed situation.  Perhaps  there  is  no  man  who  feels 
less  for  the  complaints  of  the  novice  than  your  weather- 
beaten  and  hardened  mariner  ;  for,  familiarized  to  the 
suffering  and  confinement  of  a  vessel,  and  at  liberty  him- 
self to  seek  relief  in  his  duties  and  avocations,  he  can 
scarcely  enter  into  the  privations  and  embarrassments  of 
those  to  whom  all  is  so  new  and  painful.  But,  in  the  pa- 
tron of  the  Winkelried,  there  existed  a  natural  indifference 
to  the  grievances  of  others,  and  a  narrow  selfishness  of 
disposition,  in  aid  of  the  opinions  which  had  been  formed 
by  a  life  of  hardship  and  exposure.  He  considered  the 
vulgar  passenger  as  so  much  troublesome  freight,  which, 
while  it  brought  the  advantage  of  a  higher  remuneration 
than  the  same  cubic  measurement  of  inanimate  matter, 
had  the  unpleasant  drawback  of  volition  and  motion. 
With  this  general  tendency  to  bully  and  intimidate,  the 
wary  patron  had,  however,  made  a  silent  exception  in  fa- 
vor of  the  Italian,  who  has  introduced  himself  to  the 
reader  by  the  ill-omened  name  of  II  Maledetto,  or  the 
accused.  This  formidable  personage  had  enjoyed  a  per- 
fect immunity  from  the  effects  of  Baptiste's  tyranny, 
which  he  had  been  able  to  establish  by  a  very  simple  and 
quiet  process.  Instead  of  cowering  at  the  fierce  glance, 
or  recoiling  at  the  rude  remonstrances  of  the  churlish  pa- 
tron, he  had  chosen  his  time,  when  the  latter  was  in  one 
of  his  hottest  ebullitions  of  anger,  and  when  maledictions 
and  menaces  flowed  out  of  his  mouth  in  torrents,  coolly 
to  place  himself  on  the  very  spot  that  the  other  had  pro- 
scribed, where  he  maintained  his  ground  with  a  quietness 
and  composure  which  it  might  have  been  difficult  to  say 
was  more  to  be  imputed  to  extreme  ignorance,  or  to  im- 
measurable contempt.  At  least,  so  reasoned  the  specta- 
tors ;  some  thinking  that  the  stranger  meant  to  bring  af- 
fairs to  a  speedy  issue  by  braving  the  patron's  fury,  and 
others  charitably  inferring  that  he  knew  no  better.  Buf 
thus  did  not  Baptiste  reason  himself.  He  saw  by  the 
calm  eye  and  resolute  demeanor  of  his  passenger  that  he 
himself,  his  pretended  professional  difficulties,  his  cap- 
tiousness,  and  his  threats  were  alike  despised  ;  and  he 
shrank  from  collision  with  such  a  spirit  precisely  on  the 
principle  that  the  intimidated  among  the  rest  of  the  trav- 
ellers shrank  from  a  contest  with  his  own.  From  thi? 


THE    HEADSMAN-.  47 

moment  II  Maledetto,  or,  as  he  was  called  by  Baptiste 
himself,  who  it  would  appear  had  some  knowledge  of  his 
person,  Maso  became  as  completely  the  master  of  his  own 
movements,  as  if  he  had  been  one  of  the  more  honored  in 
the  stern  of  the  bark,  or  even  her  patron.  He  did  not 
abuse  his  advantage,  however,  rarely  quitting  the  indi- 
cated station  near  his  own  effects,  where  he  had  been 
mainly  content  to  repose  in  listless  indolence  like  the 
others,  dozing  away  the  minutes. 

But  the  scene  was  now  altogether  changed.  The  in- 
stant the  wrangling,  discontented,  and  unhappy,  because 
disappointed,  patron  confessed  his  inability  to  reach  his 
port  before  the  coming  of  the  expected  night-breeze,  and 
threw  himself  on  a  bale  to  conceal  his  dissatisfaction  in 
sleep,  head  arose  after  head  from  among  the  pile  of 
freight,  and  body  after  body  followed  the  nobler  member, 
until  the  whole  mass  \vas  alive  with  human  beings.  The 
invigorating  coolness,  the  tranquil  hour,  the  prospect  of  a 
safe  if  not  a  speedy  arrival,  and  the  relief  from  excessive 
weariness,  produced  a  sudden  and  agreeable  reaction  in 
the  feelings  of  all.  Even  the  Baron  de  Willading  and  his 
friends,  who  had  shared  in  none  of  the  especial  privations 
just  named,  joined  in  the  general  exhibition  of  satisfaction 
and  good-will,  rather  aiding  by  their  smiles  and  affability, 
than  restraining  by  their  presence,  the  whims  and  jokes 
of  the  different  individuals  among  the  motley  group  of 
their  nameless  companions. 

The  aspect  and  position  of  the  bark,  as  well  as  the  pros- 
pects of  those  on  board  as  they  were  connected  with  their 
arrival,  now  deserve  to  be  more  particularly  mentioned. 
The  manner  in  which  the  vessel  was  loaded  to  the  water's 
edge  has  already  been  more  than  once  alluded  to.  The 
whole  of  the  centre  of  the  broad  deck,  a  portion  of  the 
Winkelried  which,  owing  to  the  overhanging  gangways, 
possessed,  in  common  with  all  the  similar  craft  of  the 
Leman,  a  greater  width  than  is  usual  in  vessels  of  the 
same  tonnage  elsewhere,  was  so  cumbered  with  freight  as 
barely  to  leave  a  passage  to  the  crew,  forward  and  aft,  by 
stepping  among  the  boxes  and  bales  that  were  piled  much 
higher  than  their  own  heads.  A  little  vacant  space  was 
left  near  the  stern,  in  which  it  was  possible  for  the  party 
who  occupied  that  part  of  the  deck  to  move,  though  in 
sufficiently  straitened  limits,  while  the  huge  tiller  played 
in  Us  semicircle  behind.  At  the  other  extremity,  as  is  at); 


48  THE  HEADSMAN'. 

solutely  necessary  in  all  navigation,  the  forecastle  was 
reasonably  clear,  though  even  this  important  part  of  the 
deck  was  bristling  with  the  flukes  of  no  less  than  nine 
anchors  that  lay  in  a  row  across  its  breadth,  the  wild  road- 
steads of  this  end  of  the  lake  rendering  such  a  provision 
of  ground-tackle  absolutely  indispensable  to  the  safety  of 
every  craft  that  ventured  into  its  eastern  horn.  The  effect 
of  the  whole,  seen  as  it  was  in  a  state  of  absolute  rest,  was 
to  give  to  the  Winkelried  the  appearance  of  a  small  mound 
in  the  midst  of  the  water,  that  was  crowded  with  human 
beings,  and  seemingly  so  incorporated  with  the  element 
on  which  it  floated  as  to  grow  out  of  its  bosom  ;  an  image 
that  the  fancy  was  not  slow  to  form,  aided  as  it  was  by  the 
reflection  of  the  mass  that  the  unruffled  lake  threw  back 
from  its  mirror-like  face,  as  perfectly  formed,  as  unwieldy, 
and  nearly  as  distinct  as  the  original.  To  this  picture 
of  a  motionless  rock,  or  island,  the  spars,  sails,  and  high, 
pointed  beak,  however,  formed  especial  exceptions.  The 
yards  hung,  as  seamen  term  it,  a-cockbill,  or  in  such  neg- 
ligent and  picturesque  positions  as  an  artist  would  most 
love  to  draw,  while  the  drapery  of  the  canvas  was  sus- 
pended in  graceful  and  spotless  festoons,  as  it  had  fallen  by 
chance,  or  been  cast  carelessly  from  the  hands  of  the  boat- 
men. The  beak,  or  prow,  rose  in  its  sharp  gallant  stem, 
resembling  the  stately  neck  of  a  swan,  lightly  swerving 
from  its  direction,  or  inclining  in  a  nearly  imperceptible 
sweep,  as  the  hull  yielded  to  the  secret  influence  of  the 
varying  currents. 

When  the  teeming  pile  of  freight,  therefore,  began  so 
freely  to  bring  forth,  and  traveller  after  traveller  left  his 
pallet,  there  was  no  great  space  found  in  which  they  could 
stretch  their  wearied  limbs,  or  seek  the  change  they  need- 
ed. But  suffering  is  a  good  preparative  for  pleasure,  and 
there  is  no  sweetener  of  liberty  like  previous  confinement. 
Baptiste  was  no  sooner  heard  to  snore  than  the  whole 
hummock  of  cargo  was  garnished  with  upright  bodies  and 
stretching  arms  and  legs,  as  mice  are  known  to  steal  from 
their  holes  during  the  slumbers  of  their  mortal  enemy,  the 
cat. 

The  reader  has  been  made  sufficiently  acquainted  with 
the  moral  composition  of  the  Winkelried's  living  freight, 
in  the  opening  chapter.  As  it  had  undergone  no  other 
alteration  than  that  produced  by  lassitude,  he  is  already 
prepared,  therefore,  to  renew  his  communications  with  its 


THE   HEADSMAN.  49 

different  members,  all  of  whom  were  well  disposed  to  show 
off  in  their  respective  characters,  the  moment  they  were 
favored  with  an  opportunity.  The  mercurial  Pippo,  as 
he  had  been  the  most  difficult  to  restrain  during  the  day, 
was  the  first  to  steal  from  his  lair,  now  that  the  Argus-like 
eyes  of  Baptiste  permitted  the  freedom,  and  the  exhilarat- 
ing coolness  of  the  sunset  invited  action.  His  success 
emboldened  others,  and  ere  long,  the  buffoon  had  an  ad- 
miring audience  around  him,  that  was  well  disposed  to 
laugh  at  his  witticisms,  and  to  applaud  all  his  practical 
jokes.  Gaining  courage  as  he  proceeded,  the  buffoon 
gradually  went  from  liberty  to  liberty,  until  he  was  at 
length  triumphantly  established  on  what  might  be  termed 
an  advanced  spur  of  the  mountain  formed  by  the  tubs  of 
Nicklaus  Wagner,  in  the  regular  exercise  of  his  art  ;  while 
a  crowd  of  amused  and  gaping  spectators  blustered  about 
him,  peopling  every  eminence  of  the  height,  and  even  in- 
vading the  more  privileged  deck  in  their  eagerness  to  see 
and  to  admire. 

Though  frequently  reduced  by  adverse  fortune  to  the 
lowest  shifts  of  his  calling,  such  as  the  horse-play  of 
Policinello,  and  the  imitation  of  uncouth  sounds,  that  re- 
sembled nothing  either  in  heaven  or  earth,  Pippo  was  a 
clever  knave  in  his  way,  and  was  quite  equal  to  a  display 
of  the  higher  branches  of  his  art,  whenever  chance  gave 
him  an  audience  capable  of  estimating  his  qualities.  On 
the  present  occasion  he  was  obliged  to  address  himself 
both  to  the  polished  and  to  the  unpolished  ;  for  the  prox- 
imity of  their  position,  as  well  as  a  good-natured  readiness 
to  lend  themselves  to  fooleries  that  were  so  agreeable  to 
most  around  them,  had  brought  the  more  gentle  portion 
of  the  passengers  within  the  influence  of  his  wit. 

"And  now,  illustrissimi  signori,"  continued  the  wily 
juggler,  after  having  drawn  a  burst  of  applause  by  one  of 
his  happiest  hits  in  a  sleight-of-hand  exhibition,  "  I  come 
to  the  most  imposing  and  the  most  mysterious  part  of  my 
knowledge — that  of  looking  into  the  future  and  of  foretel- 
ling events.  If  there  are  any  among  you  who  would  wish 
to  know  how  long  they  are  to  eat  the  bread  of  toil,  let 
them  come  to  me  ;  if  there  is  a  youth  who  wishes  to  learn 
whether  the  heart  of  his  mistress  is  made  of  flesh  or  of 
stone — a  maiden  that  would  see  into  a  youth's  faith  and 
constancy  while  her  long  eyelashes  cover  her  sight  like  a 
modest  silken  veil — or  a  noble,  that  would  fain  have  an 


50  THE    HEADSMAN. 

insight  into  the  movements  of  his  rivals  at  court  or  coun- 
cil, let  them  all  put  their  questions  to  Pippo,  who  has  an 
answer  ready  for  each,  and  an  answer  so  real  that  the  most 
expert  among  the  listeners  will  be  ready  to  swear  that  a 
lie  from  his  mouth  is  worth  more  than  truth  from  that  of 
another  man." 

"  He  that  would  gain  credit  for  knowledge  of  the 
future,"  gravely  observed  the  Signore  Grimaldi,  who  had 
listened  to  his  countryman's  voluble  eulogium  on  his  own 
merits  with  a  good-natured  laugh,  "  had  best  commence  by 
showing  his  familiarity  with  the  past.  Who  and  what  is 
he  that  speaks  to  thee,  as  a  specimen  of  thy  skill  in  sooth- 
saying ? " 

"  His  eccellenza  is  more  than  he  seems,  less  than  he  de- 
serves to  be,  and  as  much  as  any  present.  He  hath  an  old 
and  a  prized  friend  at  his  elbow;  hath  come  because  it  was 
his  pleasure,  to  witness  the  games  at  Vevey — will  depart 
for  the  same  reason,  when  they  are  over,  and  will  seek  his 
home  at  his  leisure — not  like  a  fox  stealing  into  his  hole, 
but  as  the  stately  ship  sails  gallantly,  and  by  the  light  of 
the  sun,  into  her  haven." 

"  This  will  never  do,  Pippo,"  returned  the  good-humored 
old  noble  ;  "at  need  I  might  equal  this  myself.  Thou 
shouldst  relate  that  which  is  less  probable,  while  it  is  more 
true." 

"  Signore,  we  prophets  like  to  sleep  in  whole  skins.  If 
it  be  your  eccellenza's  pleasure  and  that  of  your  noble 
company  to  listen  to  the  truly  wonderful,  I  will  tell  some 
of  these  honest  people  matters  touching  their  own  interests 
that  they  do  not  know  themselves,  and  yet  it  shall  be  as 
clear  to  everybody  else  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens  at  noon- 
day." 

"Thou  wilt  probably  tell  them  their  faults?" 

"  Your  eccellenza  has  a  right  to  my  place,  for  no  prophet 
could  have  better  divined  my  intention,"  answered  the 
laughing  knave.  "  Come  nearer,  friend,"  he  added,  beckon- 
ing to  the  Bernois  ;  "  thou  art  Nicklaus  Wagner,  a  fat 
peasant  of  the  great  canton,  and  a  warm  husbandman, 
that  fancies  he  has  a  title  to  the  respect  of  all  he  meets, 
because  some  one  among  his  fathers  bought  a  right  in  the 
biirgerschaft.  Thou  hast  a  large  stake  in  the  Winkelried, 
and  art  at  this  moment  thinking  what  punishment  is  good 
enough  for  an  impudent  soothsayer  who  dares  dive  so  un- 
ceremoniously into  the  secrets  of  so  warm  a  citizen,  while 


THE   HEADSMAN'.  51 

all  around  thee  wish  thy  cheeses  had  never  left  the  dairy, 
to  the  discomfort  of  our  limbs  and  to  the  great  detriment 
of  the  bark's  speed." 

This  sally  at  the  expense  of  Nicklaus  drew  a  burst  of 
merriment  from  the  listeners  ;  for  the  selfish  spirit  he  had 
manifested  throughout  the  day  had  won  little  favor  with  a 
majority  of  his  fellow  travellers,  who  had  all  the  generous 
propensities  that  are  usually  so  abundant  among  those  who 
have  little  or  nothing  to  bestow,  and  who  were  by  this  time 
so  well  disposed  to  be  merry  that  much  less  would  have 
served  to  stimulate  their  mirth. 

"  Wert  thou  the  owner  of  this  good  freight,  friend,  thou 
might  find  its  presence  less  uncomfortable  than  thou  now 
appearest  to  think,"  returned  the  literal  peasant,  who  had  no 
humor  for  raillery,  and  to  whom  a  jest  on  the  subject  of 
property  had  that  sort  of  irreverent  character  that  popular 
opinion  and  holy  sayings  have  attached  to  waste.  "  The 
cheeses  are  well  enough  where  they  find  themselves  ;  if 
thou  dislikest  their  company  thou  hast  the  alternative  of 
the  water." 

"  A  truce  between  us,  worshipful  burgher!  and  let  our 
skirmish  end  in  something  that  may  be  useful  to  both. 
Thou  hast  that  which  would  be  acceptable  to  me,  and  I 
have  that  which  no  owner  of  cheeses  would  refuse,  did  he 
know  the  means  by  which  it  might  be  come  at  honestly." 

Nicklaus  growled  a  few  words  of  distrust  and  indiffer- 
ence, but  it  was  plain  that  the  ambiguous  language  of  the 
juggler,as  usual,  had  succeeded  in  awakening  interest.  With 
the  affectation  of  a  mind  secretly  conscious  of  its  own  in- 
firmity, he  pretended  to  be  indifferent  to  what  the  other 
professed  a  readiness  to  reveal,  while  with  the  rapacity  of 
a  grasping  spirit  he  betrayed  a  longing  to  know  more. 

"First  I  will  tell  thee,"  said  Pippo,  with  a  parade  of 
good  nature,  "  that  thou  deservest  to  remain  in  ignorance, 
as  a  punishment  of  thy  pride  and  want  of  faith  ;  but  it  is  the 
failing  of  your  prophet  to  let  that  be  known  which  he 
ought  to  conceal.  Thou  flatterest  thyself  this  is  the  fattest 
cargo  of  cheeses  that  will  cross  the  Swiss  waters  this  sea- 
son, on  their  way  to  an  Italian  market  ?  Shake  not  thy 
head.  'Tis  useless  to  deny  it  to  a  man  of  my  learning! " 

"  Nay,  I  know  there  are  others  as  heavy,  and,  it  may  be, 
as  good  ;  but  this  has  the  advantage  of  being  the  first,  a 
circumstance  that  is  certain  to  command  a  price." 

"  Such  is  the  blindness  of  one  that  nature  sent  on  earth 


5J  THE   HEADSMAN". 

to  deal  in  cheeses  !  "  The  Herr  von  Willading  and  hi* 
friends  smiled  among  themselves  at  the  cool  impudence 
of  the  mountebank — "  Thou  fanciest  it  is  so  ;  and  at  this 
moment  a  heavily  laden  bark  is  driven  before  a  favorable 
gale,  near  the  upper  end  of  the  lake  of  the  four  cantons, 
while  a  long  line  of  mules  is  waiting  at  Fliiellen  to  bear 
its  freight  by  the  paths  of  the  St.  Gothard  to  Milano,  and 
other  rich  markets  of  the  south.  In  virtue  of  my  secret 
power,  I  see  that,  in  despite  of  all  thy  cravings,  it  will  arrive 
before  thine." 

Nicklaus  fidgeted,  for  the  graphic  particularity  of  Pippo 
almost  led  him  to  believe  the  augury  might  be  true. 

"  Had  this  bark  sailed  according  to  our  covenant,"  he 
said,  with  a  simplicity  that  betrayed  his  uneasiness,  "  the 
beasts  bespoken  by  me  would  now  be  loading  at  Ville- 
neuve  ;  and,  if  there  be  justice  in  Vaud,  I  shall  hold  Bap- 
tiste  responsible  for  any  disadvantage  that  may  come  of 
the  neglect." 

"Luckily,  the  generous  Baptiste  is  asleep,"  returned 
Pippo,  "  or  we  might  hear  objections  to  this  scheme.  But, 
signori,  I  see  you  are  satisfied  with  this  insight  into  the 
character  of  the  warm  peasant  of  Berne,  who,  to  say  truth, 
has  not  much  to  conceal  from  us,  and  I  will  turn  my 
searching  looks  into  the  soul  of  this  pious  pilgrim,  the 
reverend  Conrado,  whose  unction  may  well  go  near  to  be 
a  leaven  sufficient  to  lighten  all  in  the  bark  of  their  bur- 
dens of  backslidings.  Thou  earnest  the  penitence  and 
prayers  of  many  sinners,  besides  some  merchandise  of  this 
nature  of  thine  own." 

"  I  am  bound  to  Loretto,  with  the  mental  offerings  of 
certain  Christians,  who  are  too  much  occupied  with  their 
daily  concerns  to  make  the  journey  in  person,"  answered 
the  pilgrim,  who  never  absolutely  threw  aside  his  profes- 
sional character,  though  he  cared  in  general  so  little  about 
his  hypocrisy  being  known.  "  I  am  poor  and  humble  of 
appearance,  but  I  have  seen  miracles  in  my  day !  " 

"  If  any  trust  valuable  offerings  to  thy  keeping  thou  art 
a  living  miracle  in  thine  own  person !  I  can  foresee  that 
thou  wilt  bear  naught  else  beside  aves." 

"  Nay,  I  pretend  to  deal  in  little  more.  The  rich  and 
great,  they  that  send  vessels  of  gold  and  rich  dresses  to 
Our  Lady,  employ  their  own  favorite  messengers  ;  I  am 
but  the  bearer  of  prayer  and  the  substitute  for  the  penitent. 
The  sufferings  that  I  undergo  in  the  flesh  are  passed  to  the 


THE  HEADSMAN.  53 

credit  of  my  employers,  who  get  the  benefit  of  my  aches 
and  pains.  I  pretend  to  be  no  more  than  their  go-between, 
as  yonder  mariner  has  so  lately  called  me." 

Pippo  turned  suddenly,  following  the  direction  of  the 
other's  eye,  and  cast  a  glance  at  the  self-styled  II  Male- 
detto.  This  individual,  of  all  the  common  herd,  had  alone 
forborne  to  join  the  gaping  and  amused  crowd  near  the 
juggler.  His  forbearance  or  want  of  curiosity,  had  left 
him  in  the  quiet  possession  of  the  little  platform  that  was 
made  by  the  stowage  of  the  boxes,  and  he  now  stood  on 
the  summit  of  the  pile,  conspicuous  by  his  situation  and 
mien,  the  latter  being  remarkable  for  its  unmoved  calm- 
ness, heightened  by  the  understanding  manner  that  is  so 
peculiar  to  a  seaman  when  afloat. 

"  Wilt  thou  have  the  history  of  thy  coming  perils,  friend 
mariner?"  cried  the  mercurial  mountebank;  "a  journal 
of  thy  future  risks  and  tempests  to  amuse  you  in  this  calm  ? 
Such  a  picture  of  sea-monsters  and  of  coral  that  grows  in 
the  ocean's  caverns,  where  mariners  sleep,  that  shall  give 
thee  the  nightmare  for  months,  and  cause  thee  to  dream 
of  wrecks  and  bleached  bones  for  the  rest  of  thy  life  ?  Thou 
hast  only  to  wish  it,  to  have  the  adventures  of  thy  next 
voyage  laid  before  thee,  like  a  map." 

"Thou  wouldst  gain  more  credit  with  me,  as  one  cun- 
ning in  thy  art,  by  giving  the  history  of  the  last." 

"  The  request  is  reasonable,  and  thou  shalt  have  it  ;  for 
I  love  the  bold  adventurer  that  trusts  himself  hardily  upon 
the  great  deep,"  answered  the  unabashed  Pippo.  "  My 
first  lessons  in  necromancy  were  received  on  the  mole  of 
Napoli,  amid  burly  Inglesi,  straight-nosed  Greeks,  swarthy 
Sicilians,  and  Maltese  with  spirits  as  fine  as  the  gold  of 
their  own  chains.  This  was  the  school  in  which  I  learned 
to  know  my  art,  and  an  apt  scholar  I  proved  in  all  that 
touches  the  philosophy  and  humanity  of  my  craft.  Signore, 
thy  palm  ? " 

Maso  spread  his  sinewy  hand  in  the  direction  of  the 
juggler,  without  descending  from  his  elevation,  and  in  a 
way  to  show  that,  while  he  would  not  balk  the  common 
humor,  he  was  superior  to  the  gaping  wonder  and  childish 
credulity  of  most  of  those  who  watched  the  result.  Pippo 
affected  to  stretch  out  his  neck,  in  order  to  study  the  hard 
and  dark  lines,  and  then  he  resumed  his  revelations,  like 
One  perfectly  satisfied  with  what  he  had  discovered. 

"The  hand  is  masculine,    and  has  been  familiar   with 


54  THE  HEADSMAN-. 

many  friends  in  time.  It  hath  dealt  with  steel,  and  cord- 
age, and  saltpetre,  and  most  of  all  with  gold.  Signori,  the 
true  seat  of  a  man's  digestion  lies  in  the  palm  of  his  hand  ; 
if  that  is  free  to  give  and  to  receive,  he  will  never  have  a 
costive  conscience,  for  of  all  damnable  inconveniences  that 
afflict  mortals,  that  of  a  conscience  that  will  neither  give 
up  nor  take  is  the  heaviest  curse.  Let  a  man  have  as  much 
sagacity  as  shall  make  him  a  cardinal,  if  it  get  entangled 
in  the  meshes  of  one  of  your  unyielding  consciences,  ye 
shall  see  him  a  mendicant  brother  to  his  dying  day  ;  let 
him  be  born  a  prince,  with  a  close-ribbed  opinion  of  this 
sort,  and  he  had  better  have  been  born  a  beggar,  for  his 
reign  will  be  like  a  river  from  which  the  current  sets  out- 
ward, without  any  return.  No,  my  friends,  a  palm  like  this 
of  Maso's  is  a  favorable  sign,  since  it  hinges  on  a  pliant 
will,  that  will  open  and  shut  like  a  well-formed  eye,  or  the 
jacket  of  a  shell-fish,  at  its  owner's  pleasure.  Thou  hast 
drawn  near  to  many  ports  before  this  of  Vevey,  after  the 
sun  has  fallen  low,  Signor  Maso  !  " 

"  In  that  I  have  taken  a  seaman's  chances,  which  depend 
more  on  the  winds  than  on  his  own  wishes." 

"  Thou  esteemest  the  bottom  of  the  craft  in  which  thou 
art  required  to  sail  as  far  more  important  than  her  ancient. 
Thou  hast  an  eye  for  a  keel,  but  none  for  color  ;  unless,  in- 
deed, as  it  may  happen  to  be  convenient  to  seem  that  thou 
art  not." 

"  Nay,  Master  Soothsayer,  I  suspect  thee  to  be  an  officer 
of  some  of  the  Holy  Brotherhoods,  sent  in  this  guise  to 
question  us  poor  travellers  to  our  ruin  !  "  answered  Maso. 
"  I  am,  what  thou  seest,  but  a  poor  mariner  that  hath  no 
better  bark  under  him  than  this  of  Baptiste,  and  on  a  sea 
no  larger  than  a  Swiss  lake." 

"  Shrewdly  observed,"  said  Pippo,  winking  to  those  near 
him,  though  he  so  little  liked  the  eye  and  bearing  of  the 
other  that  he  was  not  sorry  to  turn  to  some  new  subject. 
"  But  what  matters  it,  Signori,  to  be  speaking  of  the  qual- 
ities of  men  !  We  are  alike  honorable,  merciful,  more  dis- 
posed to  help  others  than  to  help  ourselves,  and  so  little 
given  to  selfishness  that  nature  has  been  obliged  to  supply 
every  mother's  son  of  us  with  a  sort  of  goad,  that  shall  be 
constantly  pricking  us  on  to  look  after  our  own  interests. 
Here  are  animals  whose  dispositions  are  less  understood,  and 
we  will  bestow  a  useful  minute  in  examining  their  qualities. 
Reverend  Augustine,  this  mastiff  of  thine  is  named  Uberto?" 


THE   HEADSMAN.  55 

"  He  is  known  by  that  appellation  throughout  the  can- 
tons and  their  allies.  The  fame  of  the  dog  reaches  even  to 
Turin,  and  to  most  of  the  towns  in  the  plain  of  Lombardy." 

"  Now,  Signori,  you  perceive  that  this  is  but  a  secondary 
creature  in  the  scale  of  animals.  Do  him  good  and  he  will 
be  grateful ;  do  him  harm,  and  he  will  forgive.  Feed  him, 
and  he  is  satisfied.  He  will  travel  the  paths  of  the  St. 
Bernard  night  and  day  to  do  credit  to  his  training,  and 
when  the  toil  is  ended,  all  he  asks  is  just  as  much  meat  as 
will  keep  the  breath  within  his  ribs.  Had  Heaven  given 
Uberto  a  conscience  and  greater  wit,  the  first  might  have 
shown  him  the  impiety  of  working  for  travellers  on  holy 
days  and  festas,  while  the  latter  would  be  apt  to  say  he 
was  a  fool  for  troubling  himself  about  the  safety  of  others 
at  all." 

"  And  yet  his  masters,  the  good  Augustines  themselves, 
do  not  hold  so  selfish  a  creed  !  "  observed  Adelheid. 

"  Ah  !  they  have  heaven  in  view  !  I  cry  the  reverend 
Augustine's  pardon — but,  lady,  the  difference  is  in  the 
length  of  the  calculation.  Woe's  me,  brethren  ;  I  would 
that  my  parents  had  educated  me  for  a  bishop,  or  a  vice- 
roy, or  some  other  modest  employment,  that  this  learned 
craft  of  mine  might  have  fallen  into  better  hands  !  Ye 
would  lose  in  instruction,  but  I  should  be  removed  from 
the  giddy  heights  of  ambition,  and  die  at  last  with  some 
hopes  of  being  a  saint.  Fair  lady,  thou  travellest  on  a  boot- 
less errand,  if  I  know  the  reason  that  tempts  thee  to  cross 
the  Alps  at  this  late  season  of  the  year." 

This  sudden  address  caused  both  Adelheid  and  her  father 
to  start,  for,  in  despite  of  pride  and  the  force  of  reason,  it 
is  seldom  that  we  can  completely  redeem  our  opinions 
from  the  shackles  of  superstition,  and  that  dread  of  the  un- 
seen future  which  appears  to  have  been  entailed  upon  our 
nature,  as  a  ceaseless  monitor  of  the  eternal  state  of  being 
to  which  all  are  hastening,  with  steps  so  noiseless  and  yet 
so  sure.  The  countenance  of  the  maiden  changed,  and  she 
turned  a  quick,  involuntary  glance  at  her  anxious  parent, 
as  if  to  note  the  effect  of  this  rude  announcement  on  him 
before  she  answered. 

"  I  go  in  quest  of  the  blessing,  health,"  she  said,  "and  I 
should  be  sorry  to  think  thy  prognostic  likely  to  be  real- 
ized. With  youth,  a  good  constitution,  and  tender  friends 
on  my  side,  there  is  reason  to  think  thou  mayest,  in  this  at 
least,  prove  a  false  prophet." 


5  6  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  Lady,  hast  thou  hope  ?  " 

Pippo  ventured  this  question  as  he  had  adventured  his 
opinion  ;  that  is  to  say,  recklessly,  pretendingly,  and  with 
great  indifference  to  any  effect  it  might  have,  except  as  it 
was  likely  to  establish  his  reputation  with  the  crowd.  Still, 
it  would  seem  that,  by  one  of  those  singular  coincidences 
that  are  hourly  occurring  in  real  life,  he  had  unwittingly 
touched  a  sensitive  chord  in  the  system  of  his  fair  fellow 
traveller.  Her  eyes  sank  to  the  deck  at  this  abrupt  question, 
the  color  again  stole  to  her  polished  temples,  and  the  least 
practised  in  the  emotions  of  the  sex  might  have  detected 
painful  embarrassment  in  her  mien.  She  was,  however, 
spared  the  awkwardness  of  a  reply,  by  the  unexpected  and 
prompt  interference  of  Maso. 

"  Hope  is  the  last  of  our  friends  to  prove  recreant,"  said 
this  mariner,  "  else  would  the  cases  of  many  in  company 
be  bad  enough,  thine  own  included,  Pippo  ;  for,  judging 
by  the  outward  signs,  the  Swabian  campaign  has  not  been 
rich  in  spoils." 

"  Providence  has  ordered  the  harvest  of  wit  much  as  it 
has  ordered  the  harvests  of  the  field,"  returned  the  juggler, 
who  felt  the  sarcasm  of  the  other's  remark  with  all  the 
poignancy  that  it  could  derive  from  truth  ;  since,  to  ex- 
pose his  real  situation,  he  was  absolutely  indebted  to  an 
extraordinary  access  of  generosity  in  Baptiste  for  his  very 
passage  across  the  Leman.  "  One  year,  thou  shalt  find  the 
vineyard  dripping  liquors  precious  as  diamonds,  while  in 
the  next  barrenness  shall  make  it  its  seat.  To-day  the 
peasant  will  complain  that  poverty  prevents  him  from 
building  the  covering  necessary  to  house  his  crops,  while 
to-morrow  he  will  be  heard  groaning  over  empty  garners. 
Abundance  and  famine  travel  the  earth  hard  upon  each 
other's  heels,  and  it  is  not  surprising  that  he  who  lives  by 
his  wits  should  sometimes  fail  of  his  harvest,  as  well  as  he 
who  lives  by  his  hands." 

"If  constant  custom  can  secure  success,  the  pious  Con- 
rad should  be  prosperous,"  answered  Maso,  "for,  of  all 
machinery,  that  of  sin  is  the  least  seldom  idle.  His  trade 
at  least  can  never  fail  for  want  of  employers." 

"  Thou  hast  it,  Signor  Maso  ;  and  it  is  for  this  especial 
reason  that  I  wish  my  parents  had  educated  me  for  a 
bishopric.  He  that  is  charged  with  reproving  his  fellow- 
creatures  for  their  vices  need  never  know  an  idle  hour." 

"  Thou  dost  not  understand  what   thou  sayest,"  put   in 


THE  HEADSMAN.  57 

4 

Conrad  ;  "  love  for  the  saints  has  much  fallen  away  since 
my  youth,  and  where  there  is  one  Christian  ready  now  to 
bestow  his  silver,  in  order  to  get  the  blessing  of  some  fa- 
vorite shrine,  there  were  then  ten.  I  have  heard  the  elders 
of  us  pilgrims  say  that  fifty  years  since  'twas  a  pleasure  to 
bear  the  sins  of  a  whole  parish,  for  ours  is  a  business  in 
which  the  load  does  not  so  much  depend  on  the  amount 
as  the  quality  ;  and  in  their  time  there  were  willing  offer- 
ings, frank  confessions,  and  generous  consideration  for 
those  who  undertook  the  toil." 

"  In  such  a  trade,  the  less  thou  hast  to  answer  for  in 
behalf  of  others,  the  more  will  pass  to  thy  credit  on  the 
score  of  thine  own  backslidings,"  pithily  remarked  Nick- 
laus  Wagner,  who  was  a  sturdy  Protestant,  and  apt  enough 
at  levelling  these  side-hits  at  those  who  professed  a  faith 
obnoxious  to  the  attacks  of  all  who  dissented  from  the 
opinions  and  the  spiritual  domination  of  Rome. 

But  Conrad  was  a  rare  specimen  of  what  may  be 
eifected  by  training  and  well-rooted  prejudices.  In  pre- 
senting this  man  to  the  mind  of  the  reader,  we  have  no  in- 
tention to  impugn  the  doctrines  of  the  particular  church 
to  which  he  belonged,  but  simply  to  show,  as  the  truth 
will  fully  warrant,  to  what  a  pass  of  flagrant  and  impudent 
pretension  the  qualities  of  man,  unbridled  by  the  whole- 
some corrective  of  a  sound  and  healthful  opinion,  were 
capable  of  conducting  abuses  on  the  most  solemn  and 
gravest  subjects.  In  that  age  usages  prevailed,  and  were 
so  familiar  to  the  minds  of  the  actors  as  to  excite  neither 
reflection  nor  comment,  which  would  now  lead  to  revolu- 
tions, and  a  general  rising  in  defence  of  principles  which 
are  held  to  be  clear  as  the  air  we  breathe.  Though  we  en- 
tertain no  doubt  of  the  existence  of  that  truth  which  per- 
vades the  universe,  and  to  which  all  things  tend,  we  think 
the  world,  in  its  practices,  its  theories,  and  its  convention- 
al standards  of  right  and  wrong,  is  in  a  condition  of  con- 
stant change,  which  it  should  be  the  business  of  the  wise 
and  good  to  favor,  so  long  as  care  is  had  that  the  advan- 
tage is  not  bought  by  reaction  of  evil  that  shall  more  than 
prove  its  counterpoise.  Conrad  was  one  of  the  lowest 
class  of  those  fungi  that  grow  out  of  the  decayed  parts  of 
the  moral,  as  their  more  material  types  prove  the  rotten- 
ness of  the  vegetable  world  ;  and  the  probability  of  the 
truth  of  the  portraiture  is  not  to  be  loosely  denied,  without 
mature  reflection  on  the  similar  anomalies  that  are  yet  to  be 


5  S  THE   HEADSMAN. 

• 

found  on  every  side  of  us,  or  without  studying  the  history 
of  the  abuses  which  then  disgraced  Christianity,  and 
which,  in  truth,  became  so  intolerable  in  their  character, 
and  so  hideous  in  their  features,  as  to  be  the  chief  influ- 
encing cause  to  bring  about  their  own  annihilation. 

Pippo,  who  had  that  useful  tact  which  enables  a  man  to 
measure  his  own  estimation  with  others,  was  not  slow  to 
perceive  that  the  more  enlightened  part  of  his  audience  be- 
gan to  tire  of  this  pretending  buffoonery.  Resorting  to  a 
happy  subterfuge,  by  means  of  one  of  his  sleight-of-hand 
expedients,  he  succeeded  in  transferring  the  whole  of  that 
portion  of  the  spectators  who  still  found  amusement  in  his 
jugglery  to  the  other  end  of  the  vessel,  where  they  estab- 
lished themselves  among  the  anchors,  ready  as  ever  to 
swallow  an  aliment  that  seems  to  find  an  inextinguishable 
appetite  for  its  reception  among  the  vulgar.  Here  he  con- 
tinued his  exhibition,  now  moralizing  in  the  quaint  and 
often  in  the  pithy  manner  which  renders  the  southern  buf- 
foon so  much  superior  to  his  duller  competitor  of  the  north, 
and  uttering  a  wild  jumble  of  wholesome  truths,  loose  mo- 
rality, and  witty  innuendoes,  the  latter  of  which  never  failed 
to  extort  roars  of  laughter  from  all  but  those  who  happened 
to  be  their  luckless  subjects. 

Once  or  twice  Baptiste  raised  his  head,  and  stared  about 
him  with  drowsy  eyes,  but,  satisfied  there  was  nothing  to 
be  done  in  the  way  of  forcing  the  vessel  ahead,  he  resumed 
his  nap,  without  interfering  in  the  pastime  of  those  whom 
he  had  hitherto  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  annoying.  Left 
entirely  to  themselves,  therefore,  the  crowd  on  the  fore- 
castle represented  one  of  those  every-day  but  profitable 
pictures  of  life  which  abound  under  our  eyes,  but  which, 
though  they  are  pregnant  with  instruction,  are  treated  with 
the  indifference  that  would  seem  to  be  the  inevitable  con- 
sequence of  familiarity. 

The  crowded  and  overloaded  bark  might  have  been  com- 
pared to  the  vessel  of  human  life,  which  floats  at  all  times, 
subject  to  the  thousand  accidents  of  a  delicate  and  compli- 
cated machinery,  the  lake  so  smooth  and  alluring  in  its 
present  tranquillity,  but  so  capable  of  clashing  its  iron- 
bound  coasts  with  fury,  to  a  treacherous  world,  whose  smile 
is  almost  always  as  dangerous  as  its  frown  ;  and,  to  com- 
plete the  picture,  the  idle,  laughing,  thoughtless,  and  yet 
inflammable  group  that  surrounded  the  buffoon,  to  the  un- 
accountable medley  of  human  sympathies,  of  sudden  and 


THE  HEADSMAN'.  59 

fierce  passions,  of  fun  and  frolic,  so  inexplicably  mingled 
with  the  grossest  egotism  that  enters  into  the  heart  of 
man  :  in  a  word,  to  so  much  that  is  beautiful  and  divine, 
with  so  much  that  would  seem  to  be  derived  directly  from 
the  demons,  a  compound  which  composes  this  mysterious 
and  dread  state  of  being,  and  which  we  are  taught,  by 
reason  and  revelation,  is  only  a  preparation  for  another 
still  more  incomprehensible  and  wonderful. 


CHAPTER  V. 

"  How  like  a  fawning  publican  he  looks  ! " — Shylock. 

THE  change  of  the  juggler's  scene  of  action  left  the  party 
in  the  stern  of  the  barge  in  quiet  possession  of  their  portion 
of  the  vessel.  Baptiste  and  his  boatmen  still  slept  among 
the  boxes  ;  Maso  continued  to  pace  his  elevated  platform 
above  their  heads  ;  and  the  meek-looking  stranger,  whose 
entrance  into  the  barge  had  drawn  so  many  witticisms 
from  Pippo,  sat  a  little  apart,  silent,  furtively  observant, 
and  retiring,  in  the  identical  spot  he  had  occupied  through- 
out the  day.  With  these  exceptions,  the  whole  of  the  rest 
of  the  travellers  were  crowding  around  the  person  of  the 
mountebank.  Perhaps,  we  have  not  done  well,  how- 
ever, in  classing  either  of  the  two  just  named  with  the 
more  common  herd,  for  there  were  strong  points  of 
difference  to  distinguish-  both  from  most  of  their  com- 
panions. 

The  exterior  and  the  personal  appointments  of  the  un- 
known traveller,  who  had  shrunk  so  sensitively  before  the 
hits  of  the  Neapolitan,  were  greatly  superior  to  those  of 
any  other  in  the  bark  beneath  the  degree  of  the  gentle, 
not  even  excepting  those  of  the  warm  peasant  Nicklaus 
Wagner,  the  owner  of  so  large  a  portion  of  the  freight. 
There  was  a  decency  of  air  that  commanded  more  respect 
than  it  was  then  usual  to  yield  to  the  nameless,  a  quietness 
of  demeanor  that  denoted  reflection,  and  the  habit  of  self- 
study  and  self-correction,  together  with  a  deference  to 
others  that  was  well  adapted  to  gain  friends.  In  the  midst 
of  the  noisy,  clamorous  merriment  of  all  around  him,  his 
restrained  and  rebuked  manner  had  won  upon  the  favor 
of  the  more  privileged  who  had  unavoidably  noticed  the 


60  THE   HEADSMAN-. 

difference,  and  had  prepared  the  way  to  a  more  frank  com- 
munication between  the  party  of  the  noble,  and  one  who, 
if  not  their  equal  in  the  usual  points  of  worldly  distinction, 
was  greatly  superior  to  those  among  whom  he  had  been  ac- 
cidentally cast  by  the  chances  of  his  journey.  Not  so  with 
Maso  ;  he,  apparently,  had  little  in  common  with  the  un- 
obtruding  and  silent  being  that  sat  so  near  his  path,  in  the 
short  turns  he  was  making  to  and  fro  across  the  pile  of 
freight.  The  mariner  was  much  the  younger,  his  years 
scarcely  reaching  thirty,  while  the  head  of  the  unknown 
traveller  was  already  beginning  to  be  sprinkled  with  gray. 
The  walk,  attitudes,  and  gestures  of  the  former,  were  also 
those  of  a  man  confident  of  himself,  a  little  addicted  to  be 
indifferent  to  others,  and  far  more  disposed  to  lead  than  to 
follow.  These  are  qualities  that  it  may  be  thought  his 
present  situation  was  scarcely  suited  to  discover,  but  they 
had  been  made  sufficiently  apparent  by  the  cool,  cal- 
culating looks  he  threw,  from  time  to  time,  at  the  ma- 
noeuvres commanded  by  Baptiste,  the  expressive  sneer  with 
which  he  criticised  his  decisions,  and  a  few  biting  remarks 
which  had  escaped  him  in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  which 
had  conveyed  anything  but  compliments  to  the  nautical 
skill  of  the  patron  and  his  fresh-water  followers.  Still 
there  were  signs  of  better  stuff  in  this  suspicious-looking 
person  than  are  usually  seen  about  men  whose  attire,  pur- 
suits, and  situation,  are  so  indicative  of  the  world's  press- 
ing hard  upon  their  principles,  as  happened  to  be  the  fact 
with  this  poor  and  unknown  seaman.  Though  ill  clad, 
and  wearing  about  him  the  general  tokens  of  a  vagrant 
life,  and  that  close  connection  with  society  that  is  usually 
taken  as  sufficient  evidence  of  one's  demerits,  his  counte- 
nance occasionally  denoted  thought,  and,  during  the  day, 
his  eye  had  frequently  wandered  toward  the  group  of  his 
more  intelligent  fellow  passengers,  as  if  he  found  sub- 
jects of  greater  interest  in  their  discourse,  than  in  the 
rude  pleasantries  and  practical  jokes  of  those  nearer  his 
person. 

The  high  bred  are  always  courteous,  except  in  cases 
in  which  presumption  repels  civility  ;  for  they  who  are  ac- 
customed to  the  privileges  of  station,  think  far  less  of 
their  immunities  than  they,  who,  by  being  excluded  from 
the  fancied  advantages,  are  apt  to  exaggerate  a  superiority 
that  a  short  experience  would  show  becomes  of  very 
questionable  value  in  the  possession.  Without  the  equitable 


THE  HEADSMAN;  61 

provision  of  Providence,  the  laws  of  civilized  society  would 
become  truly  intolerable,  for,  if  peace  of  mind,  pleasure, 
and  what  is  usually  termed  happiness,  were  the  exclusive 
enjoyment  of  those  who  are  rich  and  honored,  there 
would,  indeed,  be  so  crying  an  injustice  in  their  present 
ordinances  as  could  not  long  withstand  the  united  assaults 
of  reason  and  justice.  But,  happily  for  the  relief  of  the 
less  gifted  and  the  peace  of  the  world,  the  fact  is  very  dif- 
ferent. Wealth  has  its  peculiar  woes  ;  honors  and  privi' 
leges  pall  in  the  use  ;  and,  perhaps,  as  a  rule,  there  is  less 
of  that  regulated  contentment,  which  forms  the  nearest 
approach  to  the  condition  of  the  blessed  of  which  this  un- 
quiet state  of  being  is  susceptible,  among  those  who  are 
usually  the  most  envied  by  their  fellow  creatures,  than  in 
any  other  of  the  numerous  gradations  into  which  the 
social  scale  has  been  divided.  He  who  reads  our  present 
legend  with  the  eyes  that  we  could  wish,  will  find  in  its 
moral  the  illustration  of  this  truth  ;  for,  if  it  is  our  inten- 
tion to  delineate  some  of  the  wrongs  that  spring  from  the 
abuses  of  the  privileged  and  powerful,  we  hope  equally  to 
show  how  completely  they  fall  short  of  their  object,  by  fail- 
ing to  confer  that  exclusive  happiness  which  is  the  goal 
that  all  struggle  to  attain. 

Neither  the  Baron  de  Willading,  nor  his  noble  friend,  the 
Genoese,  though  educated  in  the  opinions  of  their  caste, 
and  necessarily  under  the  influence  of  the  prejudices  of 
the  age,  was  addicted  to  the  insolence  of  vulger  pride. 
Their  habits  had  revolted  at  the  coarseness  of  the  majority 
of  the  travellers,  and  they  were  glad  to  be  rid  of  them  by 
the  expedient  of  Pippo  ;  but  no  sooner  did  the  modest, 
decent  air  of  the  stranger  who  remained,  make  itself  ap- 
parent, than  they  felt  a  desire  to  compensate  him  for  the 
privations  he  had  already  undergone,  by  showing  the 
civilities  that  their  own  rank  rendered  so  easy  and  usually 
so  grateful.  With  this  view,  then,  as  soon  as  the  noisy 
troupe  had  departed,  the  Signor  Grimaldi  raised  his  beaver 
with  that  discreet  and  imposing  politeness  which  equally 
attracts  and  repels,  and  addressing  the  solitary  stranger, 
he  invited  him  to  descend,  and  stretch  his  legs  on  the 
part  of  the  deck  which  had  hitherto  been  considered  ex- 
clusively devoted  to  the  use  of  his  own  party.  The  other 
started,  reddened,  and  looked  like  one  who  doubted 
whether  he  had  heard  aright. 

"  These  noble  gentlemen  would  be  glad  if  you  would 


62  THE  HEADSMAN. 

come  down,  and  take  advantage  of  this  opportunity  to  re* 
lieve  your  limbs,"  said  the  young  Sigismund,  raising  his 
own  athletic  arm  toward  the  stranger,  to  offer  its  assistance 
in  helping  him  to  reach  the  deck. 

Still  the  unknown  traveller  hesitated,  in  the  manner  of 
one  who  fears  he  might  overstep  discretion  by  obtruding 
beyond  the  limits  imposed  by  modesty.  He  glanced  fur- 
tively upward  at  the  place  where  Maso  had  posted  himself, 
and  muttered  something  of  an  intention  to  profit  by  its 
present  nakedness. 

"  It  has  an  occupant  who  does  not  seem  disposed  to  ad- 
mit another,"  said  Sigismund,  smiling  ;  "  your  mariner  has 
a  self-possession  when  afloat,  that  usually  gives  him  the 
same  superiority  that  the  well-armed  swasher  has  among 
the  timid  in  the  street  You  would  do  well,  then,  to  accept 
the  offer  of  the  noble  Genoese." 

The  stranger,  who  had  once  or  twice  been  called  rather 
ostentatiously  by  Baptiste  the  Herr  MUller,  during  the 
day,  as  if  the  patron  were  disposed  to  let  his  hearers  know 
that  he  had  those  who  at  least  bore  creditable  names,  even 
among  his  ordinary  passengers,  no  longer  delayed.  He 
came  down  from  his  seat,  and  moved  about  the  deck,  in 
his  usual  quiet,  subdued  manner,  but  in  away  to  show  that 
he  found  a  very  sensible  and  grateful  relief  in  being  per- 
mitted to  make  the  change.  Sigismund  was  rewarded  for 
this  act  of  good  nature  by  a  smile  from  Adelheid,  who 
thought  his  warm  interference  in  behalf  of  one,  seemingly 
so  much  his  inferior,  did  no  discredit  to  his  rank.  It  is 
possible  that  the  youthful  soldier  had  some  secret  senti- 
ment of  the  advantage  he  derived  from  his  kind  interest  in 
the  stranger,  for  his  brow  flushed,  and  he  looked  more  sat- 
isfied with  himself,  after  fhis  little  office  of  humanity  had 
been  performed. 

"  You  are  better  among  us  here,"  the  Baron  kindly  ob- 
served, when  the  Herr  Miiller  was  fairly  established  in  his 
new  situation,  "  than  among  the  freight  of  the  honest  Nick- 
laus  Wagner,  who,  Heaven  help  the  worthy  peasant !  has 
loaded  us  fairly  to  the  water's  edge  with  the  notable  in- 
dustry of  his  dairy  people.  I  like  to  witness  the  prosperity 
of  our  burghers,  but  it  would  have  been  better  for  us 
travellers,  at  least,  had  there  been  less  of  the  wealth  of 
honest  Nicklaus  in  our  company.  Are  you  of  Berne,  or  of 
Zurich?" 

"  Of  Berne,  Herr  Baron." 


THE  HEADSMAN.  63 

"  I  might  have  guessed  that,  by  finding  you  on  the  Gen- 
fer  See,  instead  of  on  the  Wallenstatter.  There  are  many 
of  the  Miillers  in  the  Emmen  Thai  ?" 

"  The  Herr  is  right  ;  the  name  is  frequent,  both  in  that 
valley,  and  in  Entlibuch." 

"  It  is  a  frequent  appellation  among  us  of  the  Teutonic 
stock.  I  had  many  M tillers  in  my  company,  Gaetano, 
when  we  lay  before  Mantua.  I  remember  that  two  of  the 
brave  fellows  were  buried  in  the  marshes  of  that  low  coun- 
try ;  for  the  fever  helped  the  enemy  as  much  as  the  sword 
in  the  life-wasting  campaign  of  the  year  we  besieged  the 
place." 

The  more  observant  Italian  saw  that  the  stranger  was 
distressed  by  the  personal  nature  of  the  conversation,  and, 
while  he  quietly  assented  to  his  friend's  remark,  he  took 
occasion  to  give  it  a  new  direction. 

"You  travel,  like  ourselves,  signore,  to  get  a  look  at 
these  far-famed  revels  of  the  Vevasians  ?" 

"  That  and  affairs  have  brought  me  into  this  honorable 
company,"  answered  the  Herr  M  tiller,  whom  no  kindness 
of  tone,  however,  could  win  from  his  timid  and  subdued 
manner  of  speaking.  "And  thou,  father,"  turning  to  the 
Augustine,  "art  journeying  toward  thy  mountain  resi- 
dence, after  a  visit  of  love  to  the  valleys  and  their  people  ? " 

The  monk  of  St.  Bernard  assented  to  the  truth  of  this 
remark,  explaining  the  manner  in  which  his  community 
were  accustomed  annually  to  appeal  to  the  liberality  of 
the  generous  in  Switzerland,  in  behalf  of  an  institution 
that  was  founded  in  the  interest  of  humanity,  without  ref- 
erence to  distinction  of  faith. 

"  'Tis  a  blessed  brotherhood,"  answered  the  Genoese, 
crossing  himself,  perhaps  as  much  from  habit  as  from  de- 
votion, "  and  the  traveller  need  wish  it  well.  I  have  never 
shared  your  hospitality,  but  all  report  speaks  fairly  of  it, 
and  the  title  of  a  brother  of  San  Bernardo  should  prove  a 
passport  to  the  favor  of  every  Christian." 

"Signore,"  said  Maso,  stopping  suddenly,  and  taking 
his  part  uninvited  in  the  discourse,  and  yet  in  a  way  to 
avoid  the  appearance  of  an  impertinent  interference, 
"  none  know  this  better  than  I  !  A  wanderer  these  many 
years,  I  have  often  seen  the  stony  roof  of  the  hospice  with 
as  much  pleasure  as  I  have  ever  beheld  the  entrance  of 
my  haven,  when  an  adverse  gale  was  pressing  against  my 
canvas.  Honor  and  a  rich  quete  to  the  clavier  of  the  con- 


64  THE  HEADSMAN. 

vent,  therefore,  for  it  is  bringing  succor  to  the  poor  and 
rest  to  the  weary  !  " 

As  he  uttered  this  opinion,  Maso  decorously  raised  his 
cap,  and  pursued  his  straitened  walk  with  the  industry  of 
a  caged  tiger.  It  was  so  unusual  for  one  of  his  condition 
to  obtrude  on  the  discourse  of  the  fair  and  noble,  that  the 
party  exchanged  looks  of  surprise  ;  but  the  Signor  Gri- 
maldi,  more  accustomed  than  most  of  his  friends  to  the 
frank  deportment  and  bold  speech  of  mariners,  from  hav- 
ing dwelt  long  on  the  coast  of  the  Mediterranean,  felt  dis- 
posed rather  to  humor  than  to  repulse  this  disposition  to 
talk. 

"Thou  art  a  Genoese,  by  thy  dialect,"  he  said,  assuming 
as  a  matter  of  course  the  right  to  question  one  of  years  so 
much  fewer,  and  of  a  condition  so  much  inferior  to  his 
own. 

"  Signore,"  returned  Maso,  uncovering  himself  again, 
though  his  manner  betrayed  profound  personal  respect 
rather  than  the  deference  of  the  vulgar,  "  I  was  born  in 
the  city  of  palaces,  though  it  was  my  fortune  first  to  see 
the  light  beneath  a  humble  roof.  The  poorest  of  us  are 
proud  of  the  splendor  of  Geneva  la  Superba,  even  if  its 
glory  has  come  from  our  own  groans." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  frowned.  But  ashamed  to  permit 
himself  to  be  disturbed  by  an  allusion  so  vague,  and  per- 
haps so  unpremeditated,  and  more  especially  coming  as  it 
did  from  so  insignificant  a  source,  his  brow  regained  its 
expression  of  habitual  composure. 

An  instant  of  reflection  told  him  it  would  be  in  better 
taste  to  continue  the  conversation,  than  churlishly  to  cut 
it  short  for  so  light  a  cause. 

"Thou  art  too  young  to  have  had  much  connection, 
either  in  advantage  or  in  suffering,"  he  rejoined,  "with  the 
erection  of  the  gorgeous  dwellings  to  which  thou  alludest." 

"  This  is  true,  signore,  except  as  one  is  better  or  worse 
for  those  who  have  gone  before  him.  I  am  what  I  seem, 
more  by  the  acts  of  others  than  by  any  faults  of  my  own. 
I  envy  not  the  rich  or  great,  however  ;  for  one  that  has 
seen  as  much  of  life  as  I,  knows  the  difference  between 
the  gay  colors  of  the  garment,  and  that  of  the  shrivelled 
and  diseased  skin  it  conceals.  We  make  our  feluccas  glit- 
tering and  fine  with  paint,  when  their  timbers  work  the 
most,  and  when  the  treacherous  planks  are  ready  to  let  in 
the  sea  to  drown  us." 


THE  HEADSMAN.  65 

"  Thou  hast  the  philosophy  of  it,  young  man,  and  hast 
uttered  a  biting  truth,  for  those  who  waste  their  prime  in 
chasing  a  phantom.  Thou  hast  well  bethought  thee  of 
these  matters,  for,  if  content  with  thy  lot,  no  palace  of  our 
city  would  make  thee  happier." 

"If,  signore,  is  a  meaning  word!  Content  is  like  the 
northern  star — we  seamen  steer  for  it,  while  none  can  ever 
reach  it!  " 

"Am  I  then  deceived  in  thee,  after  all  ?  Is  thy  seeming 
moderation  only  affected  ;  and  wouldst  thou  be  the  patron 
of  the  bark  in  which  fortune  hath  made  thee  only  a  pas- 
senger?" 

"  And  a  bad  fortune  it  hath  proved,"  returned  Maso, 
laughing.  "  We  appear  fated  to  pass  the  night  in  it,  for, 
so  far  from  seeing  any  signs  of  this  land-breeze  of  which 
Baptiste  has  so  confidently  spoken,  the  air  seems  to  have 
gone  to  sleep  as  well  as  the  crew.  Thou  art  accustomed 
to  this  climate,  reverend  Augustine  ;  is  it  usual  to  see  so 
deep  a  calm  on  the  Leman  at  this  late  season  ?" 

A  question  like  this  was  well  adapted  to  effect  the 
speaker's  wish  to  change  the  discourse,  for  it  very  naturally 
directed  the  attention  of  all  present  from  a  subject  that 
was  rather  tolerated  from  idleness  than  interesting  in  itself, 
to  the  different  natural  phenomena  by  which  they  were 
surrounded.  The  sunset  had  now  fairly  passed,  and  the 
travellers  were  at  the  witching  moment  that  precedes  the 
final  disappearance  of  the  day.  A  calm  so  deep  rested  on 
the  limpid  lake,  that  it  was  not  easy  to  distinguish  the  line 
which  separated  the  two  elements,  in  those  places  where 
the  blue  of  the  land  was  confounded  with  the  well-known 
and  peculiar  color  of  the  Leman. 

The  precise  position  of  the  Winkelriedwas  near  midway 
between  the  shores  of  Vaud  and  those  of  Savoy,  though 
nearer  to  the  first  than  to  the  last.  Not  another  sail  was 
visible  on  the  whole  of  the  watery  expanse,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  that  hung  lazily  from  its  yard,  in  a  small 
bark  that  was  pulling  toward  St.  Gingoulph,  bearing  Savoy- 
ards returning  to  their  homes  from  the  other  side  of  the 
lake,  and  which,  in  that  delusive  landscape,  appeared  to 
the  eye  to  be  within  a  stone's  throw  of  the  base  of  the 
mountain,  though  in  truth  still  a  weary  row  from  the  land. 

Nature  has  spread  her  work  on  a  scale  so  magnificent 
in  this  sublime  region  that  ocular  deceptions  of  this  char- 
acter abound,  and  it  requires  time  and  practice  to  judge 


66  THE  HEADSMAN-. 

of  those  measurements  which  have  been  rendered  familial 
in  other  scenes.  In  like  manner  to  the  bark  under  the 
rocks  of  Savoy,  there  lay  another,  a  heavy-moulded  boat, 
nearly  in  a  line  with  Villeneuve,  which  seemed  to  float  in 
the  air  instead  of  its  proper  element,  and  whose  oars  were 
seen  to  rise  and  fall  beneath  a  high  mound,  that  was  ren- 
dered shapeless  by  refraction.  This  was  a  craft  bearing 
hay  from  the  meadows  at  the  mouth  of  the  Rhone  to  their 
proprietors  in  the  villages  of  the  Swiss  coast.  A  few  light 
boats  were  pulling  about  in  front  of  the  town  of  Vevey, 
and  a  forest  of  low  masts  and  latine  yards,  seen  in  the  hun~ 
dred  picturesque  attitudes  peculiar  to  the  rig,  crowded  the 
wild  anchorage  that  is  termed  its  port. 

An  air-line  drawn  from  St.  Saphorin  to  Meillerie,  would 
have  passed  between  the  spars  of  the  Winkelried  ;  her  dis- 
tance from  her  haven,  consequently,  a  little  exceeded  a 
marine  league.  This  space  might  readily  have  been  con- 
quered in  an  hour  or  two  by  means  of  the  sweeps,  but  for 
the  lumbered  condition  of  the  decks,  which  would  have 
rendered  their  use  difficult,  and  the  unusual  draught  of  the 
bark,  which  would  have  caused  the  exertion  to  be  painful. 
As  it  has  been  seen,  Baptiste  preferred  waiting  for  the  ar- 
rival of  the  night  breeze  to  having  recourse  to  an  expedi- 
ent so  toilsome  and  slow. 

We  have  already  said,  that  the  point  just  described  was 
at  the  place  where  the  Leman  fairly  enters  its  eastern  horn, 
and  where  its  shores  possess  their  boldest  and  finest  faces. 
On  the  side  of  Savoy,  the  coast  was  a  sublime  wall  of  rocks, 
here  and  there  clothed  with  chestnuts,  or  indented  with 
ravines  and  dark  glens,  and  naked*  and  wild  along  the 
whole  line  of  their  giddy  summits.  The  villages  so  fre- 
quently mentioned,  and  which  have  become  celebrated  in 
these  later  times  by  the  touch  of  genius,  clung  to  the  un- 
even declivities,  their  lower  dwellings  laved  by  the  lake, 
and  their  upper  confounded  by  the  rugged  faces  of  the 
mountains.  Beyond  the  limits  of  the  Leman,  the  Alps 
shot  up  in  still  higher  pinnacles,  occasionally  showing  one 
of  those  naked  excrescences  of  granite,  which  rise  for  a 
thousand  feet  above  the  rest  of  the  range — a  trifle  in  the 
stupendous  scale  of  the  vast  piles — and  which,  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  country,  are  not  inaptly  termed  Dents,  from 
some  fancied  and  plausible  resemblance  to  human  teeth. 
The  verdant  meadows  of  Noville,  Aigle,  and  Bex,  spread 
for  leagues  between  these  snow-capped  barriers,  so  dwitv 


THE  HEADSMAN.  67 

died  to  the  eye,  however,  that  the  spectator  believed  that 
to  be  a  mere  bottom,  which  was,  in  truth,  a  broad  and  fer- 
tile plain.  Beyond  these  again,  came  the  celebrated  pass 
of  St.  Maurice,  where  the  foaming  Rhone  dashed  between 
two  abutments  of  rock,  as  if  anxious  to  effect  its  exit  be- 
fore the  superincumbent  mountains  could  come  together, 
and  shut  it  out  forever  from  the  inviting  basin  to  which  it 
was  hurrying  with  a  never-ceasing  din.  Behind  this  gorge, 
so  celebrated  as  the  key  of  the  Valais,  and  even  of  the  Alps 
in  the  time  of  the  conquerors  of  the  world,  the  background 
took  a  character  of  holy  mystery.  The  shades  of  evening 
lay  thick  in  that  enormous  glen,  which  was  sufficiently 
large  to  contain  a  sovereign  state,  and  the  dark  piles  of 
mountains  beyond  were  seen  in  a  hazy,  confused  array. 
The  setting  was  a  gray  boundary  of  rocks,  on  which  fleecy 
clouds  rested,  as  if  tired  with  their  long  and  high  flight^ 
and  on  which  the  parting  day  still  lingered  soft  and  lucid. 
One  cone  of  dazzling  white  towered  over  all.  It  resembled 
a  bright  stepping-stone  between  heaven  and  earth,  the 
heat  of  the  hot  sun  falling  innocuously  against  its  sides, 
like  the  cold  and  pure  breast  of  a  virgin  repelling  those 
treacherous  sentiments  which  prove  the  ruin  of  a  shining 
and  glorious  innocence.  Across  the  summit  of  this  brill- 
iant and  cloudlike  peak,  which  formed  the  most  distant 
object  in  the  view,  ran  the  imaginary  line  that  divided  Ita- 
ly from  the  regions  of  the  north.  Drawing  nearer,  and 
holding  its  course  on  the  opposite  shore,  the  eye  embraced 
the  range  of  rampart-like  rocks  that  beetle  over  Villeneuve 
and  Chillon,  the  latter  a  snow-white  pile  that  seemed  to 
rest  partly  on  the  land  and  partly  on  the  water.  On  the 
vast  debris  of  the  mountains  clustered  the  hamlets  of  Clar- 
ens,  Montreux,  Chatelard,  and  all  those  other  places,  since 
rendered  so  familiar  to  the  reader  of  fiction  by  the  vivid 
pen  of  Rousseau.  Above  the  latter  village,  the  whole  of 
the  savage  and  rocky  range  receded,  leaving  the  lake-shore 
to  vine-clad  cotes  that  stretch  away  far  to  the  wrest. 

This  scene,  at  all  times  alluring  and  grand,  was  now  be- 
held under  its  most  favorable  auspices.  The  glare  of  day 
had  deserted  all  that  belonged  to  what  might  be  termed 
the  lower  world,  leaving  in  its  stead  the  mild  hues,  the 
pleasing  shadows,  and  the  varying  tints  of  twilight.  It  is 
true  that  a  hundred  chalets  dotted  the  Alps,  or  those 
mountain  pasturages  which  spread  themselves  a  thousand 
fathoms  above  the  Leman,  on  the  foundation  of  rock  that 


68  THE  HEADSMAN. 

lay  like  a  wall  behind  Montreux,  shining  still  with  the 
brightness  of  a  bland  even,  but  all  below  was  fast  catching 
the  more  sombre  colors  of  the  hour. 

As  the  transition  from  day  to  night  grew  more  palpable, 
the  hamlets  of  Savoy  became  gray  and  hazy,  the  shades 
thickened  around  the  bases  of  the  mountains  in  a  manner 
to  render  their  forms  indistinct  and  massive,  and  the  milder 
glory  of  the  scene  was  transferred  to  their  summits.  Seen 
by  sunlight,  these  noble  heights  appeared  a  long  range  of 
naked  granite,  piled  on  a  foundation  of  chestnut-covered 
hills,  and  buttressed  by  a  few  such  salient  spurs  as  are 
perhaps  necessary  to  give  variety  and  agreeable  shadows 
to  their  acclivities.  Their  outlines  were  now  drawn  in 
those  waving  lines  that  the  pencil  of  Raphael  would  have 
loved  to  sketch,  dark,  distinct,  and  appearing  to  be  carved 
by  art.  The  inflected  and  capricious  edges  of  the  rocks 
stood  out  in  high  relief  against  the  background  of  pearly 
sky,  resembling  so  much  ebony  wrought  into  every  fan- 
tastic curvature  that  a  wild  and  vivid  fancy  could  conceive. 
Of  all  the  wonderful  and  imposing  sights  of  this  extra- 
ordinary region,  there  is  perhaps  none  in  which  there  is  so 
exquisite  an  admixture  of  the  noble,  the  beautiful,  and 
bewitching,  as  in  this  view  of  these  natural  arabesques  of 
Savoy,  seen  at  the  solemn  hour  of  twilight. 

The  Baron  de  Willading  and  his  friends  stood  uncovered, 
in  reverence  of  the  sublime  picture,  which  could  only 
come  from  the  hands  of  the  Creator,  and  with  unalloyed 
enjoyment  of  the  bland  tranquillity  of  the  hour.  Excla- 
mations of  pleasure  had  escaped  them,  as  the  exhibition 
advanced  ;  for  the  view,  like  the  shifting  of  scenes,  was  in 
a  constant  state  of  transition  under  the  waning  and  chang- 
ing light,  and  each  had  eagerly  pointed  out  to  the  others 
some  peculiar  charm  of  the  view.  The  sight  was,  in  sooth, 
of  a  nature  to  preclude  selfishness,  no  one  catching  a 
glimpse  that  he  did  not  wish  to  be  shared  by  all.  Vevey, 
their  journey,  the  fleeting  minutes,  and  their  disappoint- 
ment, were  all  forgotten  in  the  delight  of  witnessing  this 
evening  landscape,  and  the  silence  was  broken  only  to  ex- 
press those  feelings  of  delight  which  had  long  been  up- 
permost in  every  bosom. 

"  I  doff  my  beaver  to  thy  Switzerland,  friend  Melchior," 
cried  the  Signer  Grimaldi,  after  directing  the  attention  of 
Adelheid  to  one  of  the  peaks  of  Savoy,  of  which  he  had 
just  remarked  that  it  seemed  a  spot  where  an  angel  might 


THE   HEADSMAN'.  69 

love  to  light  in  his  visits  to  the  earth  ;  "  if  thou  hast  much 
of  this,  we  of  Italy  must  look  to  it,  or — by  the  shades  of 
our  fathers !  we  shall  lose  our  reputation  for  natural  beauty. 
How  is  it,  young  lady  ;  hast  thou  many  of  these  sunsets  at 
Willading  ?  or  is  this,  after  all,  but  an  exception  to  what 
thou  seest  in  common— as  much  a  matter  of  astonishment 
to  thyself,  as — by  San  Francesco !  good  Marcellio,  we  must 
even  own,  it  is  to  thee  and  to  me." 

Adelheid  laughed  at  the  old  noble's  good-humored  rhap- 
sody, but,  much  as  she  loved  her  native  land,  she  could 
not  pervert  the  truth  by  pretending  that  the  sight  was  one 
to  be  often  met  with. 

"If  we  have  not  this,  however,  we  have  our  glaciers,  our 
lakes,  our  cottages,  our  chalets,  our  Oberland,  and  such 
glens  as  have  an  eternal  twilight  of  their  own." 

"Ay,  my  true-hearted  and  pretty  Swiss,  this  is  well  for 
thee  who  wilt  affirm  that  a  drop  of  thy  snow-water  is  worth 
a  thousand  limpid  springs,  or  thou  art  not  the  true  child 
of  old  Melchior  de  Willading  ;  but  it  is  lost  on  the  cooler 
head  of  one  who  has  seen  other  lands.  Father  Xavier, 
thou  art  a  neutral,  for  thy  dwelling  is  on  the  dividing  ridge 
between  the  t\vo  countries,  and  I  appeal  to  thee  to  know  if 
these  Helvetians  have  much  of  this  quality  of  evening  ? " 

The  worthy  monk  met  the  question  in  the  spirit  with 
which  it  was  asked,  for  the  elasticity  of  the  air,  and  the 
heavenly  tranquillity  and  bewitching  loveliness  of  the  hour 
well  disposed  him  to  be  joyous. 

"  To  maintain  my  character  as  an  impartial  judge,"  he 
answered,  "  I  will  say  that  each  region  has  its  own  advan- 
tages. If  Switzerland  is  the  most  wonderful  and  imposing, 
Italy  is  the  most  winning.  The  latter  leaves  more  durable 
impressions,  and  is  more  fondly  cherished.  One  strikes 
the  senses,  but  the  other  slowly  winds  its  way  into  the  af- 
fections ;  and  he  who  has  freely  vented  his  admiration  in 
exclamations  and  epithets  in  one,  will,  in  the  end,  want 
language  to  express  all  the  secret  longings,  the  fond  recol- 
lections, the  deep  repinings,  that  he  retains  for  the  other." 

"  Fairly  reasoned,  friend  Melchior,  and  like  an  able  um- 
pire, leaving  to  each  his  share  of  consolation  and  vanity. 
Herr  Miiller,  dost  thou  agree  in  a  decision  that  gives  thy 
much  vaunted  Switzerland  so  formidable  a  rival  ?" 

"Signore,"  answered  the  meek  traveller,  "I  see  enough 
to  admire  and  love  in  both,  as  is  always  the  fact  with  that 
which  God  hath  formed.  This  is  a  glorious  world  for  the. 


70  THE   HEADSMAN. 

happy,  and  most  might  be  so,  could  they  summon  courage 
to  be  innocent." 

"  The  good  Augustine  will  tell  thee  that  this  bears  hard  on 
certain  points  of  theology,  in  which  our  common  nature  is 
treated  with  but  indifferent  respect.  He  that  would  con- 
tinue innocent  must  struggle  hard  with  his  propensities." 

The  stranger  was  thoughtful,  and  Sigismund,  whose  eye 
had  been  earnestly  riveted  on  his  face,  thought  that  it  de- 
noted more  of  peace  than  usual. 

"  Signore,"  rejoined  the  Herr  Miiller,  when  time  had 
been  given  for  reflection,  "  I  believe  it  is  good  for  us  to 
know  unhappiness.  He  that  is  permitted  too  much  of  his 
own  will  gets  to  be  headstrong,  and,  like  the  overfed  bul- 
lock, difficult  to  be  managed  ;  whereas,  he  who  lives  under 
the  displeasure  of  his  fellow  creatures  is  driven  to  look 
closely  into  himself,  and  comes  at  last  to  chasten  his  spirit 
by  detecting  its  faults." 

."  Art  thou  a  follower  of  Calvin  ? "  demanded  the  Augus- 
tine suddenly,  surprised  to  hear  opinions  so  healthful  in 
the  mouth  of  a  dissenter  from  the  true  Church. 

"  Father,  I  belong  neither  to  Rome  nor  to  the  religion 
of  Geneva.  I  am  an  humble  worshipper  of  God,  and  a  be- 
liever in  the  blessed  mediation  of  his  holy  Son." 

"  How!  Where  dost  thou  find  such  sentiments  out  of  the 
pale  of  the  Church  ?" 

"  In*  mine  own  heart.  This  is  my  temple,  holy  Augus- 
tine, and  I  never  enter  it  without  adoration  for  its  Almighty 
founder.  A  cloud  was  over  the  roof  of  my  father,  at  my 
birth,  and  I  have  not  been  permitted  to  mingle  much  with 
men  ;  but  the  solitude  of  my  life  has  driven  me  to  study 
my  own  nature,  which  I  hope  has  become  none  the  worse 
for  the  examination.  I  know  I  am  an  unworthy  and  sin- 
ful man,  and  I  hope  others  are  as  much  better  than  I  as 
their  opinions  of  themselves  would  give  reason  to  think." 

The  words  of  the  Herr  Miiller,  which  lost  none  of  their 
weight  by  his  unaffected  and  quiet  manner,  excited  curios- 
ity. At  first,  most  of  the  listeners  were  disposed  to  believe 
him  one  of  those  exaggerated  spirits  who  exalt  themselves 
by  a  pretended  self-abasement,  but  his  natural,  quiet,  and 
thoughtful  deportment  soon  produced  a  more  favorable 
opinion.  There  was  a  habit  of  reflection,  a  retreating  in- 
ward look  about  his  eye,  that  revealed  the  character  of  one 
long  and  truly  accustomed  to  look  more  at  himself  than  at 
others,  and  which  wrought  singularly  in  his  behalf. 


THE  HEADSMAN.  7 1 

"  We  may  not  all  have  these  flattering  opinions  of  our- 
selves that  thy  words  would  seem  to  imply,  Signor  Miiller," 
observed  the  Genoese,  his  tone  changing  to  one  better 
suited  to  soothe  the  feelings  of  the  person  addressed,  while 
a  shade  insensibly  stole  over  his  own  venerable  features  ; 
"  neither  are  all  at  peace  that  so  seem.  It  it  will  be  any 
consolation  to  thee  to  know  that  others  are  probably  no 
more  happy  than  myself,  I  will  add  that  I  have  known 
much  pain,  and  that  too,  amid  circumstances  which  most 
would  deem  fortunate,  and  which,  I  fear,  a  great  majority 
of  mankind  might  be  disposed  to  envy." 

"I  should  be  base  indeed  to  seek  consolation  in  such  a 
source  !  I  do  not  complain,  signore,  though  my  whole  life 
has  so  passed  that  I  can  hardly  say  that  I  enjoy  it.  It  is 
not  easy  to  smile  when  we  know  that  all  frown  upon  us  ; 
else  could  I  be  content.  As  it  is,  I  rather  feel  than  repine." 

''This  is  a  most  singular  condition  of  the  mind,"  whis- 
pered Adelheid  to  young  Sigismund  ;  for  both  had  been 
deeply  attentive  listeners  to  the  calm  but  strong  language 
of  the  Herr  Miiller.  The  young  man  did  not  answer,  and 
his  fair  companion  saw  with  surprise,  that  he  was  pale, 
and  with  difficulty  noticed  her  remark  with  a  smile. 

"The  frowns  of  men,  my  son,"  observed  the  monk,  "are 
usually  reserved  for  those  who  offend  their  ordinances. 
The  latter  may  not  be  always  just,  but  there  is  a  common 
sentiment  which  refuses  to  visit  innocence,  even  in  the  nar- 
row sense  in  which  we  understand  the  word,  with  unde- 
served displeasure." 

The  Herr  Miiller  looked  earnestly  at  the  Augustine,  and 
he  seemed  about  to  answer  ;  but,  checking  the  impulse,  he 
bowed  in  submission.  At  the  same  time,  a  wild,  painful 
smile  gleamed  on  his  face. 

"I  agree  with  thee,  good  canon,"  rejoined  the  simple- 
minded  Baron  ;  "we  are  much  addicted  to  quarreling  with 
the  world,  but,  after  all,  when  we  look  closely  into  the 
matter,  it  will  commonly  be  found  that  the  cause  of  our 
grievance  exists  in  ourselves." 

"Is  there  no  Providence,  father?"  exclaimed  Adelheid, 
a  little  reproachfully  for  one  of  her  respectful  habits  and 
great  filial  tenderness.  "  Can  we  recall  the  dead  to  life,  or 
keep  those  quick  whom  God  is  pleased  to  destroy?" 

"  Thou  hast  me,  girl ! — there  is  a  truth  in  this  that  no 
bereaved  parent  can  deny  !  " 

This   remark    produced   an    embarrassed  pause  during 


72  THE  HEADSMAN. 

which  the  Herr  M  tiller  gazed  furtively  about  him,  looking 
from  the  face  of  one  to  that  of  another,  as  if  seeking  for 
some  countenance  on  which  he  could  rely.  But  he  turned 
away  to  the  view  of  those  hills  which  had  been  so  curious- 
ly wrought  by  the  finger  of  the  Almighty,  and  seemed  to 
lose  himself  in  their  contemplation. 

"  This  is  some  spirit  that  has  been  bruised  by  early  indis- 
cretion," said  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  in  a  low  voice,  "and 
whose  repentance  is  strangely  mixed  with  resignation.  I 
know  not  whether  such  a  man  is  most  to  be  envied  or 
pitied.  There  is  a  fearful  mixture  of  resignation  and  of 
suffering  in  his  air." 

"  He  has  not  the  mien  of  a  stabber  or  a  knave,"  an- 
swered the  Baron.  "  If  he  comes  truly  of  the  Mlillers  of 
the  Emmen  Thai,  or  even  of  those  of  Entlibuch,  I  should 
know  something  of  his  history.  They  are*  warm  burghers, 
and  mostly  of  fair  name.  It  is  true,  that  in  my  youth  one 
of  the  family  got  out  of  favor  with  the  councils,  on  ac- 
count of  some  concealment  of  their  lawful  claims  in  the 
way  of  revenue,  but  the  man  made  an  atonement  that  was 
deemed  sufficient  in  amount,  and  the  matter  was  forgot- 
ten. It  is  not  usual,  Herr  Miiller,  to  meet  citizens  in  our 
canton  who  go  for  neither  Rome  nor  Calvin." 

"  It  is  not  usual,  mein  herr,  to  meet  men  placed  as  I  am. 
Neither  Rome  nor  Calvin  is  sufficient  for  me  ; — I  have 
need  of  God  !  " 

"  I  fear  thou  hast  taken  life  ? " 

The  stranger  bowed,  and  his  face  grew  livid,  seemingly 
with  the  intensity  of  his  own  thoughts.  Melchior  de  Wil- 
lading  so  disliked  the  expression,  that  he  turned  away  his 
eyes  in  uneasiness.  The  other  glanced  frequently  at  the 
forward  part  of  the  bark,  and  he  seemed  struggling  hard 
to  speak,  but,  for  some  strong  reason,  unable  to  effect  his 
purpose.  Uncovering  himself,  at  length,  he  said  steadily, 
as  if  superior  to  shame,  while  he  fully  felt  the  import  of 
his  communication,  but  in  a  voice  that  was  cautiously  sup- 
pressed— 

"  I  am  Balthazar,  of  your  canton,  Herr  Baron,  and  I 
pray  your  powerful  succor,  should  those  untamed  spirits 
on  the  forecastle  come  to  discover  the  truth.  My  blood 
hath  been  made  to  curdle  to-day  whilst  listening  to  their 
heartless  threats  and  terrible  maledictions.  Without  this 
fear,  I  should  have  kept  my  secret, — for,  God  knows,  I  am 
not  proud  of  my  office  ! " 


THE  HEADSMAN'.  73 

The  general  and  sudden  surprise,  accompanied  as  it  was 
by  a  common  movement  of  aversion,  induced  the  Signore 
Grimaldi  to  demand  the  reason. 

"  Thy  name  is  not  in  much  favor  apparently,  Herr 
Miiller,  or  Herr  Balthazar,  whichever  it  is  thy  pleasure  to 
be  called,"  observed  the  Genoese,  casting  a  quick  glance 
around  the  circle.  "  There  is  some  mystery  in  it,  that  to 
me  needs  explanation." 

"  Signore,  I  am  the  headsman  of  Berne." 

Though  long  schooled  in  the  polished  habits  of  his  high 
condition,  which  taught  him  ordinarily  to  repress  strong 
emotions,  the  Signor  Grimaldi  could  not  conceal  the  start 
which  this  unexpected  announcement  produced,  for  he 
had  not  escaped  the  usual  prejudices  of  men. 

"  Truly,  we  have  been  fortunate  in  our  associate,  Mel- 
chior,"  he  said  dryly,  turning  without  ceremony  from  the 
man  whose  modest,  quiet  mien  had  lately  interested  him 
so  much,  but  whose  manner  he  now  took  to  be  assumed, — • 
few  pausing  to  investigate  the  motives  of  those  who  are 
condemned  of  opinion  : — "  here  has  been  much  excellent 
and  useful  morality  thrown  away  upon  a  very  unworthy 
subject !" 

The  Baron  received  the  intelligence  of  the  real  name  of 
their  travelling  companion  with  less  feeling.  He  had  been 
greatly  puzzled  to  account  for  the  singular  language  he 
had  heard,  and  he  found  relief  in  so  brief  a  solution  of  the 
difficulty. 

"  The  pretended  name,  after  all,  then,  is  only  a  cloak  to 
conceal  the  truth  !  I  know  the  Miillers  of  the  Emmen 
Thai  so  well,  that  I  had  great  difficulty  in  fitting  the  char- 
acter which  the  honest  man  gave  of  himself  fairly  upon 
any  one  of  them  all.  But  it  is  now  clear  enough,  and 
doubtless  Balthazar  has  no  great  reason  to  be  proud  of  the 
turn  which  Fortune  has  played  his  family  in  making  them 
executioners." 

"Is  the  office  hereditary?"  demanded  the  Genoese 
quickly. 

"  It  is.  Thou  knowest  that  we  of  Berne  have  great  re- 
spect for  ancient  usages.  He  that  is  born  to  the  Biirger- 
schaft  will  die  in  the  exercise  of  his  rights,  and  he  that  is 
born  out  of  its  venerable  pale  must  be  satisfied  to  live  out 
of  it,  unless  he  has  gold  or  favor.  Our  institutions  are  a 
hint  from  nature,  which  leaves  men  as  they  are  created, 
preserving  the  order  and  harmony  of  society  by  venerable 


74  THE  HEADSMAN. 

and  well-defined  laws,  as  is  wise  and  necessary.  In  nature, 
he  that  is  born  strong  remains  strong,  and  he  that  has  little 
force  must  be  content  with  his  feebleness." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  looked  like  one  who  felt  contri- 
tion. 

"  Art  thou,  in  truth,  an  hereditary  executioner  ? "  he 
asked,  addressing  Balthazar  himself. 

"  Signore,  I  am  ;  else  would  hand  of  mine  have  never 
taken  life.  Tis  a  hard  duty  to  perform,  even  under  the 
obligations  and  penalties  of  the  law  ; — otherwise,  it  were 
accursed  !  " 

"  Thy  fathers  deemed  it  a  privilege  !  " 

"  We  suffer  for  their  error  ;  signore,  the  sins  of  the  fa- 
thers, in  our  case,  have  indeed  been  visited  on  the  children 
to  the  latest  generations." 

The  countenance  of  the  Genoese  grew  brighter,  and 
his  voice  resumed  the  polished  tones  in  which  he  usually 
spoke. 

"  Here  has  been  some  injustice  of  a  certainty,"  he  said, 
"or  one  of  thy  appearance  would  not  be  found  in  this 
cruel  position.  Depend  on  our  authority  to  protect  thee, 
should  the  danger  thou  seemest  to  apprehend  really  occur. 
Still  the  laws  must  be  respected,  though  not  always  of  the 
rigid  impartiality  that  \ve  might  wish.  Thou  hast  owned 
the  imperfection  of  human  nature,  and  it  is  not  wonderful 
that  its  work  should  have  flaws." 

"  I  complain  not  now  of  the  usage,  which  to  me  has  be- 
come habit,  but  I  dread  the  untamed  fury  of  these  ignorant 
and  credulous  men,  who  have  taken  a  wild  fancy  that  my 
presence  might  bring  a  curse  upon  the  bark." 

There  are  accidental  situations  wrhich  contain  more 
healthful  morals  than  can  be  drawn  from  a  thousand  in- 
genious and  plausible  homilies,  and  in  which  facts,  in  their 
naked  simplicity,  are  far  more  eloquent  than  any  mean- 
ing that  can  be  conveyed  by  words.  Such  was  the  case 
with  this  meek  and  unexpected  appeal  of  Balthazar. 
All  who  heard  him  saw  his  situation  under  very  different 
colors  from  those  in  which  it  would  have  been  regarded 
had  the  subject  presented  itself  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances. A  common  and  painful  sentiment  attested  strongly 
against  the  oppression  that  had  given  birth  to  his  wrongs, 
and  the  good  Melchiorde  Willading  himself  wondered  how 
a  case  of  this  striking  injustice  could  have  arisen  under  the 
laws  of  Berne, 


THE   HEADSMAN.  75 


CHAPTER  VI. 

"Methought  I  saw  a  thousand  fearful  wrecks, 
A  thousand  men  that  fishes  gnawed  upon  ; 
Wedges  of  gold,  great  anchors,  heaps  of  pearl, 
Inestimable  stones,  unvalued  jewels, 
All  scattered  in  the  bottom  of  the  sea." — Richard  III. 

THE  flitting  twilight  was  now  on  the  wane,  and  the 
shades  of  evening  were  gathering  fast  over  the  deep  basin 
of  the  lake.  The  figure  of  Maso,  as  he  continued  to  pace 
his  elevated  platform,  was  drawn  dark  and  distinct  against 
the  southern  sky,  in  which  some  of  the  last  rays  of  the  sun 
still  lingered,  but  objects  on  both  shores  were  getting  to  be 
confounded  with  the  shapeless  masses  of  the  mountains. 
Here  and  there  a  pale  star  peeped  out,  though  most  of  the 
vault  that  stretched  across  the  confined  horizon  was  shut 
in  by  dusky  clouds.  A  streak  of  dull,  unnatural  light  was 
seen  in  the  quarter  which  lay  above  the  meadows  of  the 
Rhone,  and  nearly  in  a  direction  with  the  peak  of  Mont 
Blanc,  which,  though  not  visible  from  this  portion  of  the 
Leman,  was  known  to  lie  behind  the  ramparts  of  Savoy, 
like  a  monarch  of  the  hills  entrenched  in  his  citadel  of 
rocks  and  ice. 

The  change,  the  lateness  of  the  hour,  and  the  unpleasant 
reflections  left  by  the  short  dialogue  with  Balthazar,  pro- 
duced a  strong  and  common  desire  to  see  the  end  of  a 
navigation  that  was  beginning  to  be  irksome.  Those  ob- 
jects which  had  lately  yielded  so  much  and  so  pure  a 
delight  were  now  getting  to  be  black  and  menacing,  and 
the  very  sublimity  of  the  scale  on  which  Nature  had  here 
thrown  together  her  elements  was  an  additional  source  of 
uncertainty  and  alarm.  Those  fairy-like,  softly  delineated, 
natural  arabesques,  which  had  so  lately  been  dwelt  upon 
with  rapture,  were  now  converted  into  dreary  crags  that 
seemed  to  beetle  above  the  helpless  bark,  giving  unpleas- 
ant admonitions  of  the  savage  and  inhospitable  properties 
of  their  iron-bound  bases,  which  were  known  to  prove 
destructive  to  all  who  were  cast  against  them  while  the 
elements  were  in  disorder. 

These  changes  in  the  character  of  the  scene,  which  in 
some  respects  began  to  take  the  aspect  of  omens,  were 


76  THE   HEADSMAiV. 

uneasily  witnessed  by  all  in  the  stern  of  the  bark,  though 
the  careless  laughter,  the  rude  joke,  and  the  noisy  cries, 
which  from  time  to  time  arose  on  the  forecastle,  suffi- 
ciently showed  that  the  careless  spirits  it  held  were  still 
indulging  in  the  coarse  enjoyments  most  suited  to  their 
habits.  One  individual,  however,  was  seen  stealing  from 
the  crowd,  and  establishing  himself  on  the  pile  of  freight, 
as  if  he  had  a  mind  more  addicted  to  reflection,  and  less 
disposed  to  unmeaning  revelry,  than  most  of  those  whom 
he  had  just  abandoned.  This  was  the  Westphalian  student, 
who,  wearied  with  amusements  that  were  below  the  level 
of  his  acquirements,  and  suddenly  struck  with  the  impos- 
ing aspect  of  the  lake  and  the  mountains,  had  stolen  apart 
to  muse  on  his  distant  home  and  the  beings  most  dear  to 
him,  under  an  excitement  that  suited  those  morbid  sen- 
sibilities which  he  had  long  encouraged  by  a  very  subtle 
metaphysical  system  of  philosophy.  Until  now,  Maso  had 
paced  his  lofty  post  with  his  eye  fixed  chiefly  on  the 
heavens  in  the  direction  of  Mont  Blanc,  occasionally  turn- 
ing it,  however,  over  the  motionless  bulk  of  the  bark,  but 
when  the  student  placed  himself  across  his  path,  he  stopped 
and  smiled  at  the  abstracted  air  and  riveted  regard  with 
which  the  youth  gazed  at  a  star. 

"  Art  thou  an  astronomer,  that  thou  lookest  so  closely 
at  yonder  shining  world  ? "  demanded  II  Maledetto,  with 
the  superiority  that  the  mariner  afloat  is  wont  successfully 
to  assume  over  the  unhappy  wight,  of  a  landsman,  who  is 
very  liable  to  admit  his  own  impotency  on  the  novel  and 
dangerous  element  ; — "  the  astrologer  himself  would  not 
study  it  more  deeply." 

"  This  is  the  hour  agreed  upon  between  me  and  one 
that  I  love,  to  bring  the  unseen  principle  of  our  spirits  to- 
gether, by  communing  through  its  medium." 

"  I  have  heard  of  such  means  of  intercourse.  Dost  see 
more  than  others  by  reason  of  such  an  assistant  ? " 

"  I  see  the  object  which  is  gazed  upon,  at  this  moment,  by 
kind  blue  eyes  that  have  often  looked  upon  me  in  affection. 
When  we  are  in  a  strange  land,  and  in  a  fearful  situation, 
such  a  communion  has  its  pleasures  !  " 

Maso  laid  his  hand  upon  the  shoulder  of  the  student, 
which  he  pressed  with  the  force  of  a  vise. 

"  Thou  art  right,"  he  said,  moodily ;  "  make  the  most 
of  thy  friendships,  and  if  there  are  any  that  love  thee, 
tighten  the  knot  by  all  the  means  thou  hast.  None  know 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  77 

the  curse  of  being  deserted  in  this  selfish  and  cruel  battle 
of  interest  better  than  I  !  Be  not  ashamed  of  thy  star, 
but  gaze  at  it  till  thy  eye-strings  crack.  See  the  bright 
eyes  of  her  that  loves  thee  in  its  twinkling,  her  constancy 
in  its  lustre,  arid  her  melancholy  in  its  sadness  ;  lose  not 
the  happy  moments,  for  there  will  soon  be  a  dark  curtain 
to  shut  out  its  view." 

The  Westphalian  was  struck  with  the  singular  energy  as 
well  as  with  the  poetry  of  the  mariner,  and  he  distrusted 
the  obvious  allusion  to  the  clouds,  which  were  in  fact  fast 
covering  the  vault  above  their  heads. 

"  Dost  thou  like  the  night  ? "  he  demanded,  turning  from 
his  star,  in  doubt. 

"  It  might  be  fairer.  This  is  a  wild  region,  and  your 
cold  Swiss  lakes  sometimes  become  too  hot  for  the  stout- 
est seaman's  heart.  Gaze  at  thy  star,  young  man,  while 
thou  mayest,  and  bethink  thee  of  the  maiden  thou  lovest, 
and  of  all  her  kindness  ;  we  are  on  a  crazy  water,  and 
pleasant  thoughts  should  not  be  lightly  thrown  away." 

Maso  walked  away,  leaving  the  student  alarmed,  uneasy 
at  he  knew  not  what,  and  yet  bent  with  childish  eagerness 
on  regarding  the  little  luminary  that  occasionally  was  still 
seen  wading  among  volumes  of  vapor.  At  this  instant  a 
shout  of  unmeaning,  clamorous  merriment  arose  on  the 
forecastle. 

II  Maledetto  did  not  remain  any  longer  on  the  pile,  but 
abandoning  it  to  the  new  occupant,  he  descended  among 
the  silent,  thoughtful  party  who  were  in  possession  of  the 
cleared  space  near  the  stern.  It  was  now  so  dark  that 
some  little  attention  was  necessary  to  distinguish  faces, 
even  at  trifling  distances.  But  by  means  of  moving  among 
these  privileged  persons  with  great  coolness  and  seeming 
indifference,  he  soon  succeeded  in  placing  himself  near 
the  Genoese  and  the  Augustine. 

"  Signore,"  he  said  in  Italian,  raising  his  cap  to  the 
former  with  the  same  marked  respect  as  before,  though  it 
was  evidently  no  easy  matter  to  impress  him  with  the  def- 
erence that  the  obscure  usually  feel  for  the  great — "  this 
is  likely  to  prove  an  unfortunate  end  to  a  voyage  that  be- 
gan with  so  fair  appearances.  I  could  wish  that  your  eccel- 
lenza,  with  all  this  noble  and  fair  company,  was  safely 
landed  in  the  town  of  Vevey." 

"  Dost  thou  mean  that  we  have  cause  to  fear  more  than 
delay  ? " 


78  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  Signore,  the  mariner's  life  is  one  of  unequal  chances 
now  he  floats  in  a  lazy  calm,  and  presently  he  is  tossed  be- 
tween heaven  and  earth,  in  a  way  to  make  the  stoutest 
heart  sick.  My  knowledge  of  these  waters  is  not  great,  but 
there  are  signs  making  themselves  seen  in  the  sky,  here 
above  the  peak  that  lies  in  the  direction  of  Mont  Blanc, 
that  would  trouble  me,  were  this  our  own  blue  but  treach- 
erous Mediterranean." 

"What  thinkest  thou  of  this,  father;  along  residence 
in  the  Alps  must  have  given  thee  some  insight  into  their 
storms  ? " 

The  Augustine  had  been  grave  and  thoughtful  from  the 
moment  that  he  ceased  to  converse  with  Balthazar.  He, 
too,  had  been  struck  with  the  omens  ;  and  long  used  to 
study  the  changes  of  the  weather,  in  a  region  where  the 
elements  sometimes  work  their  will  on  a  scale  commensu- 
rate with  the  grandeur  of  the  mountains,  his  thoughts  had 
been  anxiously  recurring  to  the  comforts  and  security  of 
some  of  those  hospitable  roofs  in  the  city  to  which  they 
were  bound,  and  which  were  always  ready  to  receive  the 
clavier  of  St.  Bernard,  in  return  for  the  services  and  self- 
denial  of  his  brotherhood. 

"  With  Maso,  I  could  wish  we  were  safely  landed,"  an- 
swered the  good  canon  ;  "  the  intense  heat  that  a  day  like 
this  creates  in  our  valleys  and  on  the  lakes  so  weakens  the 
substrata,  or  foundations  of  air,  that  the  cold  masses  which 
collect  around  the  glaciers  sometimes  descend  like  ava- 
lanches from  their  heights  to  fill  the  vacuum.  The  shock  is 
fearful,  even  to  those  who  meet  it  in  the  glens  and  among 
the  rocks,  but  the  plunge  of  such  a  column  of  air  upon  one 
of  the  lakes  is  certain  to  be  terrible." 

"And  thou  thinkest  there  is  danger  of  one  of  these  phe- 
nomena at  present  ? " 

"  I  know  not :  but  I  would  we  were  housed  !  That  un- 
natural light  above,  and  this  deep  tranquillity  below,  which 
surpasses  an  ordinary  calm,  have  already  driven  me  to  my 
aves." 

"  The  reverend  Augustine  speaks  like  a  bookman,  and 
one  who  has  passed  his  time  up  in  his  mountain-convent 
in  study  and  reflection,"  rejoined  Maso;  "whereas,  the 
reasons  I  have  to  offer  savor  more  of  the  seaman's  practice. 
A  calm  like  this  will  be  followed  sooner  or  later,  by  a  com- 
motion in  the  atmosphere.  I  like  not  the  absence  of  the 
breeze  from  the  land,  on  which  Baptiste  counted  so  surely, 


THE   HEADSMAN.  79 

and,  taking  that  sympton  with  the  signs  of  yonder  hot  sky, 
I  look  soon  to  see  this  extraordinary  quiet  displaced  by 
some  violent  struggle  among  the  winds.  Nettuno,  too,  my 
faithful  dog,  has  given  notice  by  the  manner  in  which  he 
snuffs  the  air,  that  we  are  not  to  pass  the  night  in  this 
motionless  condition." 

"  I  had  hoped  ere  this  to  be  quietly  in  our  haven.  What 
means  yonder  bright  light  ?  Is  it  a  star  in  the  heavens,  or 
does  it  merely  lie  against  the  side  of  a  huge  mountain  ? " 

"  There  shines  old  Roger  de  Blonay !  "  cried  the  Baron, 
heartily,  "  he  knows  of  our  being  in  the  bark,  and  he  has 
fired  his  beacon  that  we  may  steer  by  its  light." 

The  conjecture  seemed  probable,  for  while  the  day  re- 
mained, the  castle  of  Blonay,  seated  on  the  bosom  of  the 
mountain  that  shelters  Vevey  to  the  northeast,  had  been 
plainly  visible.  It  had  been  much  admired,  a  pleasing  ob- 
ject in  a  view  that  was  so  richly  studded  with  hamlets  and 
castles,  and  Adelheid  had  pointed  it  out  to  Sigismund 
as  the  immediate  goal  of  her  journey.  The  lord  of 
Blonay  being  apprised  of  the  intended  visit,  nothing  was 
more  probable  than  that  he,  an  old  and  tried  friend  of 
Melchior  de  Willading's,  should  show  this  sign  of  impa- 
tience ;  partly  in  compliment  to  those  whom  he  expected, 
and  partly  as  a  signal  that  might  be  really  useful  to  those 
who  navigated  the  Leman  in  a  night  that  threatened  so 
much  murky  obscurity. 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  rightly  deemed  the  circumstances 
grave,  and,  calling  to  him  his  friend  and  Sigismund,  he 
communicated  the  apprehensions  of  the  monk  and  Maso. 
A  braver  man  than  Melchior  de  Willading  did  not  dwell 
in  all  Switzerland,  but  he  did  not  hear  the  gloomy  predic- 
tions of  the  Genoese  without  shaking  in  every  limb. 

"  My  poor  enfeebled  Adelheid  ?"  he  said,  yielding  to  a 
father's  tenderness,  "  what  will  become  of  this  frail  plant 
if  exposed  to  a  tempest  in  an  unsheltered  bark  ?" 

"  She  will  be  with  her  father  and  with  her  father's 
friend,"  answered  the  maiden  herself  ;  for  the  narrow  lim- 
its to  which  they  were  necessarily  confined,  and  the  sud- 
den burst  of  feeling  in  the  parent,  which  had  rendered  him 
incautious  in  pitching  his  voice,  made  her  the  mistress  of 
the  cause  of  alarm.  "  I  have  heard  enough  of  what  the 
good  Father  Xavier  and  this  mariner  have  said,  to  know 
that  we  are  in  a  situation  that  might  be  better ;  but  am  I 
not  with  tried  friends  ?  I  know  already  what  the  Herr 


8o  THE  HEADSMAN. 

Sigismund  can  do  in  behalf  of  my  life,  and  come  what 
may,  we  have  all  a  beneficent  guardian  in  One,  who  will 
not  leave  any  of  us  to  perish  without  remembering  we  are 
his  children." 

"This  girl  shames  us  all,"  said  the  Signer  Grimaldi ; 
"  but  it  is  often  thus  with  these  fragile  beings,  who  rise 
the  firmest  and  noblest  in  moments  when  prouder  man 
begins  to  despair.  They  put  their  trust  in  God,  who  is  a 
prop  to  sustain  even  those  who  are  feebler  than  our  gentle 
Adelheid.  But  we  will  not  exaggerate  the  causes  of  ap- 
prehension, which,  after  all,  may  pass  away  like  many 
other  threatening  dangers,  and  leave  us  hours  of  felicita* 
tion  and  laughter  in  return  for  a  few  minutes  of  fright." 

"Say,  rather  of  thanksgiving,"  observed  the  clavier, 
"  for  the  aspect  of  the  heavens  is  getting  to  be  fearfully 
solemn.  Thou,  who  art  a  mariner — hast  thou  nothing  to 
suggest  ? " 

"We  have  the  simple  expedient  of  our  sweeps,  father  ; 
but,  after  neglecting  their  use  so  long,  it  is  now  too  late  to 
have  recourse  to  them.  We  could  not  reach  Vevey  by 
such  means,  with  this  bark  loaded  to  the  water's  edge, 
before  the  night  would  change,  and  the  water  once  fairly 
in  motion,  they  could  not  be  used  at  all." 

"But  we  have  our  sails,"  put  in  the  Genoese,  "they  at 
least  may  do  us  good  service  when  the  wind  shall  come." 

Maso  shook  his  head,  but  he  made  no  answer.  After  a 
brief  pause,  in  which  he  seemed  to  study  the  heavens 
still  more  closely,  he  went  to  the  spot  where  the  patron 
yet  lay  lost  in  sleep,  and  shook  him  rudely.  "  Ho  !  Bap- 
tiste  !  awake !  there  is  need  here  of  thy  counsel  and  of  thy 
commands." 

The  drowsy  owner  of  the  bark  rubbed  his  eyes,  and 
slowly  regained  the  use  of  his  faculties. 

"There  is  not  a  breath  of  wind,"  he  muttered;  "why 
didst  awake  me,  Maso  ?  One  that  hath  led  thy  life  should 
know,  that  sleep  is  sweet  to  those  who  toil." 

"  Aye,  'tis  their  advantage  over  the  pampered  and  idle. 
Look  at  the  heavens,  man,  and  let  us  know  what  thou 
thinkest  of  their  appearance.  Is  there  the  stuff  in  thy 
Winkelried  to  ride  out  the  storm  like  this  we  may  have  to 
encounter  ?" 

"Thou  talkest  like  a  foolish  quean  that  has  been 
frightened  by  the  fluttering  of  her  own  poultry.  The 
lake  was  never  more  calm,  or  the  bark  in  greater  safety.'' 


THE  ffEAQSMAN.  Si 

•'  Dost  see  yonder  bright  light  ;  here,  over  the  tower  of 
thy  Vevey  church  ?" 

"  Aye,  'tis  a  gallant  star  !  and  a  fair  sign  for  the  mariner." 

"  Fool,  'tis  a  hot  flame  in  Roger  de  Blonay's  beacon. 
They  begin  to  see  that  we  are  in  danger  on  the  shore,  and 
they  cast  out  their  signals  to  give  us  notice  to  be  active. 
They  think  us  bestirring  ourselves  like  stout  men,  and  those 
used  to  the  water,  while,  in  truth,  we  are  as  undisturbed 
as  if  the  bark  were  a  rock  that  might  laugh  at  the  Leman 
and  its  waves.  The  man  is  benumbed,"  continued  Maso, 
turning  away  toward  the  anxious  listeners  ;  "he  will  not 
see  that  which  is  getting  to  be  but  too  plain  to  all  the 
others  in  his  vessel." 

Another  idle  and  general  laugh  from  the  forecastle  came 
to  contradict  this  opinion  of  Maso's,  and  to  prove  how, easy 
it  is  for  the  ignorant  to  exist  in  security,  even  on  the  brink 
of  destruction.  This  was  the  moment  when  nature  gave 
the  first  of  those  signals  that  were  intelligent  to  vulgar  ca- 
pacities. The  whole  vault  of  the  heavens  was  now  veiled, 
with  the  exception  of  the  spot  so  often  named,  which 
lay  nearly  above  the  brawling  torrents  of  the  Rhone.  This 
fiery  opening  resembled  a  window  admitting  of  fearful 
glimpses  into  the  dreadful  preparations  that  were  making 
up  among  the  higher  peaks  of  the  Alps.  A  flash  of  red, 
quivering  light  was  emitted,  and  a  distant  rumbling  rush, 
that  was  not  thunder,  but  rather  resembled  the  wheelings 
of  a  thousand  squadrons  into  line,  followed  the  flash.  The 
forecastle  was  deserted  to  a  man,  and  the  hillock  of  freight 
was  again  darkly  seen  peopled  with  crouching  human 
forms.  Just  then  the  bark,  which  had  so  long  lain  in  a 
state  of  complete  rest,  slowly  and  heavily  raised  its  bows, 
as  if  laboring  under  its  great  and  unusual  burden,  while  a 
sluggish  swell  passed  beneath  its  entire  length,  lifting  the 
whole  mass,  foot  by  foot,  and  passing  away  by  the  stern, 
to  cast  itself  on  the  shores  of  Vaud. 

"  'Tis  madness  to  waste  the  precious  moments  longer!" 
said  Maso,  hurriedly,  on  whom  this  plain  and  intelligible 
hint  was  not  lost.  "  Signori,  we  must  be  bold  and  prompt, 
or  we  shall  be  overtaken  by  the  tempest  unprepared.  I 
speak  not  for  myself,  since,  by  the  aid  of  this  faithful 
dog,  and  favored  by  my  own  arms,  I  have  always  the  shore 
for  a  hope.  But  there  is  one  in  the  bark  I  would  wish  to 
save,  even  at  some  hazard  to  myself.  Baptiste  is  unnerved 
by  fear,  and  we  must  act  for  ourselves  or  perish  ! " 
6 


82  THE   HEADSMAN'. 

"  What  wouldest  thou  ?  "  demanded  the  Signer  Grimaldi, 
"  he  that  can  proclaim  the  danger  should  have  some  expe- 
dient to  divert  it !  " 

"  More  timely  exertion  would  have  given  us  the  resource 
of  ordinary  means,  but,  like  those  who  die  in  their  sins,  we 
have  foolishly  wasted  most  precious  minutes.  We  must 
lighten  the  bark,  though  it  cost  the  whole  of  her  freight." 

A  cry  from  Nicklaus  Wagner  announced  that  the  spirit 
of  avarice  was  still  active  as  ever  in  his  bosom  !  Even 
Baptiste,  who  had  lost  all  his  dogmatism  and  his  disposi- 
tion to  command,  under  the  imposing  omens  which  had  now 
made  themselves  apparent  even  to  him,  loudly  joined  in 
the  protest  against  this  waste  of  property.  It  is  rare  that 
any  sudden  and  extreme  proposal,  like  this  of  Maso's, 
meets  with  a  quick  echo  in  the  judgments  of  those  to 
whom  the  necessity  is  unexpectedly  presented.  The  dan- 
ger did  not  seem  sufficiently  imminent  to  have  recourse 
to  an  expedient  so  decided  ;  and,  though  startled  and 
aroused,  the  untamed  spirits  of  those  who  crowded  the 
menaced  pile,  were  rather  in  a  state  of  uneasiness,  than  of 
that  fierce  excitement  to  which  they  \vere  so  capable  of 
being  wrought,  and  which  was  in  some  degree  necessary  to 
induce  even  them,  thriftless  and  destitute  as  they  were,  to 
be  the  agents  of  effecting  so  great  a  destruction  of  prop- 
erty. The  project  of  the  cool  and  calculating  Maso  would 
therefore  have  failed  entirely,  but  for  another  wheeling  of 
those  airy  squadrons,  and  a  second  wave  which  lifted  the 
groaning  bark  until  the  loosened  yards  swung  creaking 
above  their  heads.  The  canvas  flapped,  too,  in  the  dark- 
ness, like  some  huge  bird  of  prey  fluttering  its  feathers 
previously  to  taking  wing. 

"  Holy  and  just  Ruler  of  the  land  and  the  sea !  "  ex- 
claimed the  Augustine,  "remember thy  repentant  children, 
and  have  us,  at  this  awful  moment,  in  thy  omnipotent  pro- 
tection ! " 

"  The  winds  are  come  down,  and  even  the  dumb  lake 
sends  us  the  signal  to  be  ready  !  "  shouted  Maso.  "  Over- 
board with  the  freight,  if  ye  would  live  ! " 

A  sudden  heavy  plunge  into  the  water  proved  that  the 
mariner  was  in  earnest.  Notwithstanding  the  imposing 
and  awful  signs  with  which  they  were  surrounded,  every 
individual  of  the  nameless  herd  bethought  him  of  the  pack 
that  contained  his  own  scanty  worldly  effects,  and  there 
was  a  general  and  quick  movement,  with  a  view  to  secure 


THE   HEADSMAN-.  83 

them.  As  each  man  succeeded  in  effecting  his  own  object, 
he  was  led  away  by  that  community  of  feeling  which  rules 
a  multitude.  The  common  rush  was  believed  to  be  with 
a  view  to  succor  Maso,  though  each  man  secretly  knew 
the  falsity  of  the  impression  as  respected  his  own  particular 
case  ;  and  box  after  box  began  to  tumble  into  the  water, 
as  new  and  eager  recruits  lent  themselves  to  the  task. 
The  impulse  was  quickly  imparted  from  one  to  another, 
until  even  young  Sigismund  was  active  in  the  work.  On 
these  slight  accidents  do  the  most  important  results  de- 
pend, when  the  hot  impulses  that  govern  the  mass  obtain 
the  ascendant. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  either  Baptiste  or  Nicklaus 
Wagner  witnessed  the  waste  of  their  joint  effects  with  total 
indifference.  So  far  from  this,  each  used  every  exertion 
in  his  power  to  prevent  it,  not  only  by  his  voice,  but  with 
his  hands.  One  menaced  the  law — the  other  threatened 
Maso  with  condign  punishment  for  his  interference  with  a 
patron's  rights  and  duties  ;  but  their  remonstrances  were 
uttered  to  inattentive  ears.  Maso  knew  himself  to  be  irre- 
sponsible by  situation,  for  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to 
bring  him  within  the  grasp  of  the  authorities  ;  and  as  for 
the  others,  most  of  them  were  far  too  insignificant  to  feel 
much  apprehension  for  a  reparation  that  would  be  most 
likely,  if  it  fell  at  all,  to  fall  on  those  who  were  more  able 
to  bear  it.  Sigismund  alone  exerted  himself  under  a  sense 
of  his  liabilities  ;  but  he  worked  for  one  that  was  far  dearer 
to  him  than  gold,  and  little  did  he  bethink  him  of  any  other 
consequences  than  those  which  might  befall  the  precious 
life  of  Adelheid  de  Willading. 

The  meagre  packages  of  the  common  passengers  had 
been  thrown  in  a  place  of  safety,  with  the  sort  of  unre- 
flecting instinct  with  which  we  take  care  of  our  limbs 
when  in  danger.  This  timely  precaution  permitted  each 
to  work  with  a  zeal  that  found  no  drawback  in  personal 
interest,  and  the  effect  was  in  proportion.  A  hundred 
hands  were  busy,  and  nearly  as  many  throbbing  hearts 
lent  their  impulses  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  one  im-* 
portant  object. 

Baptiste  and  his  people,  aided  by  laborers  of  the  port, 
had  passed  an  entire  day  in  heaping  that  pile  on  the  deck 
of  the  Winkelried,  which  was  now  crumbling  to  pieces 
with  a  rapidity  that  seemed  allied  to  magic.  The  patron 
and  Nicklaus  Wagner  bawled  themselves  hoarse,  with  ut- 


$4  THE  HEADSMAN. 

tering  useless  threats  and  deprecations,  for  by  this  time 
the  laborers  in  the  work  of  destruction  had  received  some 
such  impetus  as  the  rolling  stone  acquires  by  the  increased 
momentum  of  its  descent.  Packages,  boxes,  bales,  and 
everything  that  came  to  hand,  were  hurled  into  the  water 
frantically,  and  without  other  thought  than  of  the  necessity 
of  lightening  the  groaning  bark  of  its  burden.  The  agita- 
tion of  the  lake,  too,  was  regularly  increasing,  wave  fol« 
lowing  wave,  in  a  manner  to  cause  the  vessel  to  pitch 
heavily,  as  it  rose  upon  the  coming,  or  sank  with  the  re- 
ceding swell.  At  length,  a  shout  announced  that  in  one 
portion  of  the  pile  the  deck  was  attained ! 

The  work  proceeded  with  greater  security  to  those  en- 
gaged, for  hitherto  the  motion  of  the  bark,  and  the  un- 
equal footing,  frequently  rendered  their  situations,  in  the 
darkness  and  confusion,  to  the  last  degree  hazardous. 
Maso  now  abandoned  his  own  active  agency  in  the  toil,  for 
no  sooner  did  he  see  the  others  fairly  and  zealously  en- 
listed in  the  undertaking,  than  he  ceased  his  personal 
efforts  to  give  those  directions  which,  coming  from  one 
accustomed  to  the  occupation,  were  far  more  valuable 
than  any  service  that  could  be  derived  from  a  single  arm. 

"  Thou  art  known  to  me,  Signer  Maso,"  said  Baptiste, 
hoarse  with  his  impotent  efforts  to  restrain  the  torrent, 
"  and  thou  shalt  answer  for  this,  as  well  as  for  other  of 
thy  crimes,  so  soon  as  we  reach  the  haven  of  Vevey  ! " 

"  Dotard  !  thou  wouldst  carry  thyself  and  all  with  thee, 
by  thy  narrowness  of  spirit,  to  a  port  from  which,  when  it 
is  once  entered,  none  ever  sail  again  !  " 

"  It  lieth  between  ye  both,"  rejoined  Nicklaus  Wagner  ; 
"thou  art  not  less  to  blame  than  these  madmen,  Baptiste. 
Hadst  thou  left  the  town  at  the  hour  named  in  our  condi- 
tions, this  danger  could  not  have  overtaken  us." 

"Am  I  a  god  to  command  the  winds  !  I  would  that  I 
had  never  seen  thee  or  thy  cheeses,  or  that  thou  wouldst 
relieve  me  of  thy  presence,  and  go  after  them  into  the 
lake." 

"This  comes  of  sleeping  on  duty  ;  nay,  I  know  not  but 
that  a  proper  use  of  the  oars  would  still  bring  us  in,  in 
safety,  and  without  necessary  harm  to  the  property  of  any. 
Noble  Baron  de  Willading,  here  may  be  occasion  for  your 
testimony,  and,  as  a  citizen  of  Berne,  I  pray  you  to  heed 
well  the  circumstances." 

Baptiste  was  not  in  a  humor  to  bear  these  merited  re- 


THE   HEADSMAN.  85 

proaches,  and  he  rejoined  upon  the  aggrieved  Nicklaus  in 
a  manner  that  would  speedily  have  brought  their  ill-timed 
wrangle  to  an  issue,  had  not  Maso  passed  rudely  between 
them,  shoving  them  asunder  with  the  sinews  of  a  giant. 
This  repulse  served  to  keep  the  peace  for  the  moment,  but 
the  wordy  war  continued  with  so  much  acrimony,  and 
with  so  many  unmeasured  terms,  that  Adelheid  and  her 
maids,  pale  and  terror-struck  by  the  surrounding  scene  as 
they  were,  gladly  shut  their  ears,  to  exclude  epithets  of  such 
bitterness  and  menace  that  they  curdled  the  blood.  Maso 
passed  on  among  the  workmen,  when  he  had  interposed 
between  the  disputants.  He  gave  his  orders  with  perfect 
self-possession,  though  his  understanding  eye  perceived 
that,  instead  of  magnifying  the  danger,  he  had  himself  not 
fully  anticipated  its  extent.  The  rolling  of  the  waves  was 
now  incessant,  and  the  quick,  washing  rush  of  the  water, 
a  sound  familiar  to  the  seamen,  announced  that  they  had 
become  so  large  that  their  summits  broke,  sending  their 
lighter  foam  ahead.  There  were  symptoms,  too,  which 
proved  that  their  situation  was  understood  by  those  on  the 
land.  Lights  were  flashing  along  the  strand  near  Vevey, 
and  it  was  not  difficult  to  detect,  even  at  the  distance  at 
which  they  lay,  the  evidences  of  a  strong  feeling  among 
the  people  of  the  town. 

"  I  doubt  not  that  we  have  been  seen,"  said  Melchior  de 
Willading,  "  and  that  our  friends  are  busy  in  devising 
means  to  aid  us.  Roger  de  Blonay  is  not  a  man  to  see  us 
perish  without  an  effort,  nor  would  the  worthy  bailiff, 
Peter  Hofmeister,  be  idle,  knowing  that  a  brother  of  the 
biirgerschaft,  and  an  old  school  associate,  hath  need  of 
his  assistance." 

"  None  can  come  to  us  without  running  an  equal  risk 
Vvith  ourselves,"  answered  the  Genoese.  "  It  were  better 
that  we  should  be  left  to  our  own  exertions.  I  like  the 
coolness  of  this  unknown  mariner,  and  I  put  my  faith  in 
God  ! " 

A  new  shout  proclaimed  that  the  deck  had  been  gained 
on  the  other  side  of  the  bark.  Much  the  greater  part  of 
the  deck-load  had  now  irretrievably  disappeared,  and  the 
movements  of  the  relieved  vessel  were  more  lively  and 
sane.  Maso  called  to  him  one  or  two  of  the  regular  crew, 
and  together  they  rolled  up  the  canvas  in  a  manner  pe- 
culiar to  the  latine  rig  ;  for  a  breath  of  hot  air,  the  first  of 
any  sort  that  had  been  felt  for  many  hours,  passed  athwart 


86  THE   HEADSMAN. 

the  bark.  This  duty  was  performed,  as  canvas  is  known  to 
be  furled  at  need,  but  it  was  done  securely.  Maso  then 
went  among  the  laborers  again,  encouraging  them  with  his 
voice,  and  directing  their  efforts  with  his  counsel. 

"  Thou  art  not  equal  to  thy  task,"  he  said,  addressing  one 
who  was  vainly  endeavoring  to  roll  a  bale  to  the  side  of  the 
vessel,  a  little  apart  from  the  rest  of  the  busy  crowd  ;  "  thou 
wilt  do  better  to  assist  the  others,  than  to  waste  thy  force 
here." 

"  I  feel  the  strength  to  remove  a  mountain  !  Do  we  not 
work  for  our  lives  ?  " 

The  mariner  bent  forward,  and  looked  into  the  other's 
face.  These  frantic  and  ill-directed  efforts  came  from  the 
Westphalian  student. 

"  Thy  star  has  disappeared,"  he  rejoined,  smiling — for 
Maso  had  smiled  in  scenes  far  more  imposing  than  even 
that  with  which  he  was  now  surrounded. 

"  She  gazes  at  it  still  ;  she  thinks  of  one  that  loves  her, 
who  is  journeying  far  from  the  fatherland." 

"  Hold  !  Since  thou  wilt  have  it  so,  I  will  help  thee  to 
cast  this  bale  into  the  water.  Place  thine  arm  thus  ;  an 
ounce  of  well-directed  force  is  \vorth  a  pound  that  acts 
against  itself." 

Stooping  together,  their  united  strength  did  that  which 
had  baffled  the  single  efforts  of  the  scholar.  The  package 
rolled  to  the  gangway,  and  the  German,  frenzied  writh  ex- 
citement, shouted  aloud !  The  bark  lurched,  and  the  bale 
went  over  the  side,  as  if  the  lifeless  mass  were  suddenly 
possessed  with  the  desire  to  perform  the  evolution  which 
its  inert  weight  had  so  long  resisted.  Maso  recovered  his 
footing,  which  had  been  deranged  by  the  unexpected  move- 
ment, with  a  seaman's  dexterity,  but  his  companion  was  no 
longer  at  his  side.  Kneeling  on  the  gangway,  he  perceived 
the  dark  bale  disappearing  in  the  element,  with  the  feet  of 
the  Westphalian  dragging  after.  He  bent  forward  to  grasp 
the  rising  body,  but  it  never  returned  to  the  surface,  being 
entangled  in  the  cords,  or,  what  was  equally  probable,  re- 
tained by  the  frantic  grasp  of  the  student,  whose  mind  had 
yielded  to  the  awful  character  of  the  night. 

The  life  of  II  Maledetto  had  been  one  of  great  vicissitudes 
and  peril.  He  had  often  seen  men  pass  suddenly  into  the 
other  state  of  existence,  and  had  been  calm  himself  amid 
the  cries,  the  groans,  and  what  is  far  more  appalling,  the 
execrations  of  the  dying,  but  never  before  had  he  witnessed 


'THE  HEADSMAN.  87 

so  brief  and  silent  an  end.  For  more  than  a  minute,  he 
hung  suspended  over  the  dark  and  working  water,  expect- 
ing to  see  the  student  return  ;  and,  when  hope  was  reluc- 
tantly abandoned,  he  arose  to  his  feet,  a  startled  and  admon- 
ished man.  Still  discretion  did  not  desert  him.  He  saw  the 
useiessness,  and  even  the  danger,  of  distracting  the  atten- 
tion of  the  workmen,  and  the  ill-fated  scholar  was  permit- 
ted to  pass  away  without  a  word  of  regret  or  a  comment 
on  his  fate.  None  knew  of  his  loss  but  the  wary  mariner, 
nor  was  his  person  missed  by  any  one  of  those  who  had 
spent  the  day  in  his  company.  But  she  to  whom  he  had 
plighted  his  faith  on  the  banks  of  the  Elbe  long  gazed  at 
that  pale  star,  and  wept  in  bitterness  that  her  feminine  con- 
stancy met  with  no  return.  Her  true  affections  long  outlived 
their  object,  for  his  image  was  deeply  enshrined  in  a  warm 
female  heart.  Days,  weeks,  months,  and  years  passed  for 
her  in  the  wasting  cheerlessness  of  hope  deferred,  but  the 
dark  Leman  never  gave  up  its  secret,  and  he  to  whom  her 
lover's  fate  alone  was  known  little  bethought  him  of  an 
accident  which,  if  not  forgotten,  was  but  one  of  many 
similar  frightful  incidents  in  his  eventful  career. 

Maso  reappeared  among  the  crowd  with  the  forced  com- 
posure of  one  who  well  knew  that  authority  was  most  effi- 
cient when  most  calm.  The  command  of  the  vessel  was 
now  virtually  with  him,  Baptiste,  enervated  by  the  extraor- 
dinary crisis,  and  choking  with  passion,  being  utterly  in- 
capable of  giving  a  distinct  or  a  useful  order.  It  was  fort- 
unate for  those  in  the  bark  that  the  substitute  was  so 
good,  for  more  fearful  signs  never  impended  over  the  Le- 
man than  those  which  darkened  the  hour. 

We  have  necessarily  consumed  much  time  in  relating  these 
events,  the  pen  not  equalling  the  activity  of  the  thoughts. 
Twenty  minutes,  however,  had  not  passed  since  the  tran- 
quillity of  the  lake  was  first  disturbed,  and  so  great  had 
been  the  exertions  of  those  in  the  Winkelried  that  the 
time  appeared  to  be  shorter.  But,  though  it  had  been  so 
well  employed,  neither  had  the  powers  of  the  air  been  idle. 
The  unnatural  opening  in  the  heavens  was  shut,  and  at 
short  intervals,  those  fearful  wheelings  of  the  aerial  squad- 
rons were  drawing  nearer.  Thrice  had  fitful  breathings 
of  warm  air  passed  over  the  bark,  and  occasionally,  as  she 
plunged  into  a  sea  that  was  heavier  than  common,  the 
faces  of  those  on  board  were  cooled,  as  it  might  be  with 
some  huge  fan.  These  were  no  more,  however,  than  sud- 


88  THE   HEADSMAN. 

den  changes  in  the  atmosphere,  of  which  veins  were  dis- 
placed by  the  distant  struggle  between  the  heated  air  of 
the  lakes  and  that  which  had  been  chilled  on  the  glaciers, 
or  they  were  the  still  more  simple  result  of  the  violent  ag- 
itation of  the  vessel. 

The  deep  darkness  which  shut  in  the  vault,  giving  to 
the  embedded  Leman  the  appearance  of  a  gloomy,  liquid 
glen,  contributed  to  the  awful  sublimity  of  the  night. 
The  ramparts  of  Savoy  were  barely  distinguishable  from 
the  flying  clouds,  having  the  appearance  of  black  walls, 
seemingly  within  reach  of  the  hand ;  while  the  more  va- 
ried and  softer  cotes  of  Vaud  lay  an  indefinable  and  som- 
bre mass,  less  menacing,  it  is  true,  but  equally  confused 
and  unattainable. 

Still  the  beacon  blazed  in  the  grate  of  old  Roger  de 
Blonay,  and  flaring  torches  glided  along  the  strand.  The 
shore  seemed  alive  with  human  beings,  able  as  themselves 
to  appreciate  and  to  feel  their  situation. 

The  deck  was  now  cleared,  and  the  travellers  were  col- 
lected in  a  group  between  the  masts.  Pippo  had  lost  all 
his  pleasantry  under  the  dread  signs  of  the  hour,  and  Con- 
rad, trembling  with  superstition  and  terror,  was  free  from 
hypocrisy.  They,  and  those  with  them,  discoursed  on 
their  chances,  on  the  nature  of  the  risks  they  ran,  and  on 
its  probable  causes. 

"  I  see  no  image  of  Maria,  nor  even  a  pitiful  lamp  to 
any  of  the  blessed,  in  this  accursed  bark  ! "  said  the  jug- 
gler, after  several  had  hazarded  their  quaint  and  peculiar 
opinions.  "  Let  the  patron  come  forth  and  answer  for  his 
negligence." 

The  passengers  were  about  equally  divided  between 
those  who  dissented  from,  and  those  who  worshipped  with 
Rome.  This  proposal,  therefore,  met  with  a  mixed  recep- 
tion. The  latter  protested  against  the  neglect,  while  the 
former,  equally  under  the  influence  of  abject'  fear,  »were 
loud  in  declaring  that  the  idolatry  itself  might  cost  them 
all  their  lives. 

"  The  curse  of  Heaven  alight  on  the  evil  tongue  that 
first  uttered  the  thought ! "  muttered  the  trembling  Pippo 
between  his  teeth,  too  prudent  to  fly  openly  in  the  face  of 
so  strong  an  opposition,  and  yet  too  credulous  not  to  feel 
the  omission  in  every  nerve — "  Hast  nothing  by  thee,  pious 
Conrad,  that  may  avail  a  Christian  ?" 

The  pilgrim  reached  forth  his  hand  with  a  rosary  and 


THE   HEADSMAN.  89 

cross.  The  sacred  emblem  passed  from  mouth  to  mouth, 
among  the  believers,  with  a  zeal  little  short  of  that  they 
had  manifested  in  unloading  the  deck.  Encouraged  by 
this  sacrifice,  they  called  loudly  upon  Baptiste  to  pre- 
sent himself.  Confronted  with  these  unnurtured  spirits, 
the  patron  shook  in  every  limb,  for,  between  anger  and 
abject  fear,  his  self-command  had  by  this  time  absolutely 
deserted  him.  To  the  repeated  appeals  to  procure  a  light, 
that  it  might  be  placed  before  a  picture  of  the  mother  of 
God,  which  Conrad  produced,  he  objected  his  Protestant 
faith,  the  impossibility  of  maintaining  the  flame  while  the 
bark  pitched  so  violently,  and  the  divided  opinions  of  the 
passengers.  The  Catholics  bethought  them  of  the  coun- 
try and  influence  of  Maso,  and  they  loudly  called  upon 
him,  for  the  love  of  God  !  to  come  and  enforce  their  re- 
quests. But  the  mariner  was  occupied  on  the  forecastle, 
lowering  one  anchor  after  another  into  the  water,  passively 
assisted  by  the  people  of  the  bark,  who  wondered  at  a  pre- 
caution so  useless,  since  no  rope  would  reach  the  bottom, 
even  while  they  did  not  dare  deny  his  orders.  Something 
was  now  said  of  the  curse  that  had  alighted  on  the  vessel, 
in  consequence  of  its  patron's  intention  to  embark  the 
headsman.  Baptiste  trembled  to  the  skin  of  his  crown, 
and  his  blood  crept  with  a  superstitious  awe. 

"  Dost  think  there  can  really  be  aught  in  this  ? "  he 
asked,  with  parched  lips  and  a  faltering  tongue. 

All  distinction  of  faith  was  lost  in  the  general  ridicule. 
Now  the  Westphalian  -was  gone,  there  was  not  a  man 
among  them  to  doubt  that  a  navigation  so  accompanied 
would  be  cursed.  Baptiste  stammered,  muttered  many  in- 
coherent sentences,  and  finally,  in  his  impotency,  he  per- 
mitted the  dangerous  secret  to  escape  him. 

The  intelligence  that  Balthazar  was  among  them  pro- 
duced a  solemn  and  deep  silence.  The  fact,  however,  fur- 
nished as  conclusive  evidence  of  the  cause  of  their  peril  to 
the  minds  of  these  untutored  beings,  as  a  mathematician 
could  have  received  from  the  happiest  of  his  demonstra- 
tions. New  light  broke  in  upon  them,  and  the  ominous 
stillness  was  followed  by  a  general  demand  for  the  patron 
to  point  out  the  man.  Obeying  this  order,  partly  under 
the  influence  of  a  terror  that  was  allied  to  his  moral  weak- 
ness, and  partly  in  bodily  fear,  he  shoved  the  headsman  for- 
ward, substituting  the  person  of  the  proscribed  man  for  his 
own,  and,  profiting  by  the  occasion,  he  stole  out  of  the  crowd. 


90  THE   HEADSMAN. 

When  the  Herr  Miiller,  or,  as  he  was  now  known  and 
called,  Balthazar,  was  rudely  pushed  into  the  hands  of 
these  ferocious  agents  of  superstition,  the  apparent  mag- 
nitude of  the  discovery  induced  a  general  and  breathless 
pause.  Like  the  treacherous  calm  that  had  so  long  reigned 
upon  the  lake,  it  was  a  precursor  of  a  fearful  and  violent 
explosion.  Little  was  said,  for  the  occasion  was  too  omi- 
nous for  a  display  of  vulgar  feeling,  but  Conrad,  Pippo, 
and  one  or  two  more  silently  raised  the  fancied  offender  in 
their  arms  and  bore  him  desperately  toward  the  side  of  the 
bark. 

"  Call  on  Maria,  for  the  good  of  thy  soul !  "  whispered 
the  Neapolitan,  with  a  strange  mixture  of  Christian  zeal, 
in  the  midst  of  all  his  ferocity. 

The  sound  of  words  like  these  usually  conveys  the  idea 
of  charity  and  love  ;  but  notwithstanding  this  gleam  of 
hope,  Balthazar  still  found  himself  borne  toward  his  fate. 

On  quitting  the  throng  that  clustered  together  in  a  dense 
body  between  the  masts,  Baptiste  encountered  his  old  an- 
tagonist, Nicklaus  Wagner.  The  fury  which  had  so  long 
been  pent  in  his  breast  suddenly  found  vent,  and  in  the 
madness  of  the  moment  he  struck  him.  The  stout  Bernese 
grappled  his  assailant,  and  the  struggle  became  fierce  as 
that  of  brutes.  Scandalized  by  such  a  spectacle,  offended 
by  the  disrespect,  and  ignorant  of  what  else  was  passing 
near — for  the  crowd  had  uttered  its  resolutions  in  the  sup- 
pressed voices  of  men  determined — the  Baron  de  Willading 
and  the  Signor  Grimaldi  advanced  with  dignity  and  firm- 
ness to  prevent  the  shameful  strife.  At  this  critical  mo- 
ment the  voice  of  Balthazar  was  heard  above  the  roar  of 
the  coming  wind,  not  calling  on  Maria,  as  he  had  been  ad- 
monished, but  appealing  to  the  two  old  nobles  to  save  him. 
Sigismund  sprang  forward  like  a  lion  at  the  cry,  but,  too 
late  to  reach  those  who  were  about  to  cast  the  headsman 
from  the  gangway,  he  was  just  in  time  to  catch  the  body 
by  its  garments,  when  actually  sailing  in  the  air.  By  a 
vast  effort  of  strength  its  direction  was  diverted.  Instead 
of  alighting  in  the  water,  Balthazar  encountered  the  angry 
combatants,  who,  driven  back  on  the  two  nobles,  forced 
the  whole  four  over  the  side  of  the  bark  into  the  water. 

The  struggle  between  the  two  bodies  of  air  ceased,  that 
on  the  surface  of  the  lake  yielding  to  the  avalanche  from 
above,  and  the  tempest  came  howling  upon  the  bark. 


THE  HEADSMAN.  91 


CHAPTER   VII. 

•  '--n"  and  now  the  glee 
Of  the  loud  hills  shakes  with  their  mountain  mirth." — BYRON. 

IT  is  necessary  to  recapitulate  a  little,  in  order  to  connect 
events.  The  signs  of  the  hour  had  been  gradually  but 
progressively  increasing.  While  the  lake  was  unruffled,  a 
stillness  so  profound  prevailed,  that  sounds  from  the  dis- 
tant port,  such  as  the  heavy  fall  of  an  oar,  or  a  laugh  from 
the  watermen,  had  reached  the  ears  of  those  in  the  Winkel- 
ried,  bringing  with  them  the  feeling  of  security,  and  the 
strong  charm  of  a  calm  at  even.  To  these  succeeded  the 
gathering  in  the  heavens,  and  the  roaring  of  the  winds,  as 
they  came  rushing  down  the  sides  of  the  Alps,  in  their 
first  descent  into  the  basin  of  the  Leman.  As  the  sight 
grew  useless,  except  as  it  might  study  the  dark  omens  of 
the  impending  vault,  the  sense  of  hearing  became  doubly 
acute,  and  it  had  been  a  powerful  agent  in  heightening  the 
vague  but  acute  apprehensions  of  the  travellers.  The  rushes 
of  the  wind,  which  at  first  were  broken,  at  intervals  re- 
sembling the  roar  of  a  chimney-top  in  a  gale,  had  soon 
reached  the  fearful  grandeur  of  those  aerial  wheelings  of 
squadrons  to  which  we  have  more  than  once  alluded,  pass- 
ing off  in  dread  mutterings,  that,  in  the  deep  quiet  of  all 
other  things,  bore  a  close  affinity  to  the  rumbling  of  a  surf 
upon  the  seashore.  The  surface  of  the  lake  was  first 
broken  after  one  of  these  symptoms,  and  it  was  this  infal- 
lible sign  of  a  gale  which  had  assured  Maso  there  was  no 
time  to  lose.  This  movement  of  the  element  in  a  calm  is 
a  common  phenomenon  on  waters  that  are  much  environed 
with  elevated  and  irregular  headlands,  and  it  is  a  certain 
proof  that  wind  is  on  some  distant  portion  of  the  sheet.  It 
occurs  frequently  on  the  ocean,  too,  where  the  manner  is 
accustomed  to  find  a  heavy  sea  setting  in  one  direction, 
the  effects  of  some  distant  storm,  while  the  breeze  around 
him  is  blowing  in  its  opposite.  It  had  been  succeeded  by 
the  single  rolling  swell,  like  the  outer  circle  of  waves  pro- 
duced by  dropping  a  stone  into  the  water,  and  the  regular 
and  increasing  agitation  of  the  lake,  until  the  element 
broke  as  in  a  tempest,  and  that  seemingly  of  its  own  voli- 
tion, since  not  a  breath  of  air  was  stirring.  This  last  and 


92  THE   HEADSMAN. 

formidable  symptom  of  the  force  of  the  coming  gust,  how* 
ever,  had  now  become  so  unequivocal  that,  at  the  moment 
when  the  three  travellers  and  the  patron  fell  from  her  gang- 
way, the  Winkelried,  to  use  a  seaman's  phrase,  was  literally 
wallowing  in  the  troughs  of  the  seas. 

A  dull,  unnatural  light  preceded  the  winds,  and  notwith 
standing  the  previous  darkness,  the  nature  of  the  accident 
was  fully  apparent  to  all.  Even  the  untamed  spirits  thr.t 
had  just  been  bent  upon  so  fierce  a  sacrifice  to  their  super- 
stitious dread,  uttered  cries  of  horror,  while  the  piercing- 
shriek  of  Adelheid  sounded,  in  that  fearful  moment,  as  if 
beings  of  superhuman  attributes  were  riding  in  the  gale. 
The  name  of  Sigismund  was  heard,  too,  in  one  of  those 
wild  appeals  that  the  frantic  suffer  to  escape  them  in  their 
despair.  But  the  interval  between  the  plunge  into  the 
water  and  the  swoop  of  the  tempest  was  so  short,  that,  to 
the  senses  of  the  travellers,  the  whole  seemed  the  occur- 
rence of  the  same  teeming  moment. 

Maso  had  completed  his  work  on  the  forecastle,  had  seen 
that  other  provisions  which  he  had  ordered  were  duly  made, 
and  reached  the  tiller  just  in  time  to  witness  and  to  under- 
stand all  that  occurred.  Adelheid  and  her  female  attend- 
ants were  already  lashed  to  the  principal  masts,  and  ropes 
were  given  to  the  others  around  her,  as  indispensable  pre- 
cautions ;  for  the  deck  of  the  bark,  now  cleared  of  every 
particle  of  its  freight,  was  as  exposed  and  as  defenceless 
against  the  power  of  the  wind  as  a  naked  heath.  Such 
was  the  situation  of  the  Winkelried,  when  the  omens  of 
the  night  changed  to  their  dread  reality. 

Instinct,  in  cases  of  sudden  and  unusual  danger,  must 
do  the  office  of  reason.  There  was  no  necessity  to  warn 
the  unthinking  but  panic-struck  crowd  to  provide  for  their 
own  safety,  for  every  man  in  the  centre  of  the  barge  threw 
his  body  flat  on  the  deck,  and  grasped  the  cords  that  Maso 
had  taken  care  to  provide  for  that  purpose,  with  the  tenac- 
ity with  which  all  who  possess  life  cling  to  the  means  of 
existence.  The  dogs  gave  beautiful  proofs  of  the  secret 
and  wonderful  means  that  nature  has  imparted,  to  answer 
the  ends  of  their  creation.  Old  Uberto  crouched,  cower- 
ing, and  oppressed  with  a  sense  of  helplessness,  at  the 
side  of  his  master,  while  the  Newfoundland  follower  of  the 
mariner  went  leaping  from  gangway  to  gangway,  snuffing 
the  heated  air  and  barking  wildly,  as  if  he  would  challenge 
the  elements  to  close  for  the  strife. 


THE   HEADSMAN.  93 

A  vast  body  of  warm  air  had  passed  unheeded  athwart 
the  bark,  during  the  minute  that  preceded  the  intended 
sacrifice  of  Balthazar.  It  was  the  forerunner  of  the  hurri- 
cane, which  had  chased  it  from  the  bed  where  it  had  been 
steeping  since  the  warm  and  happy  noon-tide.  Ten  thou- 
sand chariots  at  their  speed  could  not  have  equalled  the 
rumbling  that  succeeded,  when  the  winds  came  booming 
over  the  lake.  As  if  too  eager  to  permit  anything  within 
i.heir  fangs  to  escape,  they  brought  with  them  a  wild,  dull 
light,  which  filled  while  it  clouded  the  atmosphere,  and 
which,  it  was  scarcely  fanciful  to  imagine,  had  been  hur- 
ried down  in  their  vortex  from  those  chili  glaciers,  where 
they  had  so  long  been  condensing  their  forces  for  the  pres- 
ent descent.  The  waves  were  not  increased,  but  depressed 
by  the  pressure  of  this  atmospheric  column,  though  it  took 
up  hogsheads  of  water  from  their  crests,  scattering  it  in 
fine  penetrating  spray,  till  the  entire  space  between  the 
heavens  and  the  earth  seemed  saturated  with  its  particles. 

The  Winkelried  received  the  shock  at  a  moment  when 
the  lee-side  of  her  broad  deck  was  wallowing  in  the  trough, 
and  its  weather  was  protruded  on  the  summit  of  a  swell. 
The  wind  howled  when  it  struck  the  pent  limits,  as  if 
angered  at  being  thwarted,  and  there  was  a  roar  under  the 
ivide  gangways,  resembling  that  of  lions.  The  reeling  ves- 
sel was  raised  in  a  manner  to  cause  those  on  board  to  be- 
lieve it  about  to  be  lifted  bodily  from  the  water,  but  the 
ceaseless  rolling  of  the  element  restored  the  balance.  Maso 
afterward  affirmed  that  nothing  but  this  accidental  posi- 
tion, which  formed  a  sort  of  lee,  prevented  all  in  the  bark 
from  being  swept  from  the  deck,  before  the  first  gust  of 
the  hurricane. 

Sigismund  had  heard  the  heart-rending  appeal  of  Adel- 
heid,  and,  notwithstanding  the  awful  strife  of  the  elements 
and  the  fearful  character  of  the  night,  he  alone  breasted 
the  shock  on  his  feet.  Though  aided  by  a  rope  and  bowed 
like  a  reed,  his  herculean  frame  trembled  under  the  shock, 
in  a  way  to  render  even  his  ability  to  resist  seriously  doubt- 
ful. But,  the  first  blast  expended,  he  sprang  to  the  gang- 
way, and  leaped  into  the  caldron  of  the  lake  unhesitat- 
ingly, and  yet  in  the  possession  of  all  his  faculties.  He 
was  desperately  bent  on  saving  a  life  so  dear  to  Adelheid, 
or  on  dying  in  the  attempt. 

Maso  had  watched  the  crisis  with  a  seaman's  eye,  a  sea- 
man's resources,  and  a  seaman's  coolness.  He  had  not  re- 


04  THE  HEADSMAN. 

fused  to  quit  his  feet,  but  kneeling  on  one  knee,  he  pressed 
the  tiller  down,  lashed  it,  and  clinging  to  the  massive  tim< 
ber,  faced  the  tempest  with  the  steadiness  of  a  water-god. 
There  was  sublimity  in  the  intelligence,  deliberation,  and 
calculating  skill  with  which  this  solitary,  unknown,  and 
nearly  hopeless  mariner  obeyed  his  professional  instinct  in 
that  fearful  concussion  of  the  elements,  which,  loosened 
from  every  restraint,  now  appeared  abandoned  to  their  own 
wild  and  fierce  will.  He  threw  aside  his  cap,  pushed  for- 
ward his  thick  but  streaming  locks,  as  veils  to  protect  his 
eyes,  and  watched  the  first  encounter  of  the  wind,  as  the 
wary  but  sullen  lion  keeps  his  gaze  on  the  hostile  elephant. 
A  grim  smile  stole  across  his  features,  when  he  felt  the 
vessel  settle  again  into  its  watery  bed,  after  that  breathless 
moment  in  which  there  had  been  reason  to  fear  it  might 
actually  be  lifted  from  its  proper  element.  Then  the 
precaution,  which  had  seemed  so  useless  and  incom- 
prehensible to  others,  came  in  play.  The  bark  made 
a  fearful  whirl  from  the  spot  where  it  had  so  long  lain, 
yielding  to  the  touch  of  the  gust  like  a  vane  turning  on  its 
pivot,  while  the  water  gurgled  several  streaks  on  deck. 
But  the  cables  were  no  sooner  taut  than  the  numerous 
anchors  resisted,  and  brought  the  bark  head  to  wind.  Maso 
felt  the  yielding  of  the  vessel's  stern,  as  she  swung  furi- 
ously round,  and  he  cheered  aloud.  The  trembling  of  the 
timbers,  the  dashing  against  the  pointed  beak,  and  that 
high  jet  of  water,  which  shot  up  over  the  bows  and  fell 
heavily  on  the  forecastle,  washing  aft  in  a  flood,  were  so 
many  evidences  that  the  cables  were  true.  Advancing 
from  his  post,  with  some  such  dignity  as  a  master  of  fence 
displays  in  the  exercise  of  his  art,  he  shouted  for  his  dog. 

"  Nettuno  ! — Netturio  ! — where  art  thou,  brave  Net- 
tuno  ? " 

The  faithful  animal  was  whining  near  him,  unheard  in 
that  war  of  the  elements.  He  waited  only  for  this  encour- 
agement to  act.  No  sooner  was  his  master's  voice  heard, 
than,  barking  bravely,  he  snuffed  the  gale,  dashed  to  the 
side  of  the  vessel,  and  leaped  into  the  boiling  lake. 

When  Melchior  de  Willading  and  his  friend  returned  to 
the  surface,  after  their  plunge,  it  was  like  men  making 
their  appearance  in  a  world  abandoned  to  the  infernal  hu- 
mors of  the  fiends  of  darkness.  The  reader  will  under- 
stand it  was  at  the  instant  of  the  swoop  of  the  winds,  that 
has  just  been  detailed,  for  what  we  have  taken  so  many 


7HE  HEADSMAN.  95 

pages  to  describe  in  words,  scarce  needed  a  minute  of  time 
in  the  accomplishment. 

Maso  knelt  on  the  verge  of  the  gangway,  sustaining 
himself  by  passing  an  arm  around  a  shroud,  and,  bending 
forward,  he  gazed  into  the  caldron  of  the  lake  with  aching 
eyes.  Once  or  twice  he  thought  he  heard  the  stifled 
breathing  of  one  who  struggled  writh  the  raging  water  : 
but,  in  that  roar  of  the  winds,  it  was  easy  to  be  deceived. 
He  shouted  encouragement  to  his  dog,  howrever,  and  gath- 
ering a  small  rope  rapidly,  he  made  a  heaving  coil  of  one 
of  its  ends.  This  he  cast  far  from  him,  with  a  peculiar 
swing  and  dexterity,  hauling-in,  and  repeating  the  experi- 
ments, steadily  and  with  unwearied  industry.  The  rope 
was  necessarily  thrown  at  hazard,  for  the  misty  light  pre- 
vented more  than  it  aided  vision  ;  and  the  howling  of  the 
powers  of  the  air  filled  his  ears  with  sounds  that  resembled 
the  laugh  of  devils. 

In  the  cultivation  of  the  youthful  manly  exercises,  neither 
of  the  old  nobles  had  neglected  the  useful  skill  of  being 
able  to  buffet  with  the  waves.  But  both  possessed  what 
was  far  better,  in  such  a  strait,  than  the  knowledge  of  a 
swimmer,  in  that  self-command  and  coolness  in  emergen- 
cies which  they  are  apt  to  acquire  who  pass  their  time  in 
encountering  the  hazards  and  in  overcoming  the  difficul- 
ties of  war.  Each  retained  a  sufficiency  of  recollection, 
therefore,  on  coming  to  the  surface,  to  understand  his  sit- 
uation, and  not  to  increase  the  danger  by  the  ill-directed 
and  frantic  efforts  that  usually  drown  the  frightened.  The 
case  was  sufficiently  desperate,  at  the  best,  without  the 
additional  risk  of  distraction,  for  the  bark  had  already 
drifted  to  some  unseen  spot,  that,  as  respects  them,  was 
quite  unattainable.  In  this  uncertainty,  it  would  have 
been  madness  to  steer  amid  the  waste  of  waters,  as  likely 
to  go  wrong  as  right,  and  they  limited  their  efforts  to  mu- 
tual support  and  encouragement,  placing  their  trust  in 
God. 

Not  so  with  Sigismund.  To  him  the  roaring  tempest 
was  mute,  the  boiling  and  hissing  lake  had  no  horrors,  and 
he  had  plunged  into  the  fathomless  Leman  as  recklessly 
as  he  could  have  leaped  to  land.  The  shriek,  the  "  Sig- 
ismund !  oh,  Sigismund  ! "  of  Adelheid,  was  in  his  ears, 
and  her  cry  of  anguish  thrilled  on  every  nerve.  The 
athletic  young  Swiss  was  a  practised  and  expert  swimmer, 
or  it  is  improbable  that  even  these  strong  impulses  could 


96  THE   HEADSMAN. 

have 'overcome  the  instinct  of  self-preservation.  in  a 
tranquil  basin,  it  would  have  been  no  extraordinary  or  un- 
usual feat  for  him  to  conquer  the  distance  between  the 
Winkelreid  and  the  shores  of  Vaud  ;  but,  like  all  the 
others,  on  casting  himself  into  the  water,  he  was  obliged 
to  shape  his  course  at  random  and  this,  too,  amid  such  a 
driving  spray  as  rendered  even  respiration  difficult.  As 
has  been  said,  the  waves  were  compressed  into  their  bed 
rather  then  augmented  by  the  wind  ;  but,  had  it  been 
otherwise,  the  mere  heaving  and  settling  of  the  element, 
while  it  obstructs  his  speed,  offers  a  support  rather  than 
an  obstacle  to  the  practised  swimmer. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  advantages,  the  strength  of 
his  impulses,  and  the  numberless  occasions  on  which  he 
had  breasted  the  surges  of  the  Mediterranean,  Sigismund, 
on  recovering  from  his  plunge,  felt  the  fearful  chances  of 
the  risk  he  ran,  as  the  stern  soldier  meets  the  hazards  of 
battle,  in  which  he  knows  if  there  is  victory,  there  is  also 
death.  He  dashed  the  troubled  water  aside,  though  he 
swam  blindly,  and  each  stroke  urged  him  further  from  the 
bark,  his  only  hope  of  safety.  He  was  between  dark,  roll- 
ing mounds,  and,  on  rising  to  their  summits,  a  hurricane  of 
mist  made  him  glad  to  sink  again  within  a  similar  shelter. 
The  breaking  crests  of  the  waves,  which  were  glancing  off 
in  foam,  also  gave  him  great  annoyance,  for  such  was  their 
force,  that,  more  than  once,  he  was  hurled  helpless  as  a 
log  before  them.  Still  he  swam  boldly,  and  with  strength  ; 
nature  having  gifted  him  with  more  than  the  usual  physical 
energy  of  man.  But,  uncertain  in  his  course,  unable  to  see 
the  length  of  his  own  body,  and  pressed  hard  upon  by  the 
wind,  even  the  spirit  of  Sigismund  Steinbach  could  not  long 
withstand  so  many  adverse  circumstances.  He  had  already 
turned,  wavering  in  purpose,  thinking  to  catch  a  glimpse 
of  the  bark  in  the  direction  he  had  come,  when  a  dark 
mass  floated  immediately  before  his  eyes,  and  he  felt  the 
cold  clammy  nose  of  the  dog,  scenting  about  his  face.  The 
admirable  instinct,  or  we  might  better  say,  the  excellent 
training  of  Nettuno,  told  him  that  his  services  were  not 
needed  here,  and,  barking  with  wild  delight,  as  if  in 
mockery  of  the  infernal  din  of  the  tempest,  he  sheered 
aside  and  swam  swiftly  on.  A  thought  flashed  like  light- 
ning on  the  brain  of  Sigismund.  His  best  hope  was  in  the 
inexplicable  faculties  of  this  animal.  Throwing  forward  an 
arm,  he  seized  the  bushy  tail  of  the  dog,  and  suffered  him- 


FHE   fTEADSMAN.  97 

self  to  be  dragged  ahead,  he  knew  not  whither,  though  he 
seconded  the  movement  with  his  own  exertions.  Another 
bark  proclaimed  that  the  experiment  was  successful,  and 
voices,  rising  as  it  were  from  the  water,  close  at  hand,  an- 
nounced the  proximity  of  human  beings.  The  brunt  of 
the  hurricane  was  past,  and  the  washing  of  the  waves, 
which  had  been  stilled  by  the  roar  and  the  revelry  of  the 
winds,  again  became  audible. 

The  strength  of  the  two  struggling  old  men  was  sinking 
fast.  The  Signor  Grimaldi  had  thus  far  generously  sus- 
tained his  friend,  who  was  less  expert  than  himself  in  the 
water,  and  he  continued  to  cheer  him  with  a  hope  he  did 
not  feel  himself,  nobly  refusing  to  the  last  to  separate  their 
fortunes. 

"  How  dost  find  thyself,  old  Melchior,"  he  asked.  "  Cheer 
thee,  friend — I  think  there  is  succor  at  hand." 

The  water  gurgled  at  the  mouth  of  the  Baron,  who  was 
near  the  gasp. 

"  'Tis  late — bless  thee,  dearest  Gaetano — God  be  with 
my  child — my  Adelheid — poor  Adelheid  !  " 

The  utterance  of  this  precious  name  under  a  father's 
agony  of  spirit,  most  probably  saved  his  life.  The  sinewy 
arm  of  Sigismund,  directed  by  the  words,  grasped  his 
dress,  and  he  felt  at  once  that  a  new  and  preserving  power 
had  interposed  between  him  and  the  caverns  of  the  lake. 
It  was  time,  for  the  water  had  covered  the  face  of  the  fail- 
ing Baron,  ere  the  muscular  arm  of  the  youth  came  to  per- 
form its  charitable  office. 

"Yield  thee  to  the  dog,  signore,"  said  Sigismund,  clear- 
ing his  mouth  of  water  to  speak  calmly,  once  assured  of 
his  own  burden;  "trust  to  his  sagacity,  and, — God  keep 
us  in  mind  ! — all  may  yet  be  well  ! " 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  retained  sufficient  presence  of 
mind  to  follow  this  advice,  and  it  was  probably  quite  as 
fortunate  that  his  friend  had  so  far  lost  his  consciousness, 
as  to  become  an  unresisting  burden  in  the  hands  of  Sigis- 
mund. 

"  Nettuno  ! — gallant  Nettuno  !  "  swept  past  them  on  the 
gale  for  the  first  time,  the  partial  hushing  of  the  winds  per- 
mitting the  clear  call  of  Maso  to  reach  so  far.  The  sound 
directed  the  efforts  of  Sigismund,  though  the  dog  had 
swum  steadily  away  the  moment  he  had  the  Genoese  in 
his  grip,  and  with  a  certainty  of  manner  that  showed  he 
was  at  no  loss  for  a  direction. 


98  THE  HEADSMAN. 

But  Sigismund  had  taxed  his  powers  too  far.  He, who  could 
have  buffeted  an  ordinary  sea  for  hours,  was  now  completely 
exhausted  by  the  unwonted  exertions,  the  deadening  in- 
fluence of  the  tempest,  and  the  log-like  weight  of  his  bur- 
den. He  would  not  desert  the  father  of  Adelheid,  and  yet 
each  fainting  and  useless  stroke  told  him  to  despair.  The 
dog  had  already  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  and  he  was 
even  uncertain  again  of  the  true  position  of  the  bark.  He 
prayed  in  agony  for  a  single  glimpse  of  the  rocking  masts 
and  yards,  or  to  catch  one  syllable  of  the  cheering  voice  of 
Maso.  But  in  both  his  wishes  were  vain.  In  place  of  the 
former,  he  had  naught  but  the  veiled  misty  light,  that  had 
come  on  with  the  hurricane  ;  and  instead  of  the  latter,  his 
ears  were  filled  with  the  washing  of  the  waves  and  the  roars 
of  the  gusts.  The  blasts  now  descended  to  the  surface  of 
the  lake,  and  now  went  whirling  and  swelling  upward,  in 
a  way  to  lead  the  listener  to  fancy  that  the  viewless  winds 
might  for  once  be  seen.  For  a  single  painful  instant,  in 
one  of  those  disheartening  moments  of  despair  that  will 
come  over  the  stoutest,  his  hand  was  about  to  relinquish 
its  hold  on  the  Baron,  and  to  make  the  last  natural  struggle 
for  life  ;  but  that  fair  modest  picture  of  maiden  loveliness 
and  truth,  which  had  so  long  haunted  his  waking  hours 
and  adorned  his  night-dreams,  interposed  to  prevent  the 
act.  After  this  brief  and  fleeting  weakness,  the  young  man 
seemed  endowed  with  new  energy.  He  swam  stronger,  and 
with  greater  apparent  advantage,  than  before. 

"  Nettuno — gallant  Nettuno  !  " — again  drove  over  him, 
bringing  with  it  the  chilling  certainty  that,  turned  from 
his  course  by  the  rolling  of  the  water,  he  had  thrown  away 
these  desperate  efforts  by  taking  a  direction  which  led  him 
from  the  bark.  While  there  was  the  smallest  appearance 
of  success,  no  difficulties,  of  -whatever  magnitude,  could 
entirely  extinguish  hope  ;  but  when  the  dire  conviction  that 
he  had  been  actually  aiding,  instead  of  diminishing,  the 
danger,  pressed  upon  Sigismund,  he  abandoned  his  efforts. 
The  most  he  endeavored  or  hoped  to  achieve,  was  to  keep 
his  own  head  and  that  of  his  companion  above  the  fatal 
element,  while  he  answered  the  cry  of  Maso  with  a  shout 
of  despair. 

"'Nettuno  ! — gallant  Nettuno  !  " — again  flew  past  on  the 
gale. 

This  cry  might  have  been  an  answer,  or  it  might  merely 
be  the  Italian  encouraging  his  dog  to  bear  on  the  body 


THE  HEADSMAN.  99 

with  which  it  was  already  loaded.  Sigismund  uttered  a 
shout,  which  he  felt  must  be  the  last  He  struggled  des- 
perately, but  in  vain  :  the  world  and  its  allurements  were 
vanishing  from  his  thoughts,  when  a  dark  line  whirled 
over  him,  and  fell  thrashing  upon  the  very  wave  which  cov- 
ered his  face.  The  instinctive  grasp  caught  it,  and  the 
young  soldier  felt  himself  impelled  ahead.  He  had  seized 
the  rope  which  the  mariner  had  not  ceased  to  throw,  as 
the  fisherman  casts  his  line,  and  he  was  at  the  side  of  the 
bark  before  his  confused  faculties  enabled  him  to  under- 
*  stand  the  means  employed  for  his  rescue. 

Maso  took  a  hasty  turn  with  the  rope,  and  stooping 
forward,  favored  by  the  roll  of  the  vessel,  he  drew  the 
Baron  de  Wil lading  upon  deck.  Watching  his  time,  he  re- 
peated the  experiment,  always  with  admirable  coolness 
and  dexterity,  placing  Sigismund  also  in  safety.  The  for- 
mer was  immediately  dragged  senseless  to  the  centre  of  the 
bark,  where  he  received  those  attentions  that  had  just 
been  eagerly  offered  to  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  and  writh  the 
same  happy  results.  But  Sigismund  motioned  all  away 
from  himself,  knowing  that  their  cares  were  needed  else- 
where. He  staggered  forward  a  few  paces,  and  then, 
yielding  to  a  complete  exhaustion  of  his  power,  he  fell  at 
full  length  on  the  wet  planks.  He  long  lay  panting,  speech- 
less, and  unable  to  move,  with  a  sense  of  death  on  his 
frame. 

"  Nettuno  !  gallant  Nettuno  !  " — shouted  the  indefati- 
gable Maso,  still  at  his  post  on  the  gangway,  whence  he 
cast  his  rope  with  unchanging  perseverance.  The  fitful 
winds,  which  had  already  played  so  many  fierce  antics  that 
eventful  night,  sensibly  lulled,  and,  giving  one  or  two 
sighs,  as  if  regretting  that  they  were  about  to  be  curbed 
again  by  that  almighty  Master,  from  whose  benevolent 
hands  they  had  so  furtively  escaped,  as  suddenly  ceased 
blowing.  The  yards  creaked,  swinging  loosely  above  the 
crowded  deck,  and  the  dull  washing  of  water  filled  the 
ear.  To  these  diminished  sounds  were  to  be  added  the 
barking  of  the  dog,  who  was  still  abroad  in  the  darkness, 
and  a  struggling  noise  like  the  broken  and  smothered  at- 
tempts of  human  voices.  Although  the  time  appeared  an 
age  to  all  who  awaited  the  result,  scarcely  five  minutes 
had  elapsed  since  the  accident  occurred  and  the  hurricane 
had  reached  them.  There  was  still  hope,  therefore,  for 
those  who  yet  remained  in  the  water.  Maso  felt  the  eager- 


loo  THE  HEADSMAN. 

ness  of  one  who  had  already  been  successful  beyond  his 
hopes,  and,  in  his  desire  to  catch  some  guiding  signal,  he 
leaned  forward,  till  the  rolling  lake  washed  into  his  face. 

"  Ha  !  gallant — gallant  Nettuno  !  " 

Men  certainly  spoke,  and  that  near  him.  But  the  sounds  re- 
sembled words  uttered  beneath  a  cover.  The  wind  whistled, 
too,  though  but  for  a  moment,  and  then  it  seemed  to 
sail  upward  into  the  dark  vault  of  the  heavens.  Net- 
tuno barked  audibly,  and  his  master  answered  with  another 
shout,  for  the  sympathy  of  man  in  his  kind  is  inextinguish- 
able. 

"  My  brave,  my  noble  Nettuno  !  " 

The  stillness  was  now  imposing,  and  Maso  heard  the  dog 
growl.  This  ill-omened  signal  was  undeniably  followed 
by  smothered  voices.  The  latter  became  clearer,  as  if  the 
mocking  winds  were  willing  that  a  sad  exhibition  of  human 
frailty  should  be  known,  or,  what  is  more  probable,  violent 
passion  had  awakened  stronger  powers  of  speech.  This 
much  the  mariner  understood. 

"  Loosen  thy  grasp,  accursed  Baptiste  !  " 

"  Wretch,  loosen  thine  own  !  " 

"  Is  God  naught  with  thee  ! " 

"Why  dost  throttle  so,  infernal  Nicklaus?" 

"  Thou  wilt  die  damned  !  " 

"  Thou  chokest — villain — pardon  ! — pardon  !  " 

He  heard  no  more.  The  merciful  elements  interposed 
to  drown  the  appalling  strife.  Once  or  twice  the  dog 
howled,  but  the  tempest  came  across  the  Leman  again  in 
its  might,  as  if  the  short  pause  had  been  made  merely  to 
take  breath.  The  winds  took  a  new  direction  ;  and  the 
bark,  still  held  by  its  anchors,  swung  wide  off  from  its 
former  position,  tending  in  toward  the  mountains  of 
Savoy.  During  the  first  burst  of  this  new  blast,  even 
Maso  was  glad  to  crouch  to  the  deck,  for  millions  of  infin- 
itely fine  particles  were  lifted  from  the  lake,  and  driven  on 
with  the  atmosphere  with  a  violence  to  take  away  his 
breath.  The  danger  of  being  swept  before  the  furious 
tide  of  the  driving  element  was  also  an  accident  not  im- 
possible. When  the  lull  returned,  no  exertion  of  his  fac- 
ulties could  catch  a  single  sound  foreign  to  the  proper 
character  of  the  scene,  such  as  the  splash  of  the  water,  and 
the  creaking  of  the  long,  swinging  yards. 

The  mariner  now  felt  a  deep  concern  for  his  dog.  He 
called  to  him  until  he  grew  hoarse,  but  fruitlessly.  The 


THE   HEADSMAN.  101 

change  of  position,  with  the  constant  and  varying  drift  of 
the  vessel,  had  carried  them  beyond  the  reach  of  the  hu- 
man voice.  More  time  was  expended  in  summoning 
"Nettuno!  gallant  Nettuno  !  "  than  had  been  consumed 
in  the  passage  of  all  the  events  which  it  has  been  neces- 
sary to  our  object  to  relate  so  minutely,  and  always  with 
the  same  want  of  success.  The  mind  of  Maso  was  pitched 
to  a  degree  far  above  the  opinions  and  habits  of  those  with 
whom  his  life  brought  him  ordinarily  in  contact,  but,  as 
even  fine  gold  will  become  tarnished  by  exposure  to  im- 
pure air,  he  had  not  entirely  escaped  the  habitual  weak- 
ness of  the  Italians  of  his  class.  When  he  found  that  no 
cry  could  recall  his  faithful  companion,  he  threw  himself 
upon  the  deck  in  a  paroxysm  of  passion,  tore  his  hair,  and 
wept  audibly. 

"  Nettuno  !  my  brave,  my  faithful  Nettuno  ! "  he  said. 
"  What  are  all  these  to  me,  without  thee  !  Thou  alone 
lovedst  me — thou  alone  hast  passed  with  me,  through  fair 
and  foul — through  good  and  evil,  without  change,  or  wish 
for  another  master  !  When  the  pretended  friend  has  been 
false,  thou  hast  remained  faithful !  When  others  were 
sycophants  thou  wert  never  a  flatterer !  " 

Struck  with  this  singular  exhibition  of  sorrow,  the  good 
Augustine,  who  until  now,  like  all  the  others,  had  been 
looking  to  his  own  safety,  or  employed  in  restoring  the 
exhausted,  took  advantage  of  the  favorable  change  in  the 
weather,  and  advanced  with  the  language  of  consola- 
tion. 

"  Thou  hast  saved  all  our  lives,  bold  mariner,"  he  said, 
"  and  there  are  those  in  the  bark  who  will  know  how  to 
reward  thy  courage  and  skill.  Forget  then  thy  dog,  and 
indulge  in  a  grateful  heart  to  Maria  and  the  saints,  that 
they  have  been  our  friends  and  thine  in  this  exceeding 
jeopardy." 

"  Father,  I  have  eaten  with  the  animal — slept  with  the 
animal— fought,  swum,  and  made  merry  with  him,  and  I 
could  now  drown  with  him  !  What  are  thy  nobles  and 
their  gold  to  me,  without  my  dog  ?  The  gallant  brute  will 
die  the  death  of  despair,  swimming  about  in  search  of  the 
bark  in  the  midst  of  the  darkness,  until  even  one  of  his 
high  breed  and  courage  must  suffer  his  heart  to  burst." 

"  Christians  have  been  called  into  the  dread  presence, 
unconfessed  and  unshrived,  to-night ;  and  we  should  be- 
think us  of  their  souls,  rather  than  indulge  in  this  grief  iu 


y02  THE   HEADSMAN'. 

behalf  of  one  that,  however  faithful,  ends  but  an  unreason, 
ing  and  irresponsible  existence." 

All  this  was  thrown  away  upon  Maso,  who  crossed  him* 
self  habitually  at  the  allusion  to  the  drowned,  but  who  did 
not  the  less  bewail  the  loss  of  his  dog,  whom  he  seemed  to 
love,  like  the  affection  that  David  bore  for  Jonathan,  with 
a  love  surpassing  that  of  a  woman.  Perceiving  that  his 
counsel  was  useless,  the  good  Augustine  turned  away,  to 
kneel  and  offer  up  his  own  prayers  of  gratitude,  and  to 
bethink  him  of  the  dead. 

"Nettuno!  povera,  carissima  bestia!"  continued  Maso, 
"whither  art  thou  swimming,  in  this  infernal  quarrel  be- 
tween the  air  and  water  ?  Would  I  were  with  thee,  dog  ! 
No  mortal  shall  ever  share  the  love  I  bore  thee,  povero 
Nettuno! — I  will  never  take  another  to  my  heart,  like  thee  !" 

The  outbreaking  of  Maso's  grief  was  sudden,  and  it  was 
brief  in  its  duration.  In  this  respect  it  might  be  likened 
to  the  hurricane  that  had  just  passed.  Excessive  violence, 
in  both  cases,  appeared  to  bring  its  own  remedy,  for  the 
irregular,  fitful  gusts  from  the  mountains  had  already 
ceased,  and  were  succeeded  by  a  strong  but  steady  gale 
from  the  north  ;  and  the  sorrow  of  Maso  soon  ended  its 
characteristic  plaints,  to  take  a  more  continued  and  even 
character. 

During  the  whole  of  the  foregoing  scenes,  the  common 
passengers  had  crouched  to  the  deck,  partly  in  stupor, 
partly  in  superstitious  dread,  and  much  of  the  time,  from 
a  positive  inability  to  move  without  incurring  the  risk  of 
being  driven  from  the  defenceless  vessel  into  the  lake. 
But,  as  the  wind  diminished  in  force,  and  the  motion  of 
the  bark  became  more  regular,  they  rallied  their  senses, 
like  men  who  had  been  in  a  trance,  and  one  by  one  they 
rose  to  their  feet.  About  this  time  Adelheid  heard  the 
sound  of  her  father's  voice,  blessing  her  care,  and  consol- 
ing her  sorrow.  The  north  wrind  blew  away  the  canopy  of 
clouds,  and  the  stars  shone  above  the  angry  Leman,  bring- 
ing with  them  some  such  promise  of  divine  aid  as  the 
pillar  of  fire  afforded  to  the  Israelites  in  their  passage  of 
the  Red  Sea.  Such  an  evidence  of  returning  peace 
brought  renewed  confidence.  All  in  the  bark,  passengers 
as  well  as  crew,  took  courage  at  the  benignant  signs,  while 
Adelheid  wept,  in  gratitude  and  joy,  over  the  gray  hairs  of 
her  father. 

Maso    had    now   obtained   complete    command    of    the 


THE  HEADSMAN".  103 

(Vinkelried,  as  much  by  the  necessity  of  the  case,  a^  by  the 
unrivalled  skill  and  courage  he  had  manifested  during  the 
fearful  minutes  of  their  extreme  jeopardy.  No  sooner  did 
he  succeed  in  staying  his  own  grief,  than  he  called  the  peo- 
ple about  him,  and  issued  his  orders  for  the  new  measures 
that  had  become  necessary. 

All  who  have  ever  been  subject  to  their  influence  know 
that  there  is  nothing  more  uncertain  than  the  winds.  Their 
fickleness  has  passed  into  a  proverb  ;  but  their  inconstancy, 
as  well  as  their  power,  from  the  fanning  air  to  the  de- 
structive tornado,  are  to  be  traced  to  causes  that  are  suf- 
ficiently clear,  though  hid  in  their  nature  from  the  calcu- 
lations of  our  forethought.  The  tempest  of  the  night  was 
owing  to  the  simple  fact  that  a  condensed  and  chilled  col- 
umn of  air  from  the  mountains  had  pressed  upon  the 
heated  substratum  of  the  lake,  and  the  latter,  after  a  long 
resistance,  suddenly  finding  vent  for  its  escape,  had  been 
obliged  to  let  in  the  cataract  from  above.  As  in  all  extra- 
ordinary efforts,  whether  physical  or  moral,  reaction  would 
seem  to  be  a  consequence  of  excessive  action,  the  currents 
of  air,  pushed  beyond  their  proper  limits,  were  now  setting 
back  again,  like  a  tide  on  its  reflux.  This  cause  produced 
the  northern  gale  that  succeeded  the  hurricane. 

The  wind  that  came  from  off  the  shores  of  Vaud  was 
steady  and  fresh.  The  barks  of  the  Leman  are  not  con- 
structed for  beating  to  windward,  and  it  might  even  have 
been  questioned,  whether  the  Winkelried  would  have  borne 
her  canvas  against  so  heavy  a  breeze.  Maso,  however,  ap- 
peared to  understand  himself  thoroughly,  and  as  he  had 
acquired  the  influence  which  hardihood  and  skill  are  sure 
to  obtain  over  doubt  and  timidity  in  situations  of  hazard, 
he  was  obeyed  by  all  on  board  with  submission,  if  not  with 
zeal.  No  more  was  heard  of  the  headsman  or  of  his  sup- 
posed agency  in  the  storm  ;  and,  as  he  prudently  kept 
himself  in  the  background,  so  as  not  to  endanger  a  re- 
vival of  the  superstition  of  his  enemies,  he  seemed  entirely 
forgotten. 

The  business  of  getting  the  anchors  occupied  a  con- 
siderable time,  for  Maso  refused,  now  there  existed  no 
necessity  for  the  sacrifice,  to  permit  a  yarn  to  be  cut  ;  but, 
released  from  this  hold  on  the  water,  the  bark  whirled 
away,  and  was  soon  drifting  before  the  wind.  The  mariner 
was  at  the  helm,  and  causing  the  head-sail  to  be  loosened, 
he  steered  directly  for  the  rocks  of  Savoy.  This  manoeuvre 


f&4  TffE   HEADSMAN. 

excited  disagreeable  suspicions  in  the  minds  of  several  on 
board,  for  the  lawless  character  of  their  pilot  had  been 
more  than  suspected  in  the  course  of  their  short  acquaint- 
ance, and  the  coast  toward  which  they  were  furiously 
rushing  was  known  to  be  iron  bound,  and  in  suctfa  gale 
fatal  to  all  who  came  rudely  upon  its  rocks,  Half  an  hour 
removed  their  apprehension.  When  near  enough  to  the 
mountains  to  feel  their  deadening  influence  on  the  gale, 
the  natural  effect  of  the  eddies  formed  by  their  resistance 
to  the  currents,  he  luffed-to  and  set  his  main-sail.  Relieved 
by  this  wise  precaution,  the  Winkelried  now  wore  her  can- 
vas gallantly,  and -she  dashed  along  the  shore  of  Savoy 
with  a  foaming  beak,  shooting  past  ravine,  valley,  glen, 
and  hamlet,  as  if  sailing  in  air. 

In  less  than  an  hour,  St.  Gingoulph,  or  the  village 
through  which  the  dividing  line  between  the  territories  of 
Switzerland  and  those  of  the  King  of  Sardinia  passes,  was 
abeam,  and  the  excellent  calculations  of  the  sagacious  Maso 
became  still  more  apparent.  He  had  foreseen  another 
shift  of  wind,  as  the  consequence  of  all  this  poise  and 
counterpoise,  and  he  was  here  met  by  the  true  breeze  of 
the  night.  The  last  current  came  out  of  the  gorge  of  the 
Valais,  sullen,  strong,  and  hoarse,  bringing  him,  however, 
fairly  to  windward  of  his  port.  The  Winkelried  was  cast 
in  season,  and  when  the  gale  struck  her  anew,  her  canvas 
drew  fairly,  and  she  walked  out  from  beneath  the  moun- 
tains into  the  broad  lake,  like  a  swan  obeying  its  instinct. 

The  passage  across  the  width  of  the  Leman,  in  that  horn 
of  the  crescent  and  in  such  a  breeze,  required  rather  more 
than  an  hour.  This  time  was  occupied  among  the  common 
herd  in  self-felicitations,  and  in  those  vain  boastings  that 
distinguish  the  vulgar  who  have  escaped  an  imminent 
danger  without  any  particular  merit  of  their  own.  Among 
those  whose  spirits  were  better  trained  and  more  rebuked, 
there  were  attentions  to  the  sufferers  and  deep  thanksgiv- 
ings, with  the  touching  intercourse  of  the  grateful  and 
happy.  The  late  scenes,  and  the  fearful  fate  of  the  patron 
and  Nicklaus  Wagner,  cast  a  shade  upon  their  joy,  but  all 
inwardly  felt  that  they  had  been  snatched  from  the  jaws  of 
death. 

Maso  shaped  his  course  by  the  beacon  that  still  blazed 
in  the  grate  of  old  Roger  de  Blonay.  With  his  eye  riveted 
on  the  luff  of  his  sail,  his  hip  bearing  hard  against  the 
tiller,  and  a  heart  that  relieved  itself,  from  time  to  time, 


THE  IfEADSMAtf.  io$ 

with  bitter  sighs,  he  ruled  the  bark  like  a  presiding 
spirit. 

At  length  the  black  mass  of  the  cotes  of  Vaud  took  more 
distinct  and  regular  forms.  Here  and  there,  a  tower  or  a 
tree  betrayed  its  outlines  against  the  sky,  and  then  the 
objects  on  the  margin  of  the  lake  began  to  stand  out  in 
gloomy  relief  from  the  land.  Lights  flared  along  the 
strand,  and  cries  reached  them  from  the  shore.  A  dark 
shapeless  pile  stood  directly  athwart  their  watery  path, 
and  at  the  next  moment  it  took  the  aspect  of  a  ruined 
castle-like  edifice.  The  canvas  flapped  and  was  handed, 
the  Winkelried  rose  and  set  more  slowly  and  with  a 
gentler  movement,  and  glided  into  the  little,  secure,  ar- 
tificial haven  of  La  Tour  de  Peil.  A  forest  of  latine  yards 
and  low  masts  lay  before  them,  but  by  giving  the  bark  a 
rank  sheer,  Maso  brought  her  to  her  berth,  by  the  side  of 
another  lake  craft,  with  a  gentleness  of  collision  that,  as 
the  mariners  have  it,  would  not  have  broken  an  egg. 

A  hundred  voices  greeted  the  travellers  ;  for  their  ap- 
proach had  been  seen  and  watched  with  intense  anxiety. 
Fifty  eager  Vevaisans  poured  upon  her  deck  in  a  noisy 
crowd  the  instant  it  was  possible.  Among  others,  a  dark 
shaggy  object  bounded  foremost.  It  leaped  wildly  forward, 
and  Maso  found  himself  in  the  embraces  of  Nettuno.  A 
little  later,  when  delight  and  more  tempered  feeling  per- 
mitted examination,  a  lock  of  human  hair  was  discovered 
entangled  in  the  teeth  of  the  dog,  and  the  following  week 
the  bodies  of  Baptiste  and  the  peasant  of  Berne  were  found 
still  clinched  in  the  desperate  death-gripe,  washed  upon 
the  shores  of  Vaud. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

"  The  moon  is  up  ;  by  Heaven  a  lovely  eve  ! 
Long  streams  of  light  o'er  glancing  waves  expand  ; 
Now  lads  on  shore  may  sigh  and  maids  believe  : 
Such  be  our  fate  when  we  return  to  land  !  " — BYRON. 

THE  approach  of  the  Winkelried  had  been  seen  from 
Vevey  throughout  the  afternoon  and  evening.  The  arrival 
of  the  Baron  de  Willading  and  his  daughter  was  expected 
by  many  in  the  town,  the  rank  and  influence  of  the  former 


ro6  THE   HEADSMAN. 

in  the  great  canton  rendering  him  an  object  of  interest  to 
more  than  those  who  felt  affection  for  his  person  and  re- 
spect for  his  upright  qualities.  Roger  de  Blonay  had  not 
been  his  only  youthful  friend,  for  the  place  contained 
another,  with  whom  he  was  intimate  by  habit,  if  not  from 
a  community  of  those  principles  which  are  the  best  cement 
of  friendships. 

The  officer  charged  with  the  especial  supervision  of  the 
districts  or  circles,  into  which  Berne  had  caused  its  de- 
pendent territory  of  Vaud  to  be  divided,  was  termed  a 
bailli,  a  title  that  our  word  bailiff  will  scarcely  render,  ex- 
cept as  it  may  strictly  mean  a  substitute  for  the  exercise 
of  authority  that  is  the  property  of  another,  but  which, 
from  the  want  of  a  better  term,  we  may  be  compelled  oc- 
casionally to  use.  The  bailli,  or  bailiff,  of  Vevey  was  Pe- 
ter Hofmeister,  a  member  of  one  of  those  families  of  the 
btirgerschaft,  or  the  municipal  aristocracy  of  the  canton, 
which  found  its  institutions  venerable,  just,  and,  if  one 
might  judge  from  their  language,  almost  sacred,  simply 
because  it  had  been  in  possession  of  certain  exclusive  priv- 
ileges under  their  authority,  that  were  not  only  comforta- 
ble in  their  exercise  but  fecund  in  other  worldly  advanta- 
ges. This  Peter  Hofmeister  was,  in  the  main,  a  hearty, 
well-meaning,  and  somewhat  benevolent  person,  but  living 
as  he  did  under  the  secret  consciousness  that  all  was  not 
as  it  should  be,  he  pushed  his  opinions  on  the  subject  of 
vested  interests,  and  on  the  stability  of  temporal  matters, 
a  little  into  extremes,  pretty  much  on  the  same  principle 
as  that  on  which  the  engineer  expends  the  largest  portion 
of  his  art  in  fortifying  the  weakest  point  of  a  citadel,  tak- 
ing care  that  there  shall  be  a  constant  flight  of  shot,  great 
and  small,  across  the  most  accessible  of  its  approaches. 
By  one  of  the  exclusive  ordinances  of  those  times,  in  which 
men  were  glad  to  get  relief  from  the  violence  and  rapacity 
of  the  Baron  and  the  satellite  of  the  Prince,  ordinances 
that  it  was  the  fashion  of  the  day  to  term  liberty,  the  fam- 
ily of  Hofmeister  had  come  into  the  exercise  of  a  certain 
charge,  or  monopoly,  that  in  truth  had  always  constituted 
its  wealth  and  importance,  but  of  which  it  was  accustomed 
to  speak  as  forming  its  principal  claim  to  the  gratitude  of 
the  public,  for  duties  that  had  been  performed  not  only  so 
well,  but  for  so  long  a  period,  by  an  unbroken  succession 
of  patriots  descended  from  the  same  stock.  They  who 
judged  of  the  value  attached  to  the  possession  of  this 


THE  HEADSMAN.  107 

charge,  by  the  animation  with  which  all  attempts  to  relieve 
them  of  the  burden  were  repelled,  must  have  been  in  er- 
ror ;  for,  to  hear  their  friends  descant  on  the  difficulties  of 
the  duties,  of  the  utter  impossibility  that  they  should  be 
properly  discharged  by  any  family  that  had  not  been  in 
their  exercise  just  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  years  and 
a  half,  the  precise  period  of  the  hard  servitude  of  the  Hof- 
meisters,  and  the  rare  merit  of  their  self-devotion  to  the 
common  good,  it  would  seem  that  they  were  so  many  mod- 
ern Curtii,  anxious  to  leap  into  the  chasm  of  uncertain 
and  endless  toil,  to  save  the  Republic  from  the  ignorance 
and  peculations  of  certain  interested  and  selfish  knaves, 
who  wished  to  enjoy  the  same  high  trusts,  for  a  motive  so 
unworthy  as  that  of  their  own  particular  advantage.  This 
subject  apart,  however,  and  with  a  strong  reservation  in 
favor  of  the  supremacy  of  Berne,  on  whom  his  importance 
depended,  a  better  or  a  more  philanthropic  man  than  Peter 
Hofmeister  would  not  have  been  easily  found.  He  was  a 
hearty  laugher,  a  hard  drinker,  a  common  and  peculiar 
failing  of  the  age,  a  great  respecter  of  the  law,  as  was  meet 
in  one  so  situated,  and  a  bachelor  of  sixty-eight,  a  time  of 
life  that,  by  referring  his  education  to  a  period  more  re- 
mote by  half  a  century,  than  that  in  which  the  incidents 
of  our  legend  took  place,  was  not  at  all  in  favor  of  any 
very  romantic  predilection  in  behalf  of  the  rest  of  the  hu- 
man race.  In  short,  the  Herr  Hofmeister  was  a  bailiff, 
much  as  Balthazar  was  a  headsman,  on  account  of  some 
peculiar  merit  or  demerit  (it  might  now  be  difficult  to  say 
which)  of  one  of  his  ancestors,  by  the  laws  of  the  canton, 
and  by  the  opinions  of  men.  The  only  material  difference 
between  them  was  in  the  fact,  that  the  one  greatly  enjoyed 
his  station,  while  the  other  had  but  an  indifferent  relish 
for  his  trust. 

When  Roger  de  Blonay,  by  the  aid  of  a  good  glass,  had 
assured  himself  that  the  bark  which  lay  off  St.  Saphorin, 
in  the  even  tide,  with  yards  a-cock-bill,  and  sails  pendent 
in  their  picturesque  drapery,  contained  a  party  of  gentle 
travellers  who  occupied  the  stern,  and  saw  by  the  plumes 
and  robes  that  a  female  of  condition  was  among  them,  he 
gave  an  order  to  prepare*  the  beacon-fire,  and  descended  ta 
the  port,  in  order  to  be  in  readiness  to  receive  his  friend. 
Here  he  found  the  bailiff,  pacing  the  public  promenade, 
which  is  washed  by  the  limpid  water  of  the  lake,  with  the 
air  of  a  man  who  had  more  on  his  mind  than  the  daily 


,o8  THE  HEADSMAN. 

cares  of  office.  Although  the  Baron  de  Blonay  was  a 
Vaudois,  and  looked  upon  all  the  functionaries  of  his 
country's  conquerors  with  a  species  of  hereditary  dislike, 
he  was  by  nature  a  man  of  mild  and  courteous  qualities, 
and  the  meeting  was,  as  usual,  friendly  in  the  externals, 
and  of  seeming  cordiality.  Great  care  was  had  by  both  to 
speak  in  the  second  person  ;  on  the  part  of  the  Vaudois, 
that  it  might  be  seen  he  valued  himself  as,  at  least,  the 
equal  of  the  representative  of  Berne,  and,  on  that  of  the 
bailiff,  in  order  to  show  that  his  office  made  him  as  good 
as  the  head  of  the  oldest  house  in  all  that  region. 

"  Thou  expectest  to  see  friends  from  Genf  in  yonder 
bark  ? "  said  the  Herr  Hofmeister,  abruptly. 

"And  thou  ?" 

"  A  friend,  and  one  more  than  a  friend,"  answered  the 
bailiff  evasively.  "  My  advices  tell  me  that  Melchior  de 
Willading  will  sojourn  among  us  during  the  festival  of  the 
Abbaye,  and  secret  notice  has  been  sent  that  there  will  be 
another  here  who  wishes  to  see  our  merry  making,  without 
pretension  to  the  honors  that  he  might  fairly  claim." 

"  It  is  not  rare  for  nobles  of  mark,  and  even  princes,  to 
visit  us  on  these  occasions,  under  feigned  names  and  with- 
out the  Mat  of  their  rank  ;  for  the  great,  when  they  de- 
scend to  follies,  seldom  like  to  bring  their  high  condition 
within  their  influence." 

"  The  wiser  they.  I  have  my  own  troubles  with  these 
accursed  fooleries,  for — it  maybe  a  weakness,  but  it  is  one 
that  is  official — I  cannot  help  imagining  that  a  bailiff  cuts 
but  a  shabby  figure  before  the  people  in  the  presence  of  so 
many  gods  and  goddesses.  To  own  to  thee  the  truth,  I  re- 
joice that  he  who  cometh,  cometh  as  he  doth.  Hast  letters 
of  late  date  from  Berne  ?  " 

"  None  ;  though  report  says  there  is  like  to  be  a  change 
among  some  of  those  who  fill  public  trusts." 

"  So  much  the  worse  !  "  growled  the  bailiff.  "  Is  it  to  be 
expected  that  men  who  never  did  an  hour's  duty  in  a 
charge  can  acquit  themselves  like  those  who  have,  it 
might  be  said,  sucked  in  practice  with  their  mother's 
milk?" 

"  Aye  ;  this  is  well  enough  for  thee  ;  but  others  say  that 
even  the  Erlachs  had  a  beginning." 

"  Himmel  !  Am  I  a  heathen  to  deny  this?  As  many 
beginnings  as  thou  wilt,  good  Roger,  but  I  like  not  thy 
ends.  No  doubt  an  Erlach  is  mortal  like  all  of  us,  and 


THE   HEADSMAN'.  109 

even  a  created  being  ;  but  a  man  is  not  a  charge.  Let  the 
clay  die,  if  thou  wilt,  but  if  thou  wouldst  have  faithful  or 
skilful  servants,  look  to  the  true  successor.  But  we  will 
have  none,  of  this  to-day.  Hast  many  guests  at  Blonay  ?  " 

"  Not  one.  I  look  for  the  company  of  Melchior  de 
Wil lading  and  his  daughter — and  yet  I  like  not  the  time  ! 
There  are  evil  signs  playing  about  the  high  peaks  and  in 
the  neighborhood  of  the  Dents  since  the  sun  has  set !  " 

"Thou  art  ever  in  a  storm  up  in  thy  castle  there  !  The 
Leman  was  never  more  peaceable,  and  I  should  take  it  truly 
in  evil  part,  were  the  rebellious  lake  to  get  into  one  of 
its  fits  of  sudden  anger  with  so  precious  a  freight  on  its 
bosom." 

"  I  do  not  think  the  Genfer  See  will  regard  even  a  bail- 
iff's displeasure  !  "  rejoined  the  Baron  de  Blonay,  laughing. 
"  I  repeat  it  ;  the  signs  are  suspicious.  Let  us  consult  the 
Watermen,  for  it  may  be  well  to  send  a  light-pulling  boat 
to  bring  the  travellers  to  land." 

Roger  de  Blonay  and  the  bailiff  walked  toward  the  lit- 
tle earthen  mole  that  partially  protects  the  roadstead  of 
Vevey,  and  which  is  forever  foaming  and  forever  washing 
away  before  the  storms  of  winter,  in  order  to  consult  some 
of  those  who  were  believed  to  be  expert  in  detecting  the 
symptoms  that  preceded  any  important  changes  of  the 
atmosphere.  The  opinions  were  various.  Most  believed 
there  would  be  a  gust  ;  but,  as  the  Winkelried  was  known 
to  be  a  new  and  well-built  bark,  and  none  could  tell  how 
much  beyond  her  powers  she  had  been  loaded  by  the  cu- 
pidity of  Baptiste,  and  as  it  was  generally  thought  the 
wind  would  be  as  likely  to  bring  her  up  to  her  haven  as 
be  against  her,  there  appeared  no  sufficient  reason  for 
sending  off  the  boat ;  especially  as  it  was  believed  the  bark 
would  be  not  only  drier  but  safer  than  a  smaller  craft, 
should  they  be  overtaken  by  the  wind.  This  indecision, 
so  common  in  cases  of  uncertainty,  was  the  means  of  ex- 
posing Adelheid  and  her  father  to  all  those  fearful  risks 
they  had  just  run. 

When  the  night  came  on,  the  people  of  the  town  began 
to  understand  that  the  tempest  would  be  grave  to  those 
who  were  obliged  to  encounter  it,  even  in  the  best  bark,  on 
the  Leman.  The  darkness  added  to  the  danger,  for  vessels 
had  often  run  against  the  land  by  miscalculating  their  dis- 
tances ;  and  the  lights  were  shown  along  the  strand,  by 
order  of  the  bailiff,  who  manifested  an  interest  so  unusual 


no  THE  HEADSMAN. 

in  those  on  board  the  Winkelried,  as  to  draw  about  them 
more  than  the  sympathy  that  would  ordinarily  be  felt  for 
travellers  in  distress.  Every  exertion  that  the  case  admit- 
ted was  made  in  their  behalf,  and  the  moment  the  state  of 
the  lake  allowed,  boats  were  sent  off,  in  every  probable 
direction,  to  their  succor.  But  the  Winkelreid  was  run* 
ning  along  the  coast  of  Savoy  ere  any  ventured  forth,  and 
the  search  proved  fruitless.  When  the  rumor  spread, 
however,  that  a  sail  was  to  be  discerned  coming  out  from 
under  the  wide  shadow  of  the  opposite  mountains,  and 
that  it  was  steering  for  La  Tour  de  Peil,  a  village  with  a 
far  safer  harbor  than  that  of  Vevey,  and  but  an  arrow's 
flight  from  the  latter  town,  crowds  rushed  to  the  spot. 
The  instant  it  was  known  that  the  missing  party  was  in 
her,  the  travellers  were  received  with  cheers  of  delight 
and  cries  of  hearty  greeting. 

The  bailiff  and  Roger  de  Blonay  hastened  forward  to  re- 
ceive the  Baron  de  Willading  and  his  friends,  who  were 
carried  in  a  tumultuous  and  joyful  manner  into  the  old 
castle  that  adorns  the  port,  and  from  which,  in  truth,  the 
latter  derives  its  name.  The  Bernois  noble  was  too  much 
affected  with  the  scenes  through  which  he  had  so  lately 
passed,  and  with  the  strong  and  ungovernable  tenderness 
of  Adelheid,  who  had  wept  over  him  as  a  mother  sobs  over 
her  recovered  child,  to  exchange  greetings  with  him  of 
Vaud,  in  the  hearty,  cordial  manner  that  ordinarily  char- 
acterized their  meetings.  Still  their  peculiar  habits  shone 
through  the  restraint. 

"Thou  seest  me  just  rescued  from  the  fishes  of  thy 
Leman,  dear  de  Blonay,"  he  said,  squeezing  the  other's 
hand  with  emotion,  as,  leaning  on  his  shoulder,  they  went 
into  the  chateau.  "  But  for  yonder  brave  youth,  and  as 
honest  a  mariner  as  ever  floated  on  water,  fresh  or  salt,  all 
that  is  left  of  old  Melchior  de  Willading  would,  at  this 
moment,  be  of  less  value  than  the  meanest  fera  in  thy 
lake." 

"  God  be  praised  that  thou  art  as  we  see  thee  !  We 
feared  for  thee,  and  boats  are  out  at  this  moment  in  search 
of  thy  bark  :  but  it  has  been  wiser  ordered.  This  brave 
young  man,  who,  I  see,  is  both  a  Swiss  and  a  soldier,  is 
doubly  welcome  among  us — in  the  two  characters  just 
named,  and  as  one  that  hath  done  thee  and  us  so  great  a 
service." 

Sigismund  received  the  compliments  which  he  so  well 


THE   HEADSMAN.  in 

merited  with  modesty.  The  bailiff,  however,  not  content 
with  making  the  usual  felicitations,  whispered  in  his  ear 
that  a  service  like  this,  rendered  to  one  of  its  most  esteemed 
nobles,  would  not  be  forgotten  by  the  Councils  on  a  proper 
occasion. 

"Thou  art  happily  arrived,  Herr  Melchior,"  he  then 
added,  aloud  ;  "  come  as  thou  wilt,  floating  or  sailing  in 
air.  We  have  thee  among  us  none  the  worse  for  the  acci- 
dent, and  we  thank  God,  as  Roger  de  Blonay  has  just  so 
well  observed.  Our  Abbaye  is  like  to  be  a  gallant  cere- 
mony, for  divers  gentlemen  of  name  are  in  town,  and  I 
hear  of  more  that  are  pricking  forward  among  the  moun- 
tains from  countries  beyond  the  Rhine.  Hadst  thou  no 
other  companions  in  the  bark  but  these  I  see  around  us?" 

"  There  is  another,  and  I  wonder  that  he  is  not  here  ! 
'Tis  a  noble  Genoese,  that  thou  hast  often  heard  me  name, 
Sire  de  Blonay,  as  one  that  I  love.  Gaetano  Grimaldi  is  a 
name  familiar  to  thee,  or  the  words  of  friendship  have  been 
uttered  in  an  idle  ear." 

"  I  have  heard  so  much  of  the  Italian  that  I  can  almost 
fancy  him  an  old  and  tried  acquaintance.  When  thou  first 
returnedst  from  the  Italian  wars,  thy  tongue  was  never 
weary  of  recounting  his  praises  :  it  was  Gaetano  said  this 
— Gaetano  thought  thus — Gaetano  did  that !  Surely  he  is 
not  of  thy  company  ?  " 

"  He,  and  no  other  !  A  lucky  meeting  on  the  quay  of 
Genf  brought  us  together  again  after  a  separation  of  full 
thirty  years,  and  as  if  Heaven  had  reserved  its  trials  for  the 
occasion,  we  have  been  made  to  go  through  the  late  danger 
in  company.  I  had  him  in  my  arms  in  that  fearful  mo- 
ment, Roger,  when  the  sky,  and  the  mountains,  and  all  of 
earth,  even  to  that  dear  girl,  were  fading,  as  I  thought  for- 
ever, from  my  sight, — he,  that  had  already  been  my  part- 
ner in  so  many  risks,  who  had  bled  for  me,  watched  for 
me,  ridden  for  me,  and  did  all  other  things  that  love  could 
prompt  for  me,  was  brought  by  Providence  to  be  my  com- 
panion in  the  awful  strait  through  which  I  have  just 
passed  ! " 

While  the  Baron  was  still  speaking,  his  friend  entered 
with  the  quiet  and  dignified  mien  he  always  maintained, 
when  it  was  not  his  pleasure  to  throw  aside  the  reserve 
of  high  station,  or  when  he  yielded  to  the  torrent  of  feel- 
ing that  sometimes  poured  through  his  southern  tempera- 
ment, in  a  way  to  unsettle  the  deportment  of  mere  con/ 


zi2  THE  HEADSMAN. 

vention.  He  was  presented  to  Roger  de  Blonay  and  the 
bailiff,  as  the  person  just  alluded  to,  and  as  the  oldest  and 
most  tried  of  the  friends  of  his  introducer.  His  reception 
by  the  former  was  natural  and  warm,  while  the  Herr 
Hofmeister  was  so  particular  in  his  professions  of  plea- 
sure and  respect,  as  to  excite  not  only  notice  but  sur- 
prise. 

"Thanks,  thanks,  good  Peterchen,"  said -the  Baron  de 
Willading,  for  such  was  the  familiar  diminutive  by  which 
the  bustling  bailiff  was  usually  addressed,  by  those  who 
could  take  the  liberty;  "thanks,  honest  Peterchen;  thy 
kindness  to  Gaetano  is  so  much  love  shown  to  myself." 

"•I  honor  thy  friends  as  thyself,  Herr  von  Willading," 
returned  the  bailiff,  "  for  thou  hast  a  claim  to  the  esteem 
of  the  biirgerschaft  and  all  its  servants  ;  but  the  homage 
paid  to  the  Signor  Grimaldi  is  due  on  his  own  account. 
We  are  but  poor  Swiss,  that  dwell  in  the  midst  of  wild 
mountains,  little  favored  by  the  sun  if  ye  will,  and  less 
known  to  the  world  ;  but  we  have  our  manners  !  A  man 
that  hath  been  intrusted  with  authority  as  long  as  I,  were 
unfit  for  his  trust  did  he  not  tell,  as  it  might  be  by  in- 
stinct, when  he  has  those  in  his  presence  that  are  to  be 
honored.  Signore,  the  loss  of  Melchior  von  Willading  be- 
fore our  haven,  would  have  made  the  lake  unpleasant  to 
us  all  for  months,  not  to  say  years  ;  but  had  so  great  a 
calamity  arrived  as  that  of  your  death  by  means  of  our 
waters,  I  could  have  prayed  that  the  mountains  might  fall 
into  the  basin,  and  bury  the  offending  Leman  under  their 
rocks ! " 

Melchior  de  Willading  and  old  Roger  de  Blonay  laughed 
heartily  at  Peterchen's  hyperbolical  compliments  ;  though 
it  was  quite  plain  that  the  worthy  bailiff  himself  fancied 
he  had  said  a  clever  thing. 

"  I  thank  you,  signore,  no  less  than  my  friend  de  Willa- 
ding," returned  the  Genoese,  a  gleam  of  humor  lighting  his 
eye.  "  This  courteous  reception  quite  outdoes  us  of  Italy  ; 
for  I  doubt  if  there  be  a  man  south  of  the  Alps,  who 
would  be  willing  to  condemn  either  of  our  seas  to  so  over- 
whelming a  punishment  for  a  fault  so  venial,  or  at  least  so 
natural.  I  beg,  however,  that  the  lake  may  be  pardoned  ; 
since,  at  the  worst,  it  was  but  a  secondary  agent  in  the 
affair,  and  I  doubt  not  it  would  have  treated  us  as  it  treats 
all  travellers,  had  we  kept  out  of  its  embraces.  The  crime 
must  be  imputed  to  the  winds,  and  as  they  are  the  off. 


THE    HEADSMAN.  113 

spring  of  the  hills,  I  fear  it  will  be  found  that  these  very 
mountains,  to  which  you  look  for  retribution,  will  be  con- 
victed at  last  as  the  true  devisers  and  abettors  of  the  plot 
against  our  lives." 

The  bailiff  chuckled  and  simpered  like  a  man  pleased 
equally  with  his  own  wit  and  with  that  he  had  excited  in 
others,  and  the  discourse  changed  ;  though  throughout 
the  night,  as  indeed  was  the  fact  on  all  other  occasions 
during  his  visit,  the  Signer  Grimaldi  received  from  Vm  so 
marked  and  particular  attentions,  as  to  create  a  strong 
sentiment  in  favor  of  the  Italian  among  those  who  had 
been  chiefly  accustomed  to  see  Peterchen  enact  the  busy, 
important,  dignified,  local  functionary. 

Attention  was  now  paid  to  the  first  wants  of  the  travel- 
lers, who  had  great  need  of  refreshments  after  the  fatigues 
and  exposure  of  the  day.  To  obtain  the  latter,  Roger  de 
Blonay  insisted  that  they  should  ascend  to  his  castle,  in 
whose  grate  the  welcome  beacon  still  blazed.  By  means 
of  chars~a-banc,  the  peculiar  vehicle  of  the  country,  the 
short  distance  was  soon  overcome,  the  bailiff,  not  a  little  to 
the  surprise  of  the  owner  of  the  house,  insisting  on  seeing 
the  strangers  safely  housed  within  its  walls.  At  the  gate  of 
Blonay,  however,  Peterchen  took  his  leave,  making  a  hun- 
dred apologies  for  his  absence,  on  the  ground  of  the  exten- 
sive duties  that  had  devolved  on  his  shoulders  in  conse- 
quence of  the  approaching  fete. 

"We  shall  have  a  mild  winter,  for  I  have  never  known 
the  Herr  Hofmeister  so  courteous,"  observed  Roger  de 
Blonay,  while  showing  his  guests  into  the  castle.  "  Thy 
Bernese  authorities,  Melchior,  are  little  apt  to  b.e  lavish  of 
their  compliments  to  us  poor  nobles  of  Vaud." 

"  Signore,  you  forget  the  interest  of  our  friend,"  ob- 
served the  laughing  Genoese.  "  There  are  other  and  better 
bailiwicks,  beyond  a  question,  in  the  gift  of  the  Councils, 
and  the  Signer  de  Willading  has  a  loud  voice  in  their  dis- 
posal. Have  I  found  a  solution  for  this  zeal  ?" 

"  Thou  hast  not,"  returned  the  Baron,  "  for  Peterchen 
hath  little  hope  beyond  that  of  dying  where  he  has  lived, 
the  deputed  ruler  of  a  small  district.  The  worthy  man 
should  have  more  credit  for  a  good  heart,  his  own  no  doubt 
being  touched  at  seeing  those  who  are,  as  it  may  be,  re- 
deemed from  the  grave.  I  owe  him  grace  for  the  kind- 
ness, and  should  a  better  thing  really  offer,  and  could  my 
poor  voice  be  of  account,  why,  I  do  not  say  it  should  be 
I 


;i4  THE  HEADSMAN1. 

silent ;  it  is  serving  the  public  well  to  put  men  of  thest 
kind  feelings  into  places  of  trust." 

This  opinion  appeared  very  natural  to  the  listeners,  all 
of  whom,  with  the  exception  of  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  joined 
in  echoing  the  sentiment.  The  latter,  more  experienced 
in  the  windings  of  the  human  heart,  or  possessing  some 
reasons  known  only  to  himself,  merely  smiled  at  the  re- 
marks that  he- heard,  as  if  he  thoroughly  understood  the 
difference  between  the  homage  that  is  paid  to  station,  and 
that  which  a  generous  and  noble  nature  is  compelled  to 
yield  to  its  own  impulses. 

An  hour  later,  the  light  repast  was  ended,  and  Roger  de 
Blonay  informed  his  guests  that  they  would  be  well  repaid 
for  walking  a  short  distance,  by  a  look  at  the  loveliness  of 
the  night.  In  sooth,  the  change  was  already  so  great  that 
it  was  not  easy  for  the  imagination  to  convert  the  soft  and 
smiling  scene  that  lay  beneath  and  above  the  towers  of 
Blonay,  into  the  dark  vault  and  the  angry  lake  from  which 
they  had  so  lately  escaped. 

Every  cloud  had  already  sailed  far  away  toward  the 
plains  of  Germany,  and  the  moon  had  climbed  so  high 
above  the  ragged  Dent  de  Jaman  as  to  suffer  its  rays  to 
stream  into  the  basin  of  the  Leman.  A  thousand  pensive 
stars  spangled  the  vault,  images  of  the  benign  omnipotence 
which  unceasingly  pervades  and  governs  the  universe,  what- 
ever may  be  the  local  derangements  or  accidental  strug- 
gles of  the  inferior  agents.  The  foaming  and  rushing 
waves  had  gone  down  nearly  as  fast  as  they  had  arisen, 
and  in  their  stead,  remained  myriads  of  curling  ridges 
along  which  the  glittering  moonbeams  danced,  rioting  with 
wild  impunity  on  the  surface  of  the  placid  sheet.  Boats 
were  out  again,  pulling  for  Savoy  or  the  neighboring  vil- 
lages ;  and  the  whole  view  betokened  the  renewed  confi- 
dence of  those  who  trusted  habitually  to  the  fickle  and 
blustering  elements. 

"  There  is  a  strong  and  fearful  resemblance  between  the 
human  passions  and  these  hot  and  angry  gusts  of  nature," 
observed  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  after  they  had  stood  silently 
regarding  the  scene  for  several  musing  minutes,  "alike 
quick  to  be  aroused  and  to  be  appeased  ;  equally  ungov- 
ernable while  in  the  ascendant,  and  admitting  the  influence 
of  a  wholesome  reaction,  that  brings  a  more  sober  tran- 
quillity when  the  fit  is  over.  Your  northern  phlegm  may 
render  the  analogy  less  apparent,  but  it.  is  to  be  found  as 


THE  HEADSMAN.  115 

well  among  the  cooler  temperaments  of  the  Teutonic  stock, 
as  among  us  of  warmer  blood.  Do  not  this  placid  hill-side, 
yon  lake,  and  the  starry  heavens  look  as  if  they  regretted 
their  late  unseemly  violence,  and  wished  to  cheat  the  be- 
holder into  forgetfuiness  of  their  attack  on  our  safety,  as 
an  impetuous  but  generous  nature  would  repent  it  of  the 
blow  given  in  anger,  or  of  the  cutting  speech  that  had  es- 
caped in  a  moment  of  splee'n  ?  What  hast  thou  to  say  to 
my  opinion,  Signor  Sigismund,  for  none  know  better  than 
thou  the  quality  of  the  tempest  we  have  encountered  ? " 

"Signore,"  answered  the  young  soldier,  modestly,  "you 
forget  this  brave  mariner,  without  whose  coolness  and 
forethought  all  would  have  been  lost.  He  has  come  up  to 
Blonay  at  our  own  request,  but  until  now  he  has  been 
overlooked." 

Maso  came  forward  at  a  signal  from  Sigismund,  and 
stood  before  the  party  to  whom  he  had  rendered  so  signal 
aid,  with  a  composure  that  was  not  easily  disturbed. 

"  I  hav€f  come  up  to  the  castle,  signore,  at  your  com- 
mands," he  said,  addressing  the  Genoese ;  "  but,  having 
my  own  affairs  on  hand,  must  now  beg  to  know  your 
pleasure  ? " 

"We  have,  in  sooth,  been  negligent  of  thy  merit.  On 
landing,  my  first  thought  was  of  thee,  as  thou  knowest ; 
but  other  things  had  caused  me  to  forget  thee.  Thou  art, 
like  myself,  an  Italian  ?  " 

"  Signore,  I  am." 

"Of  what  country?" 

"Of  your  own,  signore  ;  a  Genoese,  as  I  have  said  be- 
fore." 

The  other  remembered  the  circumstance,  though  it  did 
not  seem  to  please  him.  He  looked  around,  as  if  to  de- 
tect what  others  thought,  and  then  continued  his  questions. 

"  A  Genoese  !"  he  repeated  slowly:  "if  this  be  so,  we 
should  know  something  of  each  other.  Hast  ever  heard 
of  me,  in  thy  frequent  visits  to  the  port  ?" 

Maso  smiled  ;  at  first  he  appeared  disposed  to  be  face- 
tious ;  but  a  dark  cloud  passed  over  his  swarthy  lineaments, 
and  he  lost  his  pleasantry,  in  an  air  of  thoughtfulness  that 
struck  his  interrogator  as  singular. 

"  Signore,"  he  said,  after  a  pause,  "most  that  follow  my 
manner  of  life  know  something  of  your  Eccellenza ;  if  it 
is  only  to  be  questioned  of  this  that  I  am  here,  I  pray  leave 
to  be  permitted  to  go  my  way." 


fl6  THE   HEADSMAN. 

"  No,  by  San  Francesco!  thou  quittcst  us  not  so  uncere- 
moniously. I  am  wrong  to  assume  the  manner  of  a  superior 
with  one  to  whom  I  owe  my  life,  and  am  well  answered. 
But  there  is  a  heavy  account  to  be  settled  between  us,  and 
1  will  do  something  toward  wiping  out  the  balance,  which 
is  so  greatly  against  me  now;  leaving  thee  to  apply  for  a 
further  statement  when  we  shall  both  be  again  in  our  own 
Genoa."  * 

The  Signer  Grimaldi  had  reached  forth  an  arm,  while 
speaking,  and  received  a  well-tilled  purse  from  his  coun- 
tryman and  companion,  Marcelli.  This  was  soon  emptied 
of  its  contents,  a  fair  show  of  sequins,  all  of  which  were 
offered  to  the  mariner  without  reservation.  Maso  looked 
coldly  at  the  glittering  pile,  and  by  his  hesitation,  left  a 
doubt  whether  he  did  not  think  the  reward  insufficient. 

"I  can  tell  thee  it  is  but  the  present  gage  of  further  pay- 
ment. At  Genoa  our  account  shall  be  fairly  settled  ;  but  this 
is  all  that  a  traveller  can  prudently  spare.  Thou  wilt  come 
to  me  in  our  own  town,  and  we  will  look  to  all  thy  in- 
terests." 

"  Signore,  you  offer  that  for  which  men  do  all  acts, 
whether  of  good  or  of  evil.  They  jeopard  their  souls  for 
this  very  metal ;  mock  at  God's  laws  ;  overlook  the  right  ; 
trifle  with  justice,  and  become  devils  incarnate  to  possess 
it ;  and  yet,  though  nearly  penniless,  I  am  so  placed  as  to 
be  compelled  to  refuse  what  you  offer." 

"  T  tell  thee,  Maso,  that  it  shall  be  increased  hereafter — 
or — we  are  not  so  poor  as  to  go  a-begging !  Good  Mar- 
celli, empty  thy  hoards,  and  I  will  have  recourse  to  Mel- 
chior  de  Willading's  purse  for  our  wants,  until  we  can  get 
nearer  to  our  own  supplies." 

"  And  is  Melchior  de  Willading  to  pass  for  nothing,  in 
all  this  !"  exclaimed  the  Baron  ;  "put  up  thy  gold,  Gae- 
tano,  and  leave  me  to  satisfy  the  honest  mariner  for  the 
present.  At  a  later  day,  he  can  come  to  thee,  in  Italy  ; 
but  here,  on  my  own  ground,  I  claim  the  right  to  be  his 
banker." 

"  Signore,"  returned  Maso,  earnestly,  and  with  more  of 
gentle  feeling  than  he  was  accustomed  to  betray,  "  you 
are  both  liberal  beyond  my  desires,  and  but  too  well  dis- 
posed for  my  poor  wants.  I  have  come  up  to  the  castle 
at  your  order,  and  to  do  you  pleasure,  but  not  in  the  hope 
to  get  money.  I  am  poor  ;  that  it  would  be  useless  to 
deny,  for  appearances  are  against  me  " — here  he  laughed, 


THE  HEADSMAN.  117 

his  auditors  thought  in  a  manner  that  was  forced — "  but 
poverty  and  meanness  are  not  always  inseparable.  You 
have  more  than  suspected  to-day  that  my  life  is  free,  and 
I  admit  it ;  but  it  is  a  mistake  to  believe  that,  because  men 
quit  the  high-road  which  some  call  honesty,  in  any  partic- 
ular practice,  they  are  without  human  feeling.  I  have 
been  useful  in  saving  your  lives,  signori,  and  there  is  more 
pleasure  in  the  reflection,  than  I  should  find  in  having  the 
means  to  earn  twice  the  gold  ye  offer.  Here  is  the  signor 
capitano,"  he  added,  taking  Sigismund  by  the  arm,  and 
dragging  him  forward,  "  lavish  your  favors  on  him,  for  no 
practice  of  mine  could  have  been  of  use  without  his  bra- 
very. If  ye  give  him  all  in  your  treasuries,  even  to  its  rich- 
est pearl,  ye  will  do  no  more  than  reason." 

As  Maso  ceased,  he  cast  a  glance  towards  the  attentive, 
breathless  Adelheid,  that  continued  to  utter  his  meaning 
even  after  the  tongue  was  silent.  The  bright  suffusion 
that  covered  the  maiden's  face  was  visible  even  by  the 
pale  moonlight,  and  Sigismund  shrank  back  from  his  rude 
grasp  in  the  manner  in  which  the  guilty  retire  from  notice. 

"These  opinions  are  creditable  to  thee,  Maso,"  returned 
the  Genoese,  affecting  not  to  understand  his  more  partic- 
ular meaning,  "  and  they  excite  a  stronger  wish  to  be  thy 
friend.  I  will  say  no  more  on  the  subject  at  present,  for  I 
see.  thy  humor.  Thou  wilt  let  me  see  thee  at  Genoa  ? " 

The  expression  of  Maso's  countenance  was  inexplica- 
ble, but  he  retained  his  usual  indifference  of  manner. 

"  Signor  Gaetano,"  he  said,  using  a  mariner's  freedom 
in  the  address,  "  there  are  nobles  in  Genoa  that  might  bet- 
ter knock  at  the  door  of  your  palace  than  I  ;  and  there  are 
those,  too,  in  the  city,  that  would  gossip,  were  it  known 
that  you  received  such  guests." 

"  This  is  tying  thyself  too  closely  to  an  evil  and  a  dan- 
gerous trade.  I  suspect  thee  to  be  of  the  contraband,  but 
surely  it  is  not  a  pursuit  so  free  from  danger,  of  so  much 
repute,  or,  judging  by  thy  attire,  of  so  much  profit  even, 
that  thou  needest  be  wedded  to  it  for  life.  Means  can 
be  found  to  relieve  thee  from  its  odium,  by  giving  thee 
a  place  in  those  customs  with  xvhich  thou  hast  so  often 
trifled." 

Maso  laughed  outright. 

"  So  it  is,  signore,  in  this  moral  world  of  ours  ;  he  who 
would  run  a  fair  course  in  any  particular  trust  has  only 
to  make  himself  dangerous  to  be  bought  up.  Your  thief- 


,i8  THE  HEADSMAN-. 

takers  are  desperate  rogues  out  of  business  ;  your  tide* 
waiter  has  got  his  art  by  cheating  the  revenue  ;  and  I  have 
been  in  lands  where  it  was  said  that  all  they  who  most 
fleeced  the  people  began  their  calling  as  suffering  patriots. 
The  rule  is  firmly  enough  established  without  the  help  of 
my  poor  name,  and  by  your  leave,  I  will  remain  as  I  am  ; 
one  that  hath  his  pleasure  in  living  amid  risks,  and  who 
takes  his  revenge  of  the  authorities  by  railing  at  them  when 
defeated,  and  by  laughing  at  them  when  in  success." 

"  Young  man,  thou  hast  in  thee  the  materials  of  a  bet- 
ter life  ! " 

"  Signore,  this  may  be  true,"  answered  Maso,  whose 
countenance  again  grew  dark;  "we  boast  of  being  the 
lords  of  the  creation,  but  the  bark  of  poor  Baptiste  was 
not  less  master  of  its  movements,  in  the  late  gust,  than  we 
are  masters  of  our  fortunes.  Signer  Grimaldi,  I  have  in 
me  the  materials  that  make  a  man  ;  but  the  laws,  and  the 
opinions,  and  the  accursed  strife  of  men  have  left  me  what 
I  am.  For  the  first  fifteen  years  of  my  career,  the  church 
was  tQ  be  my  stepping-stone  to  a  cardinal's  hat,  or  a  fat 
priory  ;  but  the  briny  sea-water  washed  out  the  necessary 
unction." 

"  Thou  art  better  born  than  thou  seemest — thou  hast 
friends  who  should  be  grieved  at  this  ? " 

The  eye  of  Maso  flashed,  but  he  bent  it  aside,  as  if  bear- 
ing down,  by  the  force  of  an  indomitable  will,  some  sud- 
den and  fierce  impulse. 

"  I  was  born  of  woman  ! "  he  said,  with  singular  empha- 
sis. 

"And  thy  mother— is  she  not  pained  at  thy  present 
course — does  she  know  of  thy  career?" 

The  haggard  smile  to  which  this  question  gave  birth  in- 
duced the  Genoese  to  regret  that  he  had  put  it.  Maso  ev- 
idently struggled  to  subdue  some  feeling  which  harrowed 
his  very  soul,  and  his  success  was  owing  to  such  a  com- 
mand of  himself  as  men  rarely  obtain. 

"She  is  dead,"  he  answered,  huskily;  "she  is  a  saint 
with  the  angels.  Had  she  lived,  I  should  never  have  been 
a  mariner,  and — and — "  laying  his  hand  on  his  throat,  as  if 
to  keep  down  the  sense  of  suffocation,  he  smiled,  and  add- 
ed, laughingly, — "aye,  and  the  good  Winkelried  would 
have  been  a  wreck." 

"  Maso,  thou  must  come  to  me  at  Genoa.  I  must  see 
more  of  thee,  and  question  thee  further  of  thy  fortunes 


THE  HEADSMAN.  11$ 

A  fair  spirit  has  been  perverted  in  thy  fall,  and  the  friend- 
ly aid  of  one  who  is  not  without  influence  may  still  restore 
its  tone." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  spoke  warmly,  like  one  who  sin- 
cerely felt  regret,  and  his  voice  had  all  the  melancholy  and 
earnestness  of  such  a  sentiment.  The  truculent  nature  of 
Maso  was  touched  by  the  show  of  interest,  and  a  multitude 
of  fierce  passions  were  at  once  subdued.  He  approached 
the  noble  Genoese,  and  respectfully  took  his  hand. 

"  Pardon  the  freedom,  signore,"  he  said  more  mildly,  in- 
tently regarding  the  wrinkled  and  attenuated  fingers,  with 
the  map-like  tracery  of  veins,  that  he  held  in  his  own 
brown  and  hard  palm  ;  "this  is  not  the  first  time  that  our 
flesh  has  touched  each  other,  though  it  is  the  first  time 
that  our  hands  have  joined.  Let  it  now  be  in  amity.  A 
humor  has  come  over  me,  and  I  would  crave  your  pardon, 
venerable  noble,  for  the  freedom.  Signore,  you  are  aged, 
and  honored,  and  stand  high,  doubtless,  in  Heaven's  favor, 
as  in  that  of  man — grant  me,  then,  your  blessing,  ere  I  go 
my  way." 

As  Maso  preferred  this  extraordinary  request,  he  knelt 
with  an  air  of  so  much  reverence  and  sincerity  as  to  leave 
little  choice  as  to  granting  it.  The  Genoese  was  surprised, 
but  not  disconcerted.  With  perfect  dignity  and  self-pos- 
session, and  with  a  degree  of  feeling  that  was  not  unsuited 
to  the  occasion,  the  fruit  of  emotions  so  powerfully  awak- 
ened, he  pronounced  the  benediction.  The  mariner  arose, 
kissed  the  hand  which  he  still  held,  made  a  hurried  sign 
of  salutation  to  all,  leaped  down  the  declivity  on  which 
they  stood,  and  vanished  among  the  shadows  of  a  copse. 

Sigismund,  who  had  witnessed  this  unusual  scene  with 
surprise,  watched  him  to  the  last,  and  he  saw,  by  the  man- 
ner in  which  he  dashed  his  hand  across  his  eyes,  that  his 
fierce  nature  had  been  singularly  shaken.  On  recovering 
his  thoughts,  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  too,  felt  certain  there 
had  been  no  mockery  in  the  conduct  of  their  inexplicable 
preserver,  for  a  hot  tear  had  fallen  on  his  hand  ere  it 
was  liberated.  He~was  himself  strongly  agitated  by  what 
had  passed,  and  leaning  on  his  friend,  he  slowly  re-entered 
the  gate  of  Blonay. 

"  This  extraordinary  demand  of  Maso's  has  brought  up 
the  sad  image  of  my  own  poor  son,  dear  Melchior,"  he 
said ;  "  would  to  Heaven  that  he  could  have  received 
this  blessing,  and  that  it  might  have  been  of  use  to  him,  in 


r2o  THE  HEADSMAN. 

the  sight  of  God  !  Nay,  he  may  yet  hear  it— for,  canst  thou 
believe  it,  I  have  thought  that  Maso  may  be  one  of  his 
lawless  associates,  and  that  some  wild  desire  to  communi- 
cate this  scene  has  prompted  the  strange  request  I 
granted." 

The  discourse  continued,  but  it  became  secret,  and  of  the 
most  confidential  kind.  The  rest  of  the  party  soon  sought 
their  beds,  though  lamps  were  burning  in  the  chambers  of 
the  two  old  nobles  to  a  late  hour  of  the  night. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

"Where  are  my  Switzers  ?  Let  them  guard  the  door :  What  is  the  matter?" 

— Hamlet. 

THE  American  autumn,  or  fall,  as  we  poetically  and  af- 
fectionately term  this  generous  and  mellow  season  among 
ourselves,  is  thought  to  be  unsurpassed,  in  its  warm  and 
genial  lustre,  its  bland  and  exhilarating  airs,  and  its  ad- 
mirable constancy,  by  the  decline  of  the  year  in  nearly  ev- 
ery other  portion  of  the  earth.  Whether  attachment  to 
our  own  fair  and  generous  land  has  led  us  to  over-estimate 
its  advantages  or  not,  and  bright  and  cheerful  as  our  au- 
tumnal days  certainly  are,  a  fairer  morning  never  dawned 
upon  the  Alleghanies  than  that  which  illumed  the  Alps, 
on  the  reappearance  of  the  sun  after  the  gust  of  the  night 
which  has  been  so  lately  described.  As  the  day  advanced, 
the  scene  grew  gradually  more  lovely,  until  warm  and 
glowing  Italy  itself  could  scarcely  present  a  landscape 
more  winning,  or  one  possessing  a  fairer  admixture  of  the 
grand  and  the  soft,  than  that  which  greeted  the  eye  of 
Adelheid  de  Willading,  as,  leaning  on  the  arm  of  her 
father,  she  issued  from  the  gate  of  Blonay  upon  its  ele- 
vated and  gravelled  terrace. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  this  ancient  and  historical 
building  stood  against  the  bosom  of  the  mountains,  at  the 
distance  of  a  short  league  behind  the  town  of  Vevey.  All 
the  elevations  of  this  region  are  so  many  spurs  of  the  same 
vast  pile,  and  that  on  which  Blonay  has  now  been  seated 
from  the  earliest  period  of  the  middle  ages  belongs  to  that 
peculiar  line  of  rocky  ramparts  which  separates  the  Valais 
from  the  centre  cantons  of  the  confederation  of  Switzer- 


THE  H£ADSMAN~.  121 

land,  and  which  is  commonly  known  as  the  range  of  the 
Oberland  Alps.  This  line  of  snow-crowned  rocks  termi- 
nates in  perpendicular  precipices  on  the  very  margin  of  the 
Leman,  and  forms,  on  the  side  of  the  lake,  a  part  of  that 
magnificent  setting  which  renders  the  southeastern  horn 
of  its  crescent  so  wonderfully  beautiful.  The  upright 
natural  wall  that  overhangs  Villeneuve  and  Chillon 
stretches  along  the  verge  of  the  water,  barely  leaving  room 
for  a  carriage-road,  with  here  and  there  a  cottage  at  its 
base,  for  the  distance  of  two  leagues,  when  it  diverges  from 
the  course  of  the  lake,  and  withdrawing  inland,  it  is  finally 
lost  among  the  minor  eminences  of  Fribourg.  Everyone 
has  observed  those  sloping  declivities,  composed  of  the 
washing  of  torrents,  the  debris  of  precipices,  and  what  may 
be  termed  the  constant  drippings  of  perpendicular  emi- 
nences, and  which  lie  like  broad  buttresses  at  their  feet, 
forming  a  sort  of  foundation  or  basement  for  the  superin- 
cumbent mass.  Among  the  Alps,  where  nature  has  acted 
on  so  sublime  a  scale,  and  where  all  the  proportions  are 
duly  observed,  these  debris  of  the  high  mountains  fre- 
quently contain  villages  and  towns,  or  form  vast  fields, 
vineyards,  and  pasturages,  according  to  their  elevation  or 
their  exposure  toward  the  sun.  It  may  be  questioned,  in 
strict  geology,  whether  the  variegated  acclivity  that  sur- 
rounds Vevey,  rich  in  villages  and  vines,  hamlets  and 
castles,  has  been  thus  formed,  or  whether  the  natural  con- 
vulsions which  expelled  the  upper  rocks  from  the  crust  of 
the  earth  left  their  bases  in  the  present  broken  and  beau- 
tiful forms  ;  but  the  fact  is  not  important  to  the  effect, 
which  is  that  just  named,  and  which  gives  rise  to  these  vast 
ranges  of  rock  secondary  and  fertile  bases,  that,  in  other 
regions,  would  be  termed  mountains  of  themselves. 

The  castle  and  family  of  Blonay,  for  both  still  exist,  are 
among  the  oldest  of  Vaud.  A  square,  rude  tower,  based 
upon  a  foundation  of  rock,  one  of  those  ragged  masses  that 
thrust  their  naked  heads  occasionally  through  the  soil  of 
the  declivity,  was  the  commencement  of  the  hold.  Other 
edifices  have  been  reared  around  this  nucleus  in  different 
ages,  until  the  whole  presents  one  of  those  peculiar  and 
picturesque  piles,  that  ornament  so  many  both  of  the  sav- 
age and  of  the  softer  sites'  of  Switzerland. 

The  terrace  toward  which  Adelheid  and  her  father  ad- 
vanced was  an  irregular  walk,  shaded  by  venerable  trees 
that  had  been  raised  near  the  principal  or  the  carriage  gate 


122  THE  HEADSMAN. 

of  the  castle,  on  a  ledge  of  those  rocks  that  form  the  foun 
dation  of  the  buildings  themselves.  It  had  its  parapet 
walls,  its  seats,  its  artificial  soil,  and  its  graveled  alle'es,  as 
is  usual  with  these  antiquated  ornaments  ;  but  it  also  had, 
what  is  better  than  these,  one  of  the  most  sublime  and 
lovely  views  that  ever  greeted  human  eyes.  Beneath  it  lay 
the  undulating  and  teeming  declivity,  rich  in  vines,  and 
carpeted  with  sward,  here  dotted  by  hamlets,  there  park, 
like  and  rural  with  forest  trees,  while  there  was  no  quarter 
that  did  not  show  the  roof  of  a  chateau  or  the  tower  of 
some  rural  church.  There  is  little  of  magnificence  in 
Swiss  architecture,  which  never  much  surpasses,  and  is, 
perhaps,  generally  inferior  to  our  own  ;  but  the  beauty  and 
quaintness  of  the  sites,  the  great  variety  of  the  surfaces, 
the  hillsides,  and  the  purity  of  the  atmosphere,  supply 
charms  that  are  peculiar  to  this  country.  Vevey  lay  at  the 
water-side,  many  hundred  feet  lower,  and  seemingly  on  a 
narrow  strand,  though  in  truth  enjoying  ample  space  ; 
while  the  houses  of  St.  Saphorin,  Corsier,  Montreux,  and 
of  a  dozen  more  villages,  were  clustered  together,  like  so 
many  of  the  compact  habitations  of  wasps  stuck  against 
the  mountains.  But  the  principal  charm  was  in  the  Le- 
man.  One  who  had  never  witnessed  the  lake  in  its  fury, 
could  not  conceive  the  possibility  of  danger  in  the  tranquil 
shining  sheet  that  was  now  spread  like  a  liquid  mirror,  for 
leagues  beneath  the  eye.  Some  six  or  seven  barks  were  in 
view,  their  sails  drooping  in  negligent  forms,  as  if  disposed 
expressly  to  become  models  for  the  artist,  their  yards  in- 
clining as  chance  had  cast  them,  and  their  hulls  looming 
large,  to  complete  the  picture.  To  these  near  objects  must 
be  added  the  distant  view,  which  extended  to  the  Jura  in 
one  direction,  and  which  in  the  other  was  bounded  by  the 
frontiers  of  Italy,  whose  aerial  limits  were  to  be  traced  in 
that  region  which  appears  to  belong  neither  to  heaven  nor 
to  earth,  the  abode  of  eternal  frosts.  The  Rhone  was  shin- 
ing, in  spots,  among  the  meadows  of  the  Valais,  for  the  ele- 
vation of  the  castle  admitted  of  its  being  seen,  and  Adel- 
heid  endeavored  to  trace  among  the  mazes  of  the  moun- 
tains the  valleys  which  led  to  those  sunny  countries,  toward 
which  they  journeyed. 

The  sensations  of  both  father  and  daughter,  when  they 
came  beneath  the  leafy  canopy  of  the  terrace,  were  those 
of  mute  delight.  It  was  evident,  by  the  expression  of 
their  countenances,  that  they  were  in  a  favorable  mood  to 


THE  HEADSMAN;  123 

receive  pleasurable  impressions  ;  for  the  face  of  each  was 
full  of  that  quiet  happiness  which  succeeds  sudden  and 
lively  joy.  Adelheid  had  been  weeping ;  but,  judging 
from  the  radiance  of  her  eyes,  the  healthful  and  brighten- 
ing bloom  of  her  cheeks,  and  the  struggling  smiles  that 
played  about  her  ripe  lips,  the  tears  had  been  sweet,  rather 
than  painful.  Though  still  betraying  enough  of  physical 
frailty  to  keep  alive  the  concern  of  all  who  loved  her, 
there  was  a  change  for  the  better  in  her  appearance,  which 
was  so  sensible  as  to  strike  the  least  observant  of  those 
who  lived  in  daily  communication  with  the  invalid. 

"  If  .pure  and  mild  air,  a  sunny  sky,  and  ravishing  scen- 
ery, be  what  they  see  who  cross  the  Alps,  my  father,"  said 
Adelheid,  after  they  had  stood  a  moment,  gazing  at  the 
magnificent  panorama,  "  why  should  the  Swiss  quit  his 
native  land  ?  Is  there  in  Italy  aught  more  soft,  more 
winning,  or  more  healthful  than  this?" 

"This  spot  has  often  been  called  the  Italy  of  our  moun- 
tains. The  fig  ripens  near  yonder  village  of  Montreux, 
and,  open  to  the  morning  sun  while  it  is  sheltered  by  the 
precipices  above,  the  whole  of  that  shore  well  deserves  its 
happy  reputation.  Still  they  whose  spirits  require  diver- 
sion, and  whose  constitutions  need  support,  generally 
prefer  to  go  into  countries  where  the  mind  has  more  oc- 
cupation, and  where  a  greater  variety  of  employments  help 
the  climate  and  nature  to  complete  the  cure." 

"  But  thou  forgettest,  father,  it  is  agreed  between  us 
that  I  am  now  to  become  strong,  and  active,  and  laughing, 
as  we  used  to  be  at  Willading,  when  I  first  grew  into 
womanhood." 

"  If  I  could  but  see  those  days  again,  darling,  my  own 
closing  hours  would  be  calm  as  those  of  a  saint — though 
Heaven  knows  I  have  little  pretension  to  that  blessed 
character  in  any  other  particular." 

"  Dost  thou  not  count  a  quiet  conscience  and  a  sure  hope 
as  something,  father  ?  " 

"  Have  it  as  thou  wilt,  girl.  Make  a  saint  of  me,  or  a 
bishop,  or  a  hermit,  if  thou  wilt  ;  the  only  reward  I  ask  is, 
to  see  thee  smiling  and  happy,  as  thou  never  failedst  to 
be  during  the  first  eighteen  years  of  thy  life.  Had  I  fore- 
seen that  thou  wert  to  return  from  my  good  sister  so 
little  like  thyself,  I  would  have  forbidden  the  visit,  much 
as  I  love  her,  and  all  that  are  hers.  But  the  wisest  of  us 
are  helpless  mortals,  and  scarce  know  our  wants  from  hour 


/24  THE   HEADSMAN-. 

to  hour.  Thou  saidst,  I  think,  that  this  brave  Sigismund 
honestly  declared  his  belief  that  my  consent  could  never 
be  given  to  one  who  had  so  little  to  boast  of,  in  the  way  of 
birth  and  fortune  ?  There  was,  at  least,  good  sense,  and 
modesty,  and  right  feeling,  in  the  doubt,  but  he  should 
have  thought  better  of  my  heart." 

"  He  said  this,"  returned  Adelheid,  in  a  timid  and 
slightly  trembling  voice,  though  it  was  quite  apparent,  by 
the  confiding  expression  of  her  eye,  that  she  had  no  longer 
any  secret  from  her  parent.  "He  had  too  much  honor  to 
wish  to  win  the  daughter  of  a  noble  without  the  knowl- 
edge and  approbation  of  her  friends." 

"  That  the  boy  should  love  thee,  Adelheid,  is  natural ;  it 
is  an  additional  proof  of  his  own  merit — but  that  he 
should  distrust  my  affection  and  justice  is  an  offence  that 
I  can  scarce  forgive.  What  are  ancestry  and  wealth  to 
thy  happiness  ? " 

"  Thou  forget'st,  dear  sir,  he  is  yet  to  learn  that  my  hap- 
piness, in  any  measure,  depends  on  his." 

Adelheid  spoke  quickly  and  with  warmth. 

"  He  knew  I  was  a  father,  and  that  thou  art  an  only 
child  ;  one  of  his  good  sense  and  right  way  of  thinking 
should  have  better  understood  the  feelings  of  a  man  in  my 
situation,  than  to  doubt  his  natural  affection." 

"As  he  has  never  been  the  parent  of  an  only  daughter, 
father,"  answered  the  smiling  Adelheid,  for,  in  her  pres- 
ent mood,  smiles  came  easily,  "  he  may  not  have  felt  or 
anticipated  all  that  thou  imagin'st.  He  knew  the  prejudices 
of  the  world  on  the  subject  of  noble  blood,  and  they  are 
few,  indeed,  that,  having  much,  are  disposed  to  part  with 
it  to  him  who  hath  little." 

**  The  lad  reasoned  more  like  an  old  miser  than  a  young 
soldier,  and  I  have  a  great  mind  to  let  him  feel  my  dis- 
pleasure for  thinking  so  meanly  of  me.  Have  we  not  Wil- 
lading,  with  all  its  fair  lands,  besides  our  rights  in  the  city, 
that  we  need  go  begging  money  of  others,  like  needy  men- 
dicants !  Thou  hast  been  in  the  conspiracy  against  my 
character,  girl,  or  such  a  fear  could  not  have  given  either 
uneasiness  for  a  moment." 

"  I  never  thought,  father,  that  thou  wouldst  reject  him 
on  account  of  poverty,  for  I  knew  our  own  means  suffi- 
cient for  all  our  wants ;  but  I  did  believe  that  he  who 
could  not  boast  the  privileges  of  nobility  might  fail  to  gain 
thy  favor," 


THE  HEADSMAN.  125 

"  Are  we  not  a  republic  ? — is  not  the  right  of  the 
biirgerschaft  the  one  essential  right  in  Berne — why  should 
I  raise  obstacles  about  that  on  which  the  laws  are 
silent  ? " 

Adelheid  listened,  as  a  female  of  her  years  would  be  apt 
to  listen  to  words  so  grateful,  with  a  charmed  ear  ;  and  yet 
she  shook  her  head,  in  a  way  to  express  an  incredulity 
that  was  not  altogether  free  from  apprehension. 

"  For  thy  generous  forgetfulness  of  old  opinions  in  be- 
half of  my  happiness,  dearest  father,"  she  resumed,  the 
tears  starting  unbidden  to  her  thoughtful  blue  eye,  "  I 
thank  thee  fervently.  It  is  true  that  we  are  inhabitants 
of  a  republic,  but  we  are  not  the  less  noble." 

"  Dost  thou  turn  against  thyself,  and  hunt  up  reasons 
why  I  should  not  do  that  which  thou  hast  just  acknowl- 
edged to  be  so  necessary  to  prevent  thee  from  following 
thy  brothers  and  sisters  to  their  early  graves  ?  " 

The  blood  rushed  in  a  torrent  to  the  face  of  Adelheid, 
for  though,  weeping  and  in  the  moment  of  tender  confi- 
dence which  succeeded  her  thanksgivings  for  the  Baron's 
safety,  she  had  thrown  herself  on  his  bosom,  and  confessed 
that  the  hopelessness  of  the  sentiments  with  which  she  met 
the  declared  love  of  Sigismund  was  the  true  cause  of  the 
apparent  malady  that  had  "so  much  alarmed  her  friends, 
the  words  that  had  flowed  spontaneously  from  her  heart,  in 
so  tender  a  scene,  had  never  appeared  to  her  to  convey  a 
meaning  so  strong,  or  one  so  wounding  to  virgin  pride,  as 
that  which  her  father,  in  the  strength  of  his  masculine 
habits,  had  now  given  them. 

"  In  God's  mercy,  father,  I  shall  live,  whether  united  to 
Sigismund  or  not,  to  smooth  thine  own  decline  and  to 
bless  thy  old  age.  A  pious  daughter  will  never  be  torn  so 
cruelly  from  one  to  whom  she  is  the  last  and  only  stay.  I 
may  mourn  this  disappointment,  and  foolishly  wish,  per- 
haps, it  might  have  been  otherwise  ;  but  ours  is  not  a  house 
of  which  the  maidens  die  for  their  inclinations  in  favor  of 
any  youths,  however  deserving  !  " 

"Noble  or  simple,"  added  the  Baron,  laughing,  for  he 
saw  that  his  daughter  spoke  in  sudden  pique,  rather  than 
from  her  excellent  heart.  Adelheid,  whose  good  sense, 
and  quick  recollections  instantly  showed  her  the  weakness 
of  this  little  display  of  female  feeling,  laughed  faintly  in 
her  turn,  though  she  repeated  his  words  as  if  to  give  still 
more  emphasis  to  her  own. 


126  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  This  will  not  do,  my  daughter.  They  who  profess  the 
republican  doctrine  should  not  be  too  rigid  in  their  con- 
structions of  privileges.  If  Sigismund  be  not  noble,  it  will 
not  be  difficult  to  obtain  for  him  that  honorable  distinction, 
and  in  failure  of  main  line,  he  may  bear  the  name  and  sus- 
tain the  honors  of  our  family.  In  any  case  he  will  become 
of  the  biirgerschaft,  and  that  of  itself  will  be  all  that  is  re- 
quired in  Berne." 

"In  Berne,  father,"  returned  Adelheid,  who  had  so  far 
forgotten  the  recent  movement  of  pride  as  to  smile  on  her 
fond  and  indulgent  parent,  though,  yielding  to  the  way- 
wardness of  the  happy,  she  continued  to  trifle  with  her  own 
feelings — "  it  is  true.  The  biirgerschaft  will  be  sufficient 
for  all  the  purposes  of  office  and  political  privileges,  but 
will  it  suffice  for  the  opinions  of  our  equals,  for  the  prej- 
udices of  society,  or  for  your  own  perfect  contentment, 
when  the  freshness  of  gratitude  shall  have  passed  ? " 

"  Thou  puttest  these  questions,  girl,  as  if  employed  to 
defeat  thine  own  cause.  Dost  not  truly  love  the  boy,  after 
all?" 

"  On  this  subject,  I  have  spoken  sincerely  and  as  became 
thy  child,"  frankly  returned  Adelheid.  "  He  saved  my 
life  from  imminent  peril,  as  he  has  now  saved  thine,  and 
although  my  aunt,  fearful  of  thy  displeasure,  would  not 
that  thou  shouldst  hear  the  tale,  her  prohibition  could  not 
prevent  gratitude  from  having  its  way.  I  have  told  thee 
that  Sigismund  has  declared  his  feelings,  although  he  nobly 
abstained  from  even  asking  a  return^  and  I  should  not  have 
been  my  mother's  child,  could  I  have  remained  entirely 
indifferent  to  so  much  worth  united  to  a  service  so  great. 
What  I  have  said  of  our  prejudices  is,  then,  rather  for  your 
reflection,  dearest  sir,  than  for  myself.  I  have  thought 
much  of  all  this,  and  am  ready  to  make  any  sacrifice  to 
pride,  and  to  bear  all  the  remarks  of  the  world,  in  order  to 
discharge  a  debt  to  one  to  whom  I  owe  so  much.  But, 
while  it  is  natural,  perhaps  unavoidable,  that  I  should  feel 
thus,  thou  art  not  necessarily  to  forget  the  other  claims 
upon  thee.  It  is  true  that,  in  one  sense,  we  are  all  to  each 
other,  but  there  is  a  tyrant  that  will  scarcely  let  any  escape 
from  his  reign  ;  I  mean  opinion.  Let  us  not  then  deceive 
ourselves — though  we  of  Berne  affect  the  republic,  and 
speak  much  of  liberty,  it  is  a  small  state,  and  the  influence 
of  those  that  are  larger  and  more  powerful  among  our 
neighbors  rules  in  everything  that  touches  opinion.  A 


THE  HEADSMAN.  127 

noble  is  as  much  a  noble  in  Berne,  in  all  but  what  the  law 
bestows,  as  he  is  in  the  Empire — and  thou  knowest  we 
come  of  the  German  root,  which  has  struck  deep  into  these 
prejudices." 

The  Baron  de  Willading  had  been  much  accustomed  to 
defer  to  the  superior  mind  and  more  cultivated  understand- 
ing of  his  daughter,  who,  in  the  retirement  of  her  father's 
castle,  had  read  and  reflected  far  more  than  her  years 
would  have  probably  permitted  in  the  busier  scenes  of  the 
world.  He  felt  the  justice  of  her  remark,  and  they  had 
walked  the  entire  length  of  the  terrace  in  profound  silence, 
before  he  could  summon  the  ideas  necessary  to  make  a 
suitable  answer. 

"The  truth  of  what  thou  sayest  is  not  to  be  denied,"  he 
at  length  said,  "but  it  maybe  palliated.  I  have  many 
friends  in  the  German  courts,  and  favors  may  be  had  ; 
letters  of  nobility  will  give  the  youth  the  station  he  wants, 
after  which  he  can  claim  thy  hand  without  offence  to  any 
opinions,  whether  of  Berne  or  elsewhere." 

"  I  doubt  if  Sigismund  will  willingly  become  a  party  to 
this  expedient.  Our  own  nobility  is  of  ancient  origin  ;  it 
dates  from  a  period  anterior  to  the  existence  of  Berne  as  a 
city,  and  is  much  older  than  our  institutions.  I  remember 
to  have  heard  him  say,  that  when  a  people  refused  to  be- 
stow these  distinctions  themselves,  their  citizens  can  never 
receive  them  from  others  without  a  loss  of  dignity  and 
character,  and  one  of  his  moral  firmness  might  hesitate  to 
do  what  he  thinks  wrong  for  a  boon  so  worthless  as  that 
we  offer." 

"  By  the  soul  of  William  Tell !  should  the  unknown 

peasant  dare But  he  is  a  brave  boy,  and  twice  has  he 

done  the  last  service  to  my  race  !  I  love  him,  Adelheid, 
little  less  than  thyself  ;  and  we  will  win  him  over  to  our 
purpose  gently,  and  by  degrees.  A  maiden  of  thy  beauty 
and  years,  to  say  nothing  of  thy  other  qualities,  thy  name, 
the  lands  of  Willading,  and  the  rights  of  Berne,  are  mat- 
ters after  all  not  to  be  lightly  refused  by  a  nameless  sol- 
dier who  hath  naught — 

"  But  his  courage,  his  virtues,  his  modesty,  and  his  ex- 
cellent sense,  father  ! " 

"  Thou  wilt  not  let  me  have  the  naked  satisfaction  of 
vaunting  my  own  wares  !  I  see  Gaetano  Grimaldi  making 
signs  at  his  window,  as  if  he  were  about  to  come  forth  ;  go 
thou  to  thy  chamber,  that  I  may  discourse  of  this  trouble* 


128  THE  HEADSMAN; 

some  matter  with  that  excellent  friend  ;  in  good  season 
thou  shalt  know  the  result." 

Adelheid  kissed  the  hand  that  she  held  in  her  own,  and 
left  him  with  a  thoughtful  air.  As  she  descended  from  the 
terrace,  it  was  not  with  the  same  elastic  step  as  she  had 
come  up  half  an  hour  before. 

Early  deprived  of  her  mother,  this  strong-minded  but 
delicate  girl  had  long  been  accustomed  to  make  her  father 
a  confidant  of  all  her  hopes,  thoughts,  and  pictures  of  the 
future.  Owing  to  her  peculiar  circumstances,  she  would 
have  had  less  hesitation  than  is  usual  to  her  sex  in  avow- 
ing to  her  parent  any  of  her  attachments  ;  but  a  dread  that 
the  declaration  might  conduce  to  his  unhappiness,  without 
in  any  manner  favoring  her  own  cause,  had  hitherto  kept 
her  silent.  Her  acquaintance  with  Sigismund  had  been 
long  and  intimate.  Rooted  esteem  and  deep  respect  lay 
at  the  bottom  of  her  sentiments,  which  were,  however,  so 
lively  as  to  have  chased  the  rose  from  her  cheek  in  the  en- 
deavor to  forget  them,  and  to  have  led  her  sensitive  father 
to  apprehend  that  she  was  suffering  under  that  premature 
decay  which  had  already  robbed  him  of  his  other  children. 
There  was  in  truth  no  serious  ground  for  this  apprehen- 
sion, so  natural  to  one  in  the  place  of  the  Baron  de  Willa- 
ding  ;  for,  until  thought  and  reflection  paled  her  cheek,  a 
more  blooming  maiden  than  Adelheid,  or  one  that  united 
more  perfect  health  with  feminine  delicacy,  did  not  dwell 
among  her  native  mountains.  She  had  quietly  consented 
to  the  Italian  journey,  in  the  expectation  that  it  might 
serve  to  divert  her  mind  from  brooding  over  what  she  had 
long  considered  hopeless,  and  with  the  natural  desire  to 
see  lands  so  celebrated,  but  not  under  any  mistaken  opin- 
ions of  her  own  situation.  The  presence  of  Sigismund,  so 
far  as  she  was  concerned,  was  purely  accidental,  although 
she  could  not  prevent  the  pleasing  idea  from  obtruding— 
an  idea  so  grateful  to  her  womanly  affections  and  maiden 
pride — that  the  young  soldier,  who  was  in  the  service  of 
Austria,  and. who  had  become  known  to  her  in  one  of  his 
frequent  visits  to  his  native  land,  had  gladly  seized  this 
favorable  occasion  to  return  to  his  colors.  Circumstances, 
which  it  is  not  necessary  to  recount,  had  enabled  Adelheid 
to  make  the  youth  acquainted  with  her  father,  though  the 
interdictions  of  her  aunt,  whose  imprudence  had  led  to  the 
accident  which  nearly  proved  so  fatal,  and  from  whose 
consequences  she  had  been  saved  by  Sigismund,  prevented 


THE  HEADSMAN.  129 

tier  from  explaining  all  the  causes  she  had  for  <§howing 
him  respect  and  esteem.  Perhaps  the  manner  in  which 
this  young  and  imaginative  though  sensible  girl  was  com- 
pelled to  smother  a  portion  of  her  feelings  gave  them  in- 
tensity, and  hastened  that  transition  of  sentiment  from 
gratitude  to  affection,  which,  in  another  case,  might  have 
only  been  produced  by  a  more  open  and  prolonged  asso- 
ciation. As  it  was,  she  scarcely  knew  herself  how  irretriev- 
ably her  happiness  was  bound  up  in  that  of  Sigismund, 
though  she  had  so  long  cherished  his  image  in  most  of  her 
day-dreams,  and  had  unconsciously  admitted  his  influence 
over  her  mind  and  hopes,  until  she  learned  that  they  were 
reciprocated. 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  appeared  on  one  end  of  the  terrace 
as  Adelheid  de  Willading  descended  at  the  other.  The 
old  nobles  had  separated  late  on  the  previous  night,  after 
a  private  and  confidential  communication  that  had  shaken 
the  soul  of  the  Italian,  and  drawn  strong  and  sincere  mani- 
festations of  sympathy  from  his  friend.  Though  so  prone 
to  sudden  shades  of  melancholy,  there  was  a  strong  touch 
of  the  humorous  in  the  native  character  of  the  Genoese, 
which  came  so  quick  upon  his  more  painful  recollections, 
as  greatly  to  relieve  their  weight,  and  to  render  him, 
in  appearance  at  least,  a  happy,  while  the  truth  would  have 
shown  that  he  was  a  sorrowing,  man.  He  had  been  mak- 
ing his  orisons  with  a  grateful  heart,  and  he  now  came 
forth  into  the  genial  mountain  air  like  one  who  had  re- 
lieved his  conscience  of  a  heavy  debt.  Like  most  laymen 
of  the  Catholic  persuasion,  he  thought  himself  no  longer 
bound  to  maintain  a  grave  and  mortified  exterior,  when 
worship  and  penitence  were  duly  observed,  and  he  joined 
his  friend  with  a  cheerfulness  of  air  and  voice  that  an 
ascetic  or  a  puritan  might  have  attributed  to  levity,  after 
the  scenes  through  which  he  had  so  lately  passed. 

"The  Virgin  and  San  Francesco  keep  thee  in  mind,  old 
friend  ! "  said  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  cordially  kissing  the 
two  cheeks  of  the  Baron  de  Willading.  "We  both  have 
reason  to  remember  their  care,  though,  heretic  as  thou 
art,  I  doubt  not  that  thou  hast  already  found  some  other 
mediators  to  thank,  that  we  now  stand  on  this  solid  ter- 
race of  the  Signor  de  Blonay,  instead  of  being  worthless 
clay  at  the  bottom  of  yonder  treacherous  lake." 

"  I  thank  God  for  this,  as  for  all  his  mercies — for  thy  Iife3 
Gaetano,  as  well  as  for  mine  own." 


/3o  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  Thou  art  right  thou  art  right,  good  Melchior .  twas 
no  affair  for  any  but  Him  who  holds  the  universe  in  the 
hollow  of  His  hand,  in  good  faith,  for  a  minute  later  would 
have  gathered  both  with  our  fathers.  Still  thou  wilt  per- 
mit me,  Catholic  as  I  am,  to  remember  the  intercessors  on 
whom  I  called  in  the  moment  of  extremity." 

"  This  is  a  subject  on  which  vve  have  never  agreed,  and 
on  which  we  probably  never  shall,"  answered  the  Bernese, 
with  somewhat  of  the  reserve  of  one  conscious  of  a 
stronger  dissidence  than  he  wished  to  express,  as  they 
turned  and  commenced  their  walk  up  and  down  the  terrace, 
"  though  I  believe  it  is  the  only  matter  of  difference  that 
ever  existed  between  us." 

"Is  it  not  extraordinary,"  returned  the  Genoese,  "that 
men  should  consort  together  in  good  and  evil,  bleed 
for  each  other,  love  each  other,  do  all  acts  of  kindness  to 
each  other,  as  thou  and  I  have  done,  Melchior,  nay,  be  in 
the  last  extremity,  and  feel  more  agony  for  the  friend  than 
for  one's  self,  and  yet  entertain  such  opinions  of  their  re- 
spective creeds,  as  to  fancy  the  unbeliever  in  the  devil's 
claws  all  this  time,  and  to  entertain  a  latent  distrust  that 
the  very  soul  which,  in  all  other  matters,  is  deemed  so 
noble  and  excellent,  is  to  be  everlastingly  damned  for  the 
want  of  certain  opinions  and  formalities  that  we  ourselves 
have  been  taught  to  think  essential  ? " 

"  To  tell  the  truth,"  returned  the  Swiss,  rubbing  his 
forehead  like  a  man  who  wished  to  brighten  up  his  ideas, 
as  one  would  brighten  old  silver,  by  friction  ;  "  this  sub- 
ject, as  thou  well  knowest,  is  not  my  strong  side.  Luther 
and  Calvin,  with  other  sages,  discovered  that  it  was  weak- 
ness to  submit  to  dogmas,  without  close  examination, 
merely  because  they  were  venerable,  and  they  winnowed 
the  wheat  from  the  chaff.  This  we  call  a  reform.  It  is 
enough  for  me  that  men  so  wise  were  satisfied  with  their 
researches  and  changes,  and  I  feel  little  inclination  to  dis- 
turb a  decision  that  has  now  received  the  sanction  of 
nearly  two  centuries  of  practice.  To  be  plain  with 
thee,  I  hold  it  discreet  to  reverence  the  opinions  of  my 
fathers." 

"  Though  it  would  seem  not  of  thy  grandfathers,"  said 
the  Italian,  dryly,  but  in  perfect  good  humor.  "  By  San 
Francesco  !  thou  wouldst  have  made  a  worthy  cardinal, 
had  chance  brought  thee  into  the  world  fifty  leagues  fur- 
ther south,  or  west,  or  east.  But  this  is  the  way  with  the 


THE  HEADSMAN.  131 

world,  whether  it  be  your  Turk,  your  Hindoo,  or  your 
Lutheran,  and  I  fear  it  is  much  the  same  with  the  children 
of  St.  Peter,  too.  Each  has  his  arguments  for  faith,  or 
politics,  or  any  interest  that  may  be  named,  which  he  uses 
like  a  hammer  to  knock  down  the  bricks  of  his  opponent's 
reasons,  and  when  he  finds  himself  in  the  other's  intrench- 
ments,  why,  he  gathers  together  the  scattered  materials  in 
order  to  build  a  wall  for  his  own  protection.  Then  what 
was  oppression  yesterday  is  justifiable  defence  to-day  ; 
fanaticism  becomes  logic  ;  and  credulity  and  pliant  sub- 
mission get,  in  two  centuries,  to  be  deference  to  the  ven- 
erable opinion  of  our  fathers  !  But  let  it  go — thou  wert 
speaking  of  thanking  God,  and  in  that,  Roman  though  I 
am,  I  fervently  and  devoutly  join  with  or  without  saints' 
intercession." 

The  honest  Baron  did  not  like  his  friend's  allusions, 
though  they  were  much  too  subtle  for  his  ready  compre- 
hension, for  the  intellect  of  the  Swiss  was  a  little  frosted 
by  constant  residence  among  snows  and  in  full  view  of 
glaciers,  and  it  wanted  the  volatile  play  of  the  Genoese's 
fancy,  which  was  apt  to  expand  like  air  rarefied  by  the 
warmth  of  the  sun.  This  difference  of  temperament,  how- 
ever, so  far  from  lessening  their  mutual  kindness,  was, 
most  probably,  the  real  cause  of  its  existence,  since  it  is 
well  known  that  friendship,  like  love,  is  more  apt  to  be 
generated  by  qualities  that  vary  a  little  from  our  own  than 
by  a  perfect  homogeneity  of  character  and  disposition, 
which  is  more  liable  to  give  birth  to  rivalry  and  conten- 
tion, than  when  each  party  has  some  distinct  capital  of  his 
own  on  which  to  adventure,  and  with  which  to  keep  alive 
the  interest  of  him  who,  in  that  particular  feature,  may  be 
but  indifferently  provided.  All  that  is  required  for  a  per- 
fect community  of  feeling,  is  a  mutual  recognition  of,  and 
a  common  respect  for,  certain  great  moral  rules,  with- 
out which  there  can  exist  no  esteem  between  the  upright. 
The  alliance  of  knaves  depends  on  motives  so  hackneyed 
and  obvious,  that  we  abstain  from  any  illustration  of  its 
principle  as  a  work  of  supererogation.  The  Signor  Gri- 
maldi  and  Melchior  de  Willading  were  both  very  upright 
and  justly-minded  men,  as  men  go,  in  intention  at  least, 
and  their  opposite  peculiarities  and  opinions  had  served, 
during  hot  youth,  to  keep  alive  the  interest  of  their  com- 
munications, and  were  not  likely,  now  that  time  had  mel- 
lowed their  feelings  and  brought  so  many  recollections  to 


*32  THE  HEADSMAN. 

strengthen  the  tie,  to  overturn  what  they  had  been  origi 
nally  the  principal  instruments  in  creating. 

"Of  thy  readiness  to  thank  God,  I  have  never  doubt- 
ed," answered  the  Baron,  when  his  friend  had  ended  the 
remark  just  recorded,  "but  we  know  that  his  favors  are 
commonly  shown  to  us  here  below  by  means  of  human 
instruments.  Ought  we  not,  therefore,  to  manifest  another 
sort  of  gratitude  in  favor  of  the  individual  who  was  so 
serviceable  in  last  night's  gust  ? " 

"Thou  meanest  my  untractable  countryman?  I  have 
bethought  me  much  since  we  separated  of  his  singular  re- 
fusal, and  hope  still  to  find  the  means  of  conquering  his 
obstinacy." 

"  I  hope  thou  may'st  succeed,  and  thou  well  know'st  that 
I  am  always  to  be  counted  on  as  an  auxiliary  But  he  was 
not  in  my  thoughts  at  the  instant ;  there  is  still  another 
who  nobly  risked  more  than  the  mariner  in  our  behalf, 
since  he  risked  life." 

"  This  is  beyond  question,  and  I  have  already  reflected 
much  on  the  means  of  doing  him  good.  He  is  a  soldier 
of  fortune,  I  learn,  and  if  he  will  take  service  in  Genoa, 
I  will  charge  myself  with  the  care  of  his  preferment. 
Trouble  not  thyself,  therefore,  concerning  the  fortunes  of 
young  Sigismund  ;  thou  knowest  my  means,  and  canst  not 
doubt  my  will." 

The  Baron  cleared  his  throat,  for  he  had  a  secret  re- 
luctance to  reveal  his  own  favorable  intentions  toward  the 
young  man,  the  last  lingering  feeling  of  worldly  pride,  and 
the  consequence  of  prejudices  which  were  then  universal, 
and  which  are  even  now  far  from  being  extinct  A  vivid 
picture  of  the  horrors  of  the  past  night  luckily  flashed 
across  his  mind  and  the  good  genius  of  his  young  pre- 
server triumphed. 

"  Thou  knowest  the  youth  is  a  Swiss,"  he  said,  "  and,  in 
virtue  of  the  tie  of  country,  I  cairn  at  least  an  equal  right 
to  do  him  good." 

"  We  will  not  quarrel  for  precedence  in  this  matter,  but 
thou  wilt  do  well  to  remember  that  I  possess  especial 
means  to  push  his  interests, — means  that  thou  canst  not 
by  possibility  use." 

"That  is  not  proved,"  interrupted  the  Baron  de  Willa- 
ding.  "  I  have  not  thy  particular  station,  it  is  true,  Signer 
Gaetano,  nor  thy  political  power,  nor  thy  princely  fort- 
une ;  but,  poor  as  I  am  in  these,  there  is  a  boon  in  my 


THE  HEADSMAN.  \  j 

keeping  that  is  worth  them  all,  and  which  will  be  more 
acceptable  to  the  boy,  or  I  much  mistake  his  mettle,  than 
any  favors  thou  hast  named  or  canst  name." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  had  pursued  his  walk,  with  eyes 
thoughtfully  fastened  on  the  ground  ;  but  he  now  raised 
them,  in  surprise,  to  the  countenance  of  his  friend,  as  if 
to  ask  an  explanation.  The  Baron  was  not  only  commit- 
ted by  what  had  escaped  him,  but  he  was  warming  with 
opposition,  for  the  best  may  frequently  do  very  excellent 
things,  under  the  influence  of  motives  of  but  a  very  indif- 
ferent aspect. 

"Thou  knowest  I  have  a  daughter,"  resumed  the  Swiss 
firmly,  determined  to  break  the  ice  at  once,  and  expose  a 
decision  which  he  feared  his  friend  might  deem  a  weak- 
ness. 

"  Thou  hast ;  and  a  fairer,  or  a  modester,  or  a  tenderer, 
and  yet,  unless  my  judgment  err,  a  firmer  at  need,  is  not 
to  be  found  among  all  the  excellent  of  her  excellent  sex. 
But  thou  wouldst  scarce  think  of  bestowing  Adelheid  in 
reward  for  such  a  service  on  one  so  little  known,  or  with- 
out her  wishes  being  consulted  ?" 

**  Girls  of  Adelheid's  birth  and  breeding  are  ever  ready 
to  do  what  is  meet  to  maintain  the  honor  of  their  families. 
I  deem  gratitude  to  be  a  debt  that  must  not  stand  long 
uncancelled  against  the  name  of  Willading." 

The  Genoese  looked  grave,  and  it  was  evident  he  lis- 
tened to  his  friend  with  something  like  displeasure. 

"  We  who  have  so  nearly  passed  through  life,  good  Mel- 
chior,"  he  said,  "  should  know  its  difficulties  and  its  haz- 
ards. The  way  is  weary,  and  it  has  need  of  all  the  solace 
that  affection  and  a  community  of  feeling  can  yield  to 
lighten  its  cares.  I  have  never  liked  this  heartless  manner 
of  trafficking  in  the  tenderest  ties,  to  uphold  a  failing  line 
or  a  failing  fortune  ;  and  better  it  were  that  Adelheid 
should  pass  her  days  unwooed  in  thy  ancient  castle,  than 
give  her  hand,  under  any  sudden  impulse  of  sentiment,  not 
less  than  under  a  cold  calculation  of  interest.  Such  a  girl, 
my  friend,  is  not  to  be  bestowed  without  much  care  and 
reflection." 

"  By  the  mass !  to  use  one  of  thine  own  favorite  oaths, 
I  wonder  to  hear  thee  talk  thus  ! — thou,  whom  I  knew  a 
hot-blooded  Italian,  jealous  as  a  Turk,  and  maintaining  at 
thy  rapier's  point  that  women  were  like  the  steel  of  thy 
sword,  so  easily  tarnished  by  rust,  or  evil  breath,  or  neg 


r34  THE  HEADSMAN. 

lect,  that  no  father  or  brother  could  be  easy  on  the  score 
of  honor,  until  the  last  of  his  name  was  well  wedded,  and 
that,  too,  to  such  as  the  wisdom  of  her  Advisers  should 
choose !  I  remember  thee  once  saying  thou  couldst  not 
sleep  soundly  till  thy  sister  was  a  wife  or  a  nun." 

"  This  was  the  language  of  boyhood  and  thoughtless 
youth,  and  bitterly  rebuked  have  I  been  for  having  used 
it.  I  wived  a  beauteous  and  noble  virgin,  De  Willading  ; 
but  I  much  fear  that,  while  my  fair  conduct  in  her  behalf 
won  her  respect  and  esteem,  I  was  too  late  to  win  her  love. 
It  is  a  fearful  thing  to  enter  on  the  solemn  and  grave  ties 
of  married  life,  without  enlisting  in  the  cause  of  happiness 
the  support  of  the  judgment,  the  fancy,  the  tastes,  with 
the  feelings  that  are  dependent  on  them,  and,  more  than 
all,  those  wayward  inclinations,  whose  workings  too  often 
baffle  human  foresight.  If  the  hopes  of  the  ardent  and 
generous  themselves  are  deceived  in  the  uncertain  lottery 
of  wedlock,  the  victim  will  struggle  hard  to  maintain  the 
delusion  ;  but  when  the  calculations  of  others  are  patent 
to  the  evil,  a  natural  inducement,  that  comes  of  the  devil  I 
fear,  prompts  us  to  aggravate,  instead  of  striving  to  lessen 
the  evil." 

"  Thou  dost  not  speak  of  wedlock  as  one  who  found  the 
condition  happy,  poor  Gaetano  ? " 

"  I  have  told  thee  what  I  fear  was  but  too  true,"  re- 
turned the  Genoese,  with  a  heavy  sigh.  "My  birth,  vast 
means,  and  I  trust  a  fair  name,  induced  the  kinsmen  of 
my  wife  to  urge  her  to  a  union,  that  I  have  since  had  rea- 
son to  fear  her  feelings  did  not  lead  her  to  form.  I  had  a 
terrible  ally,  too,  in  the  acknowledged  unworthiness  of 
him  who  had  captivated  her  young  fancy,  and  whom,  as 
age  brought  reflection,  her  reason  condemned.  I  was  ac- 
cepted, therefore,  as  a  cure  to  a  bleeding  heart  and  broken 
peace,  and  my  office,  at  the  best,  was  not  such  as  a  good 
man  could  desire,  or  a  proud  man  tolerate.  The  unhappy 
Angiolina  died  in  giving  birth  to  her  first  child,  the  un- 
happy son  of  whom  I  have  told  thee  so  much.  She  found 
peace  at  last  in  the  grave  ! " 

"Thou  hadst  not  time  to  give  thy  manly  tenderness  and 
noble  qualities  an  opportunity  ;  else,  my  life  on  it,  she 
would  have  come  to  love  thee,  Gaetano,  as  all  love  thee 
who  know  thee  ! "  returned  the  Baron,  warmly. 

"Thanks,  my  kind  friend  ;  but  beware  of  making  mar- 
riage a  mere  convenience.  There  may  be  folly  in  calling 


THE  HEADSMAN.  135 

each  truant  inclination  that  deep  sentiment  and  secret 
sympathy  which  firmly  knits  heart  to  heart,  and  doubtless 
a  common  fortune  may  bind  the  worldly-minded,  together  ; 
but  this  is  not  the  holy  union  which  keeps  noble  qualities 
in  a  family,  and  which  fortifies  against  the  seductions  of  a 
world  that  is  already  too  strong  for  honesty.  I  remember 
to  have  heard  from  one  that  understood  his  fellow-creat- 
ures well,  that  marriages  of  mere  propriety  tend  to  rob 
woman  of  her  greatest  charm,  that  of  superiority  to  the 
vulgar  feeling  of  worldly  calculations,  and  that  all  com- 
munities in  which  they  prevail  become,  of  necessity,  selfish 
beyond  the  natural  limits,  and  eventually  corrupt." 

"This  may  be  true  ; — but  Adelheid  loves  the  youth." 

"  Ha  !  This  changes  the  complexion  of  the  affair.  How 
dost  thou  know  this  ?  " 

"  From  her  own  lips.  The  secret  escaped  her,  under  the 
warmth  atd  sincerity  of  feeling  that  the  late  events  so  nat- 
urally excited." 

"  And  Sigismund  ! — he  has  thy  approbation  ? — for  I  will 
not  suppose  that  one  like  thy  daughter  yielded  her  affec- 
tions unsolicited." 

"  He  has — that  is — he  has.  There  is  what  the  world  will 
be  apt  to  call  an  obstacle,  but  it  shall  count  for  nothing 
with  me.  The  youth  is  not  noble." 

"  The  objection  is  serious,  my  honest  friend.  It  is  not 
wise  to  tax  human  infirmity  too  much,  where  there  is  suf- 
ficient to  endure  from  causes  that  cannot  be  removed. 
Wedlock  is  a  precarious  experiment,  and  all  unusual  mo- 
tives for  disgust  should  be  cautiously  avoided.  I  would 
he  were  noble." 

"  The  difficulty  shall  be  removed  by  the  Emperor's  favor. 
Thou  hast  princes  in  Italy,  too,  that  might  be  prevailed  on 
to  do  us  this  grace,  at  need  ?" 

"  What  is  the  youth's  origin  and  history,  and  by  what 
means  has  a  daughter  of  thine  been  placed  in  a  situation 
to  love  one  that  is  simply  born  ?  " 

"  Sigismund  is  a  Swiss,  and  of  a  family  of  Bernese 
burghers,  I  should  think,  though,  to  confess  the  truth,  I 
know  little  more  than  that  he  has  passed  several  years  in 
foreign  service,  and  that  he  saved  my  daughter's  life  from 
one  of  our  mountain  accidents,  some  two  years  since,  as  he 
has  now  saved  thine  and  mine.  My  sister,  near  whose  cas- 
tle the  acquaintance  commenced,  permitted  the  intercourse, 
which  it  would  now  be  too  late  to  think  of  prohibiting. 


r36  THE  HEADSMAN. 

And,  to  speak  honestly,  I  begin  to  rejoice  the  boy  is  what 
he  is,  in  order  that  our  readiness  to  receive  him  to  our  arms 
may  be  the  more  apparent.  If  the  young  fellow  were  the 
equal  of  Adelheid  in  other  things,  as  he  is  in  person  and 
character,  he  would  have  too  much  in  his  favor.  No,  by 
the  faith  of  Calvin  ! — him  whom  thou  stylest  a  heretic — I 
think  I  rejoice  that  the  boy  is  not  noble  !  " 

"Have  it  as  thou  wilt,"  returned  the  Genoese,  whose 
countenance  continued  to  express  distrust  and  thought,  for 
his  own  experience  had  made  him  wary  on  the  subject  of 
doubtful  or  ill-assorted  alliances  ;  "  let  his  origin  be  what 
it  may,  he  shall  not  need  gold.  I  charge  myself  with  seeing 
that  the  lands  of  Willading  shall  be  fairly  balanced  :  and 
here  comes  our  hospitable  host  to  be  witness  of  the 
pledge." 

Roger  de  Blonay  advanced  upon  the  terrace  to  greet  his 
guests,  as  the  Signor  Grimaldi  concluded.  Th%  three  old 
men  continued  their  walk  for  an  hour  longer,  discussing 
the  fortunes  of  the  young  pair,  for  Melchior  de  Willading 
was  as  little  disposed  to  make  a  secret  of  his  intentions 
with  one  of  his  friends  as  with  the  other. 


CHAPTER  X. 

"  But  I  have  not  the  time  to  pause 

Upon  these  gewgaws  of  the  heart." — WERNER. 

THOUGH  the  word  castle  is  of  common  use  in  Europe,  as 
applied  to  ancient  baronial  edifices,  the  thing  itself  is  very 
different  in  style,  extent,  and  cost,  in  different  countries. 
Security,  united  to  dignity  and  the  means  of  accommodat- 
ing a  train  of  followers  suited  to  the  means  of  the  noble, 
being  the  common  object,  the  position  and  defences  of  the 
place  necessarily  varied  according  to  the  general  aspect  of 
the  region  in  which  it  stood.  Thus  ditches  and  other 
broad  expanses  of  water  were  much  depended  on  in  all 
low  countries,  as  in  Flanders,  Holland,  parts  of  Germany, 
and  much  of  France  ;  while  hills,  spurs,  mountains,  and 
more  especially  the  summits  of  conical  rocks,  were  sought 
in  Switzerland,  Italy,  and  wherever  else  these  natural  means 
of  protection  could  readily  be  found.  Other  circumstan- 
ces, such  as  climate,  wealth,  the  habits  of  a  people,  and 


TffE  HEADSMAN.  137 

the  nature  of  the  feudal  rights,  also  served  greatly  to  modify 
the  appearance  and  extent  of  the  building.  The  ancient 
hold  in  Switzerland  was  originally  little  more  than  a  square 
solid  tower,  perched  upon  a  rock,  with  turrets  at  its  angles. 
Proof  against  fire  from  without,  it  had  ladders  to  mount 
from  floor  to  floor,  and  often  contained  its  beds  in  the  deep 
recesses  of  the  windows,  or  in  alcoves  wrought  in  the  mas- 
sive wall.  As  greater  security  or  greater  means  enabled, 
offices  and  constructions  of  more  importance  arose  around 
its  base  inclosing  a  court.  These  necessarily  followed  the 
formation  of  the  rock,  until,  in  time,  the  confused  and  in- 
artificial piles,  which  are  now  seen  mouldering  on  so  many 
of  the  minor  spurs  of  the  Alps,  were  created. 

As  is  usual  in  all  ancient  holds,  the  Rittersaal — the  Salle 
des  Chevaliers — or  the  knights'  hall  of  Blonay,  as  it  is  dif- 
ferently called  in  different  languages,  was  both  the  largest 
and  the  niost  laboriously  decorated  apartment  of  the  edi- 
fice. It  was  no  longer  in  the  rude  jail-like  keep  that  grew, 
as  it  were,  from  the  living  rock,  on  which  it  had  been 
reared  with  so  much  skill  as  to  render  it  difficult  to  ascer- 
tain where  nature  ceased  and  art  commenced  ;  but  it  had 
been  transferred,  a  century  before  the  occurrences  related 
in  our  tale,  to  a  more  modern  portion  of  the  buildings  that 
formed  the  southeastern  angle  of  the  whole  construction. 

The  room  was  spacious,  square,  simple,  for  such  is  the 
fashion  of  the  country,  and  lighted  by  windows  that  looked 
on  one  side  toward  Valais,  and  on  the  other  over  the  whole 
of  the  irregular,  but  lovely  declivity,  to  the  margin  of  the 
Leman,  and  along  that  beautiful  sheet,  embracing  hamlet, 
village,  city,  castle,  and  purple  mountain,  until  the  view 
was  limited  by  the  hazy  Jura.  The  window  on  the  latter 
side  of  the  knights'  hall  had  an  iron  balcony  at  a  giddy 
height  from  the.  ground,  and  in  this  airy  lookout  Adelheid 
had  .taken  her  seat,  when,  after  quitting  her  father,  she 
mounted  to  the  apartment  common  to  all  the  guests  of  the 
castle. 

We  have  already  alluded  generally  to  the  personal  ap- 
pearance and  to  the  moral  qualities  of  the  Baron  de  Wil- 
iading's  daughter,  but  we  now  conceive  it  necessary  to 
make  the  reader  more  intimately  acquainted  with  one  who 
is  destined  to  act  no  mean  part  in  the  incidents  of  our  tale. 

It  has  been  said  that  she  was  pleasing  to  the  eye,  but 
her  beauty  was  of  a  kind  that  depended  more  on  expres- 
sion, on  a  union  of  character  with  feminine  grace,  than  on 


138  THE  HEADSMAN. 

the  vulgar  lines  of  regularity  and  symmetry.  While  she 
had  no  feature  that  was  defective,  she  had  none  that  was 
absolutely  faultless,  though  all  were  combined  with  so 
much  harmony,  and  the  soft  expression  of  the  mild  blue 
eye  accorded  so  well  with  the  gentle  play  of  a  sweet 
mouth,  that  the  soul  of  their  owner  seemed  ready  at  all 
times  to  appear  through  these  ingenuous  tell-tales  of  her 
thoughts.  Still,  maidenly  reserve  sat  in  constant  watch 
over  all,  and  it  was  when  the  spectator  thought  himself 
most  in  communion  with  her  spirit,  that  he  most  felt  its 
pure  and  correcting  influence.  Perhaps  a  cast  of  high  in- 
telligence, of  a  natural  power  to  discriminate,  which  much 
surpassed  the  limited  means  accorded  to  females  of  that 
age,  contributed  their  share  to  hold  those  near  her  in  re- 
spect, and  served  in  some  degree  as  a  mild  and  wise  repel- 
lent, to  counteract  the  attractions  of  her  gentleness  and 
candor.  In  short,  one  cast  unexpectedly  in  her  society 
would  not  have  been  slow  to  infer,  and  he  would  have  de- 
cided correctly,  that  Adelheid  de  Wi]  lading  was  a  girl  of 
warm  and  tender  affections,  of  a  playful  but  regulated 
fancy,  of  a  firm  and  lofty  sense  of  all  her  duties,  whether 
natural  or  merely  the  result  of  social  obligations  ;  of  melt- 
ing pity,  and  yet  of  a  habit  and  quality  to  think  and  act 
for  herself,  in  all  those  cases  in  which  it  was  fitting  for  a 
maiden  of  her  condition  and  years  to  assume  such  self- 
control. 

It  was  now  more  than  a  year  since  Adelheid  had  become 
fully  sensible  of  the  force  of  her  attachment  for  Sigismund 
Steinbach,  and  during  all  that  time  she  had  struggled  hard 
to  overcome  a  feeling  which  she  believed  could  lead  to  no 
happy  result.  The  declaration  of  the  young  man  himself, 
a  declaration  that  was  extorted  involuntarily  and  in  a  mo- 
ment of  powerful  passion,  was  accompanied  by  an  admis- 
sion of  its  uselessness  and  folly,  and  it  first  opened  her  eyes 
to  the  state  of  her  own  feelings.  Though  she  had  listened, 
as  all  of  her  sex  will  listen,  even  when  the  passion  is  hope- 
less, to  such  words  coming  from  lips  they  love,  it  was  with 
a  self-command  that  enabled  her  to  retain  her  own  secret, 
and  with  a  settled  and  pious  resolution  to  do  that  which 
she  believed  to  be  her  duty  to  herself,  to  her  father,  and 
to  Sigismund.  From  that  hour,  she  ceased  to  see  him,  un- 
less under  circumstances  when  it  would  have  drawn  sus- 
picion on  her  motives  to  refuse,  and  while  she  never  ap- 
peared to  forget  her  heavy  obligations  to  the  youth,  she 


THE  HEADSMAN.  139 

firmly  denied  herself  the  pleasure  of  even  mentioning  his 
name  when  it  could  be  avoided.  But  of  all  ungrateful  and 
reluctant  tasks,  that  of  striving  to  forget  is  the  least  likely 
to  succeed.  Adelheid  was  sustained  only  by  her  sense  of 
duty  and  the  desire  not  to  disappoint  her  father's  wishes,  to 
which  habit  and  custom  had  given  nearly  the  force  of  law 
with  maidens  of  her  condition,  though  her  reason  and  judg- 
ment no  less  than  her  affections  were  both  strongly  en- 
listed on  the  other  side.  Indeed,  with  the  single  exception 
of  the  general  unfitness  of  a  union  between  two  of  unequal 
stations,  there  was  nothing  to  discredit  her  choice,  if  that 
may  be  termed  choice  which,  after  all,  was  more  the  result 
of  spontaneous  feeling  and  secret  sympathy  than  of  any 
other  cause,  unless  it  were  a  certain  equivocal  reserve,  and 
a  manifest  uneasiness,  whenever  allusion  was  made  to  the 
early  history  and  to  the  family  of  the  soldier.  The  sensi- 
tiveness on  the  part  of  Sigismund  had  been  observed  and 
commented  on  by  others  as  well  as  by  herself,  and  it  had 
been  openly  ascribed  to  the  mortification  of  one  who  had 
been  thrown  by  chance  into  an  intimate  association  that 
was  much  superior  to  what  he  was  entitled  to  maintain  by 
birth  ;  a  weakness  but  too  common,  and  which  few  have 
strength  of  mind  to  resist,  or  sufficient  pride  to  overcome. 
The  intuitive  watchfulness  of  affection,  however,  led  Adel- 
heid to  a  different  conclusion  ;  she  saw  that  he  never  af- 
fected to  conceal,  while  with  equal  good  taste  he  abstained 
from  obtrusive  allusions  to  the  humble  nature  of  his  ori- 
gin, but  she  also  perceived  that  there  were  points  of  his 
previous  history  on  which  he  was  acutely  sensitive,  and 
which  at  first  she  feared  must  be  attributed  to  the  con- 
sciousness of  acts  that  his  clear  perception  of  moral  truth 
condemned,  and  which  he  could  wish  forgotten.  For  some 
time  Adelheid  clung  to  this  discovery  as  to  a  healthful  and 
proper  antidote  to  her  own  truant  inclinations,  but  native 
rectitude  banished  a  suspicion  which  had  no  sufficient 
ground,  as  equally  unworthy  of  them  both.  The  effects  of 
a  ceaseless  mental  struggle,  and  of  the  fruitlessness  of  her 
efforts  to  overcome  her  tenderness  in  behalf  of  Sigismund, 
have  been  described  in  the  fading  of  her  bloom,  in  the 
painful  solicitude  of  a  countenance  naturally  so  sweet,  and 
in  the  unsettled  melancholy  of  her  playful  and  mellow  eye. 
These  were  the  real  causes  of  the  journey  undertaken  by 
her  father,  and  in  truth  of  most  of  the  other  events  which 
we  are  about  to  describe. 


140  THE  HEADSMAN. 

The  prospect  of  the  future  had  undergone  a  sudden 
change.  The  color,  though  more  the  effect  of  excitement 
than  of  returning  health — for  the  tide  of  life,  when  rudely 
checked,  does  not  resume  its  currents  at  the  first  breath 
of  happiness — again  brightened  her  cheek  and  imparted 
brilliancy  to  her  looks,  and  smiles  stole  easily  to  those  lips 
which  had  long  been  growing  pallid  with  anxiety.  She 
leaned  forward  from  the  balcony,  and  never  before  had  the 
air  of  her  native  mountains  seemed  so  balmy  and  healing. 
.At  that  moment  the  subject  of  her  thoughts  appeared  on 
the  verdant  declivity,  among  the  luxuriant  nut-trees  that 
shade  the  natural  lawn  of  Blonay.  He  saluted  her  respect- 
fully, and  pointed  to  the  glorious  panorama  of  the  Leman. 
The  heart  of  Adelheid  beat  violently ;  she  struggled  for  an 
instant  with  her  fears  and  her  pride,  and  then,  for  the  first 
time  in  her  life,  she  made  a  signal  that  she  wished  him  to 
join  her. 

Notwithstanding  the  important  service  that  the  young 
soldier  had  rendered  to  the  daughter  of  the  Baron  de 
Willading,  and  the  long  intimacy  which  had  been  its  fruit, 
so  great  had  been  the  reserve  she  had  hitherto  maintained, 
by  placing  a  constant  restraint  on  her  inclinations,  though 
the  simple  usages  of  Switzerland  permitted  greater  famil- 
iarity of  intercourse  than  was  elsewhere  accorded  to 
maidens  of  rank,  that  Sigismund  at  first  stood  rooted  to  the 
ground,  for  he  could  not  imagine  the  waving  of  the  hand 
was  meant  for  him.  Adelheid  saw  his  embarrassment,  and 
the  signal  was  repeated.  The  young  man  sprang  up  the 
acclivity  with  the  rapidity  of  the  wind,  and  disappeared 
behind  the  walls  of  the  castle. 

The  barrier  of  reserve,  so  long  and  so  successfully  ob- 
served by  Adelheid,  was  now  passed,  and  she  felt  as  if  a 
few  short  minutes  must  decide  her  fate.  The  necessity  of 
making  a  wide  circuit  in  order  to  enter  the  court  still  af- 
forded a  little  time  for  reflection,  however,  and  this  she 
endeavored  to  improve  by  collecting  her  thoughs  and 
recovering  her  self-possession. 

When  Sigismund  entered  the  knight's  hall,  he  found  the 
maiden  still  seated  near  the  open  window  of  the  balcony, 
pale  and  serious,  but  perfectly  calm,  and  with  such  an  ex- 
pression of  radiant  happiness  in  her  countenance  as  he  had 
not  seen  reigning  in  those  sweet  lineaments  for  many  pain^ 
ful  months.  The  first  feeling  was  that  of  pleasure  at  per- 
ceiving how  well  she  bore  the  alarms  and  dangers  of  the 


THE  HEADSMAN.  141 

past  night.  This  pleasure  he  expressed,  with  the  frankness 
admitted  by  the  habits  of  the  Germans. 

"  Thou  wilt  not  suffer,  Adelheid,  by  the  exposure  on  the 
lake  J."  he  said,  studying  her  face  until  the  tell-tale  blood 
stole  to  her  very  temples. 

"  Agitation  of  the  mind  is  a  good  antidote  to  the  con- 
sequences of  bodily  exposure.  So  far  from  suffering  by 
what  has  passed,  I  feel  stronger  to-day  and  better  able  to 
endure  fatigue^  than  at  any  time  since  we  came  through 
the  gates  of  Willading.  This  balmy  air,  to  me,  seems 
Italy,  and  I  see  no  necessity  to  journey  further  in  search  of 
what  they  said  was  necessary  to  my  health,  agreeable 
objects  and  a  generous  sun." 

"  You  will  not  cross  the  St.  Bernard  ! "  he  exclaimed,  in 
a  tone  of  disappointment. 

Adelheid  smiled,  and  he  felt  encouraged,  though  the 
smile  was  ambiguous.  Notwithstanding  the  really  noble 
sincerity  of  the  maiden's  disposition,  and  her  earnest  de- 
sire to  set  his  heart  at  ease,  nature,  or  habit,  or  education, 
for  we  scarcely  know  to  which  the  weakness  ought  to  be 
ascribed,  tempted  her  to  avoid  a  direct  explanation. 

"  Why  need  one  desire  aught  that  is  more  lovely  than 
this  ? "  she  answered,  evasively.  "  Here  is  a  warm  air, 
such  a  scene  as  Italy  can  scarcely  surpass,  and  a  friendly 
roof.  The  experience  of  the  last  twenty-four  hours  gives 
little  encouragement  for  attempting  the  St.  Bernard,  not- 
withstanding the  fair  promises  of  hospitality  and  welcome 
that  have  been  so  liberally  held  out  by  the  good  canon." 

"  Thy  eye  contradicts  thy  tongue,  Adelheid  ;  thou  art 
happy  and  well  enough  to  use  pleasantry  to-day.  For 
Heaven's  sake,  do  not  neglect  to  profit  by  this  advantage, 
however,  under  a  mistaken  opinion  that  Blonay  is  the 
well-sheltered  Pisa.  When  the  winter  shall  arrive,  thou 
wilt  see  that  these  mountains  are  still  the  icy  Alps,  and 
the  winds  will  whistle  through  this  crazy  castle,  as  they 
are  wont  to  sing  through  the  naked  corridors  of  Willa- 
ding." 

"We  have  time  before  us,  and  can  think  of  this.  Thou 
wilt  proceed  to  Milan,  no  doubt,  as  soon  as  the  revels  of 
Vevey  are  ended." 

"  The  soldier  has  little  choice  but  duty.  My  long  and 
frequent  leaves  of  absence  of  late, — leaves  that  have  been 
liberally  granted  to  me  on  account  of  important  family 
concerns, — impose  an  additional  obligation  to  be  punctual, 


/42  THE  HEADSMAN. 

that  I  may  not  seem  forgetful  of  favors  already  enjoyed. 
Although  we  all  owe  a  heavy  debt  to  nature,  our  volun- 
tary engagements  have  ever  seemed  to  me  the  most 
serious." 

Adelheid  listened  with  breathless  attention.  Never  be- 
fore had  he  uttered  the  word  family,  in  reference  to  him- 
self, in  her  presence.  The  allusion  appeared  to  have  cre- 
ated unpleasant  recollections  in  the  mind  of  the  young 
man  himself,  for  when  he  ceased  to  speak  his  countenance 
fell,  and  he  even  appeared  to  be  fast  forgetting  the  pres- 
ence of  his  fair  companion.  The  latter  turned  sensitively 
from  a  subject  which  she  saw  gave  him  pain,  and  endeav- 
ored to  call  his  thoughts  to  other  things.  By  an  unfore- 
seen fatality,  the  very  expedient  adopted  hastened  the  ex- 
planation she  would  now  have  given  so  much  to  postpone. 

"  My  father  has  often  extolled  the  site  of  the  Baron  de 
Blonay's  castle,"  said  Adelheid,  gazing  from  the  window, 
though  all  the  fair  objects  of  the  view  floated  unheeded 
before  her  eyes;  "  but,  until  now,  I  have  always  suspected 
that  friendly  feeling  had  a  great  influence  on  his  descrip- 
tions." 

"  You  did  him  injustice  then,"  answered  Sigismund,  ad- 
vancing to  the  opening:  "of  all  the  ancient  holds  of 
Switzerland,  Blonay  is  perhaps  entitled  to  the  palm,  for 
possessing  the  fairest  site.  Regard  yon  treacherous  lake, 
Adelheid  !  Can  we  fancy  that  sleeping  mirror  the  same 
boiling  caldron  on  which  we  were  so  lately  tossed,  helpless 
and  nearly  hopeless  ?  " 

"  Hopeless,  Sigismund,  but  for  thee  !  " 

"  Thou  forgett'st  the  daring  Italian,  without  whose  cool- 
ness and  skill  we  must  indeed  have  irredeemably  perished." 

"  And  what  would  it  be  to  me  if  the  worthless  bark  were 
saved,  while  my  father  and  his  friend  were  abandoned  to 
the  frightful  fate  that  befell  the  patron  and  that  unhappy 
peasant  of  Berne  !  " 

The  pulses  of  the  young  man  beat  high,  for  there  was  a 
tenderness  in  the  tones  of  Adelheid  to  which  he  was  unac- 
customed, and  which,  indeed,  he  had  never  before  dis- 
covered in  her  voice. 

"  I  will  go  seek  this  brave  mariner,"  he  said,  trembling 
lest  his  self-command  should  be  again  lost  by  the  seduc- 
tions of  such  a  communion  : — "  It  is  time  he  had  more 
substantial  proofs  of  our  gratitude." 

"  No,  Sigismund,"  returned  the  maiden  firmly,  and  in  a 


THE  HEADSMAN.  143 

way  to  chain  him  to  the  spot,  "  thou  must  not  quit  me  yet. 
I  have  much  to  say — much  that  touches  my  future  happi- 
ness, and,  I  am  perhaps  weak  enough  to  believe,  thine." 

Sigismund  was  bewildered,  for  the  manner  of  his  com- 
panion, though  the  color  went  and  came  in  sudden  and 
bright  flashes  across  her  pure  brows,  was  miraculously  calm 
and  full  of  dignity.  He  took  the  seat  to  which  she  silently 
pointed,  and  sat  motionless  as  if  carved  in  stone,  his  facul- 
ties absorbed  in  the  single  sense  of  hearing.  Adelheid  saw 
that  the  crisis  was  arrived,  and  that  retreat,  without  an  ap- 
pearance of  levity  that  her  character  and  pride  equally 
forbade,  was  impossible.  The  inbred  and  perhaps  the  in- 
herent feelings  of  her  sex  would  now  have  caused  her 
again  to  avoid  the  explanation,  at  least  as  coming  from 
herself,  but  that  she  was  sustained  by  a  high  and  holy 
motive. 

"  Thou  must  find  great  delight,  Sigismund,  in  reflecting 
on  thine  own  good  acts  to  others.  But  for  thee  Melchior 
de  Willading  would  have  long  since  been  childless ;  and 
but  for  thee  his  daughter  would  now  be  an  orphan.  The 
knowledge  that  thou  hast  had  the  power  and  the  will  to 
succor  thy  friends  must  be  worth  all  other  knowledge  ! " 

"  As  connected  with  thee,  Adelheid,  it  is,"  he  answered 
in  a  low  voice  ;  "  I  would  not  exchange  the  secret  happi- 
ness of  having  been  of  this  use  to  thee,  and  to  those  thou 
lovest,  for  the  throne  of  the  powerful  prince  I  serve.  I  have 
had  my  secret  wrested  from  me  already,  and  it  is  vain 
attempting  to  deny  it,  if  I  would.  Thou  knowest  I  love 
thee  ;  and,  in  spite  of  myself,  my  heart  cherishes  the  weak- 
ness. I  rather  rejoice,  than  dread,  to  say,  that  it  will 
cherish  it  until  it  cease  to  feel.  This  is  more  than  I  ever 
intended  to  repeat  to  thy  modest  ears,  which  ought  not  to 
be  wounded  by  idle  declarations  like  these,  but — thou 
smilest — Adelheid  ! — can  thy  gentle  spirit  mock  at  a  hope- 
less passion  !  " 

"  Why  should  my  smile  mean  mockery  ? " 

"  Adelheid  ! — nay — this   never    can    be.      One    of    my 
birth—my    ignoble,    nameless  origin,    cannot   even    inti 
mate  his  wishes,  with  honor,  to  a  lady  of  thy  name  and  ex- 
pectations ! " 

"  Sigismund,  it  can  be.  Thou  hast  not  well  calculated 
either  the  heart  of  Adelheid  de  Willading,  or  the  gratitude 
of  her  father." 

The  young  man  gazed  earnestly  at  the  face  of  the  maiden, 


144  TffE  HEADSMAN. 

which,  now  that  she  had  disburdened  her  soul  of  its  most 
secret  thought,  reddened  to  the  temples,  more  however 
with  excitement  than  with  shame,  for  she  met  his  ardent 
look  with  the  mild  confidence  of  innocence  and  affection. 
She  believed,  and  she  had  every  reason  so  to  believe,  that 
her  words  would  give  pleasure,  and,  with  the  jealous  watch- 
fulness of  true  love,  she  would  not  willingly  let  a  single 
expression  of  happiness  escape  her.  But,  instead  of  the 
brightening  eye,  and  the  sudden  expression  of  joy  that  she 
expected,  the  young  man  appeared  overwhelmed  with  feel- 
ings of  a  very  opposite,  and  indeed  of  the  most  painful, 
character.  His  breathing  was  difficult,  his  look  wandered, 
and  his  lips  were  convulsed.  He  passed  his  hand  across 
his  brow,  like  a  man  in  intense  agony,  and  a  cold 
perspiration  broke  out,  as  by  a  dreadful  inward  working 
of  the  spirit,  upon  his  forehead  and  temples,  in  large  vis- 
ible drops. 

"  Adelheid — dearest  Adelheid — thou  knowest  not  what 
thou  sayest  !  One  like  me  can  never  become  thy  hus- 
band." 

"  Sigismund  ! — why  this  distress  ?  Speak  to  me — ease 
thy  mind  by  words.  I  swear  to  thee  that  the  consent  of 
my  father  is  accompanied  on  my  part  by  a  willing  heart. 
I  love  thee,  Sigismund — wouldst  thou  have  me — can  I  say 
more  ? " 

The  young  man  gazed  at  her  incredulously,  and  then,  as 
thought  became  more  clear,  as  one  regards  a  much-prized 
object  that  is  hopelessly  lost.  He  shook  his  head  mourn- 
fully, and  buried  his  face  in  his  hands. 

"  Say  no  more,  Adelheid — for  my  sake — for  thine  own 
sake,  say  no  more — in  mercy,  be  silent !  Thou  never 
canst  be  mine !  No,  no — honor  forbids  it  ;  ,in  thee  it 
would  be  madness,  in  me  dishonor — we  can  never  be  united. 
What  fatal  weakness  has  kept  me  near  thee — I  have  long 
dreaded  this— 

"  Dreaded!" 

"  Nay,  do  not  repeat  my  words, — for  I  scarce  know  what 
I  say.  Thou  and  thy  father  have  yielded,  in  a  moment  of 
vivid  gratitude,  to  a  generous,  a  noble  impulse — but  it  is 
not  for  me  to  profit  by  the  accident  that  has  enabled  me 
to  gain  this  advantage.  What  would  all  of  thy  blood,  all 
of  the  republic  say,  Adelheid,  were  the  noblest  born,  the 
best  endowed,  the  fairest,  gentlest,  best  maiden  of  the  can- 
ton, to  wed  a  nameless,  houseless,  soldier  of  fortune,  who 


THE  HEADSMAN'..  145 

has  but  his  sword  and  some  gifts  of  nature  to  recommend 
him  ?  Thy  excellent  father  will  surely  think  better  of  this, 
and  we  will  speak  of  it  no  more  !  " 

"  Were  I  to  listen  to  the  common  feelings  of  my  sex,  Sig- 
ismund,  this  reluctance  to  accept  what  both  my  father  and 
myself  offer  might  cause  me  to  feign  displeasure.  But, 
between  thee  and  me,  there  shall  be  naught  but  holy  truth. 
My  father  has  well  weighed  all  these  objections,  and  he 
has  generously  decided  to  forget  them.  As  for  me,  placed 
in  the  scale  against  thy  merits,  they  have  never  weighed 
at  all.  If  thou  canst  not  become  noble  in  order  that  we 
may  be  equals,  I  shall  find  more  happiness  in  descending 
to  thy  level,  than  by  living  in  heartless  misery  at  the  vain 
height  where  I  have  been  placed  by  accident." 

"  Blessed,  ingenuous  girl !  But  what  does  it  all  avail  ? 
Dur  marriage  is  impossible." 

"  If  thou  knowest  of  any  obstacle  that  would  render  it 
improper  for  a  weak,  but  virtuous  girl " 

"  Hold,  Adelheid ! — do  not  finish  the  sentence.  I  am 
sufficiently  humbled — sufficiently  debased — without  this 
cruel  suspicion." 

"Then  why  is  our  union  impossible — when  my  father 
not  only  consents,  but  wishes  it  may  take  place  ? " 

"  Give  me  time  for  thought — thou  shalt  know  all,  Adel- 
heid, sooner  or  later.  Yes,  this  is,  at  the  least,  due  to  thy 
noble  frankness.  Thou  shouldst  in  justice  have  known  it 
long  before." 

Adelheid  regarded  him  in  speechless  apprehension,  for 
the  evident  and  violent  physical  struggles  of  the  young 
man  too  fearfully  announced  the  mental  agony  he  endured. 
The  color  had  fled  from  her  own  face,  in  which  the  beauty 
of  expression  now  reigned  undisputed  mistress  ;  but  it  was 
the  expression  of  the  mingled  sentiments  of  wonder,  dread, 
tenderness,  and  alarm.  He  saw  that  his  own  sufferings 
were  fast  communicating  themselves  to  his  companion, 
and,  by  a  powerful  effort,  he  so  far  mastered  his  emotions 
as  to  regain  a  portion  of  his  self-command. 

"  This  explanation  has  been  too  heedlessly  delayed,"  he 
continued  ;  "  cost  what  it  may,  it  shall  be  no  longer  post- 
poned. Thou  wilt  not  accuse  me  of  cruelty,  or  of  dishon- 
est silence,  but  remember  the  failing  of  human  nature, 
and  pity  rather  than  blame  a  weakness  which  may  be  the 
cause  of  as  much  future  sorrow  to  thyself,  beloved  Adel- 
heid, as  it  is  now  of  bitter  regret  to  me.  I  have  never 
10 


146  THE  HEADSMAN. 

concealed  from  thee  that  my  birth  is  derived  from  that 
class  which  throughout  Europe  is  believed  to  be  of  infe- 
rior rights  to  thine  own  ;  on  this  head,  I  am  proud  rather 
than  humble,  for  the  invidious  distinctions  of  usage  have 
too  often  provoked  comparisons,  and  I  have  been  in  situa- 
tions to  know  that  the  mere  accidents  of  descent  bestow 
neither  personal  excellence,  superior  courage,  nor  higher 
intellect.  Though  human  inventions  may  serve  to  de- 
press the  less  fortunate,  God  has  given  fixed  limits  to  the 
means  of  men.  He  that  would  be  greater  than  his  kind, 
and  illustrious  by  unnatural  expedients,  must  debase  others 
to  attain  this  end.  By  different  means  than  these  there 
is  no  nobility,  and  he  who  is  unwilling  to  admit  an  infe- 
riority which  exists  only  in  idea  can  never  be  humbled  by 
an  artifice  so  shallow.  On  the  subject  of  mere  birth,  as  it 
is  ordinarily  estimated,  whether  it  come  from  pride,  or 
philosophy,  or  the  habit  of  commanding  as  a  soldier  those 
who  might  be  deemed  by  superiors  as  men,  I  have  never 
been  very  sensitive.  Perhaps  the  heavier  disgrace  which 
crushes  me  may  have  caused  this  want  to  appear  lighter 
than  it  otherwise  might." 

"  Disgrace ! "  repeated  Adelheid,  in  a  voice  that  was  nearly 
choked.  "The  word  is  fearful,  coming  from  one  of  thy 
regulated  mind,  and  as  applied  to  himself." 

"  I  cannot  choose  another.  Disgrace  it  is  by  the  com- 
mon consent  of  men — by  long  and  enduring  opinion — it 
would  almost  seem  by  the  just  judgment  of  God.  Dost 
thou  not  believe,  Adelheid,  that  there  are  certain  races 
which  are  deemed  accursed,  to  answer  some  great  and  un- 
seen end — races  on  whom  the  holy  blessings  of  Heaven 
never  descend,  as  they  visit  the  meek  and  well-deserving 
that  come  of  other  lines  !  " 

"  How  can  I  believe  this  gross  injustice,  on  the  part  of  a 
Power  that  is  wise  without  bounds,  and  forgiving  to  pa- 
rental love  ? " 

"  Thy  answer  would  be  well  were  this  earth  the  universe, 
or  this  state  of  being  the  last.  But  He  whose  sight  extends 
beyond  the  grave,  who  fashions  justice,  and  mercy,  and 
goodness,  on  a  scale  commensurate  with  his  own  attributes, 
and  not  according  to  our  limited  means,  is  not  to  be  esti- 
mated by  the  narrow  rules  that  we  apply  to  men.  No,  we 
must  not  measure  the  ordinances  of  God  by  laws  that  are 
plausible  in  our  own  eyes.  Justice  is  a  relative  and  not  an 
abstract  quality  ;  and,  until  we  understand  the  relations  of 


THE  HEADSMAN".  *47 

the  Deity  to  ourselves  as  well  as  we  understand  our  own 
relations  to  the  Deity,  we  reason  in  the  dark." 

"  I  do  not  like  to  hear  thee  speak  thus,  Sigismund, 
and,  least  of  all,  with  a  brow  so  clouded,  and  in  a  voice  so 
hollow  !  " 

"  I  will  tell  my  tale  more  cheerfully,  dearest.  I  have  no 
right  to  make  thee  partner  of  my  misery  ;  and  yet  this  is 
the  manner  I  have  reasoned,  and  thought,  and  pondered — 
aye,  until  my  brain  has  grown  heated,  and  the  power  to 
reason  itself  has  nearly  tottered.  Ever  since  that  accursed 
hour,  in  which  the  truth  became  known  to  me,  and  I  was 
made  the  master  of  the  fatal  secret,  have  I  endeavored  to 
feel  and  reason  thus." 

"  What  truth  ? — what  secret  ?  If  thou  lovest  me,  Sigis- 
mund, speak  calmly  and  without  reserve." 

The  young  man  gazed  at  her  anxious  face  in  a  way  to 
show  how  deeply  he  felt  the  weight  of  the  blow  he  was 
about  to  give.  Then,  after  a  pause,  he  continued. 

"  We  have  lately  passed  through  a  terrible  scene  to- 
gether, dearest  Adelheid.  It  was  one  that  may  well  lessen 
the  distances  set  between  us  by  human  laws  and  the  tyr- 
anny of  opinions.  Had  it  been  the  will  of  God  that  the 
bark  should  perish,  what  a  confused  crowd  of  ill-assorted 
spirits  would  have  passed  together  into  eternity  !  We  had 
them  there  of  all  degrees  of  vice,  as  of  nearly  all  degrees 
of  cultivation,  from  the  subtle  iniquity  of  the  wily  Neapoli- 
tan juggler  to  thine  own  pure  soul.  There  would  have 
died  in  the  Winkelried  the  noble  of  high  degree,  the  rever- 
end priest,  the  soldier  in  the  pride  of  his  strength,  and  the 
mendicant  !  Death  is  an  uncompromising  leveller,  and 
the  depths  of  the  lake,  at  least,  might  have  washed  out  all 
our  infamy,  whether  it  came  of  real  demerits  or  merely 
from  received  usage  ;  even  the  luckless  Balthazar,  the  per- 
secuted and  hated  headsman,  might  have  found  those  who 
would  have  mourned  his  loss." 

"  If  any  could  have  died  unwept  in  meeting  such  a  fate, 
it  must  have  been  one  that,  in  common,  awakes  so  little  of 
human  sympathy  ;  and  one,  too,  who,  by  dealing  himself 
in  the  woes  of  others,  has  less  claim  to  the  compassion 
that  we  yield  to  most  of  our  species." 

"  Spare  me — in  mercy,  Adelheid,  spare  me — thou  speak- 
est  of  my  father  !  " 


t3  THE   HEADSMAN. 


CHAPTER  XL 

'  Fortune  had  smiled  upon  Guelherto's  birth, 
The  heir  of  Valdespesa's  rich  domain  ; 
An  only  child,  he  grew  in  years  and  worth, 
And  well  repaid  a  father's  anxious  pain." — SOUTHEY. 

As  Sigismund  uttered  this  communication,  so  terrible  tc 
the  ear  of  the  listener,  he  arose  and  fled  from  the  room. 
The  possession  of  a  kingdom  would  not  have  tempted  him 
to  remain  and  note  its  effect.  The  domestics  of  Blonay 
observed  his  troubled  air  and  rapid  strides  as  he  passed 
them,  but  too  simple  to  suspect  more  than  the  ordinary 
impetuosity  of  youth,  he  succeeded  in  getting  through  the 
inferior  gate  of  the  castle  and  into  the  fields,  without  at- 
tracting any  embarrassing  attention  to  his  movements. 
Here  he  began  to  breathe  more  freely,  and  the  load  which 
had  nearly  choked  his  respiration  became  lightened.  For 
half  an  hour  the  young  man  paced  the  greensward, 
scarcely  conscious  whither  he  went,  until  he  found  that 
his  steps  had  again  led  him  beneath  the  window  of  the 
knights'  hall.  Glancing  an  eye  upward,  he  saw  Adelheid 
still  seated  at  the  balcony,  and  apparently  yet  alone.  He 
thought  she  had  been  weeping,  and  he  cursed  the  weak- 
ness which  had  kept  him  from  effecting  the  often-renewed 
resolution  to  remove  himself  and  his  cruel  fortunes  for- 
ever from  before  her  mind.  A  second  look,  however, 
showed  him  that  he  was  again  beckoned  to  ascend  !  The 
revolutions  in  the  purposes  of  lovers  are  sudden  and  easily 
effected  ;  and  Sigismund,  through  whose  mind  a  dozen  ill- 
digested  plans  of  placing  the  sea  between  himself  and  her 
he  loved  had  just  been  floating,  was  now  hurriedly  retrac- 
ing his  steps  to  her  presence. 

Adelheid  had  necessarily  been  educated  under  the  influ- 
ence of  the  prejudices  of  the  age  and  of  the  country  in 
which  she  lived.  The  existence  of  the  office  of  headsman 
in  Berne,  and  the  nature  of  its  hereditary  duties,  were  well 
known  to  her  ;  and,  though  superior  to  the  inimical  feel- 
ing which  had  so  lately  been  exhibited  against  the  luckless 
Balthazar,  she  had  certainly  never  anticipated  a  shock  so 
cruel  as  was  now  produced,  by  abruptly  learning  that 
this  despised  and  persecuted  being  was  the  father  of  the 


4 

THE   HEADSMAN-.  149 

youth  to  whom  she  had  yielded  her  virgin  affections. 
When  the  words  which  proclaimed  the  connection  had  es- 
caped the  lips  of  Sigismund,  she  listened  like  one  who 
fancied  that  her  ears  deceived  her.  She  had  prepared  her- 
self to  learn  that  he  derived  his  being  from  some  peasant 
or  ignoble  artisan,  and,  once  or  twice,  as  he  drew  nearer  to 
the  fatal  declaration,  awkward  glimmerings  of  a  suspicion 
that  some  repulsive  moral  unworthiness  was  connected 
with  his  origin  troubled  her  imagination  ;  but  her  appre- 
hensions could  not,  by  possibility,  once  turn  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  revolting  truth.  It  was  some  time  before  she 
was  able  to  collect  her  thoughts,  or  to  reflect  on  the  course 
it  most  became  her  to  pursue.,  But,  as  has  been  seen,  it 
was  not  long  before  she  could  summon  the  self-command 
to  request  what  she  now  saw  was  doubly  necessary,  an- 
other meeting  with  her  lover.  As  both  had  thought  of 
nothing  but  his  last  words  during  the  short  separation, 
there  appeared  no  abruptness  in  the  manner  in  which  he 
resumed  the  discourse,  on  seating  himself  at  her  side,  ex- 
actly as  if  they  had  not  parted  at  all. 

"  The  secret  has  been  torn  from  me,  Adelheid.  The 
headsman  of  the  canton  is  my  father  ;  were  the  fact  pub- 
licly known,  the  heartless  and  obdurate  laws  would  com- 
pel me  to  be  his  successor.  He  has  no  other  child,  except 
a  gentle  girl — one  innocent  and  kind  as  thou." 

Adelheid  covered  her  face  with  both  her  hands,  as  if  to 
shut  out  a  view  of  the  horrible  truth.  Perhaps  an  instinc- 
tive reluctance  to  permit  her  companion  to  discover  how 
great  a  blow  had  been  given  by  his  avowal  of  this  birth, 
had  also  its  influence  in  producing  the  movement.  They 
who  have  passed  the  period  of  youth,  and  who  can  recall 
those  days  of  inexperience  and  hope,  when  the  affections 
are  fresh  and  the  heart  is  untainted  with  too  much  com- 
munion with  the  world, — and,  especially,  they  who  know 
of  what  a  delicate  compound  of  the  imaginative  and  the 
real  the  master-passion  is  formed,  how  sensitively  it  regards 
all  that  can  reflect  credit  on  the  beloved  object,  and  with 
what  ingenuity  it  endeavors  to  find  plausible  excuses  for 
every  blot  that  may  happen,  either  by  accident  or  demerit, 
to  tarnish  the  lustre  of  a  picture  that  fancy  has  so  largely 
aided  in  drawing,  will  understand  the  rude  nature  of  the 
shock  that  she  had  received.  But  Adelheid  de  Willading, 
though  a  woman  in  the  liveliness  and  fervor  of  her  imagi- 
nation, as  well  as  in  the  proneness  to  conceive  her  own  in* 


150  THE  HEADSMAN. 

genuous  conceptions  to  be  more  founded  in  reality  than  a 
sterner  view  of  things  might  possibly  have  warranted,  was 
a  woman  also,  in  the  more  generous  qualities  of  the  heart, 
and  in  those  enduring  principles,  which  seem  to  have  pre- 
disposed the  better  part  of  the  sex  to  make  the  heaviest 
sacrifices  rather  than  be  false  to  their  affections.  While 
her  frame  shuddered,  therefore,  with  the  violence  and  ab- 
ruptness of  the  emotions  she  had  endured,  dawnings  of  the 
right  gleamed  upon  her  pure  mind,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  she  was  able  to  contemplate  the  truth  with  the 
steadiness  of  principle,  though  it  might,  at  the  same  time, 
have  been  with  much  of  the  lingering  weakness  of  human- 
ity. When  she  lowered  her  hands,  she  looked  toward  the 
mute  and  watchful  Sigismund  with  a  smile  that  caused  the 
deadly  paleness  of  her  features  to  resemble  a  gleam  of  the 
sun  lighting  upon  a  spotless  peak  of  her  native  mountains. 

"  It  would  be  vain  to  endeavor  to  conceal  from  thee, 
Sigismund,"  she  said,  "  that  I  could  wish  this  were  not  so. 
I  will  confess  even  more — that  when  the  truth  first  broke 
upon  me,  thy  repeated  services,  and,  what  is  even  less  par- 
donable, thy  tried  worth,  were  for  an  instant  forgotten  in 
the  reluctance  I  felt  to  admit  that  my  fate  could  ever  be 
united  with  one  so  unhappily  situated.  There  are  mo- 
ments when  prejudices  and  habits  are  stronger  than  rea- 
son ;  but  their  triumph  is  short  in  well-intentioned  minds. 
The  terrible  injustice  of  our  laws  has  never  struck  me  with 
such  force  before,  though  last  night,  while  those  wretched 
travellers  were  so  eager  for  the  blood  of — of " 

"My  father,  Adelheid." 

"  Of  the  author  of  thy  being,  Sigismund,"  she  continued, 
with  a  solemnity  that  proved  to  the  young  man  how  deep- 
ly she  reverenced  the  tie.  "  I  was  compelled  to  see  that 
society  might  be  cruelly  unjust ;  but  now  I  find  its  laws 
and  prohibitions  visiting  one  like  thee,  so  far  from  joining 
in  its  oppression,  my  soul  revolts  against  the  wrong." 

"Thanks — thanks — a  thousand  thanks!"  returned  the 
young  man,  fervently.  "  I  did  not  expect  less  than  this 
from  thee,  Mademoiselle  de  Willading." 

"  If  thou  didst  not  expect  more — far  more,  Sigismund," 
resumed  the  maiden,  her  ashen  hue  brightened  to  crimson, 
"thou  hast  scarcely  been  less  unjust  than  the  world  ;  and 
I  will  add,  thou  hast  never  understood  that  Adelheid  de 
Willading,  whose  name  is  uttered  with  so  cold  a  form.  We 
all  have  moments  of  weakness  ;  moments  when  the  se- 


THE  HEADSMAN1.  151 

ductions  of  life,  the  worthless  ties  which  bind  together  the 
thoughtless  and  selfish  in  what  are  called  the  interests  of 
the  world,  appear  of  more  value  than  aught  else.  I  am 
no  visionary,  to  fancy  imaginary  and  factitious  obligations 
superior  to  those  which  nature  and  wisdom  have  created 
— for  if  there  be  much  unjustifiable  cruelty  in  the  practices, 
there  is  also  much  that  i-s  wise  in  the  ordinances,  of  society 
— or  to  think  that  a  wayward  fancy  is  to  be  indulged  at 
any  and  every  expense  to  the  feelings  and  opinions  of 
others.  On  the  contrary,  I  well  know  that  so  long  as  men 
exist  in  the  condition  in  which  they  are,  it  is  little  more 
than  common  prudence  to  respect  their  habits  ;  and  that 
ill-assorted  unions,  in  general,  contain  in  themselves  a  dan- 
gerous enemy  to  happiness.  Had  I  always  known  thy 
history,  dread  of  the  consequences,  or  those  cold  forms 
which  protect  the  fortunate,  would  probably  have  inter- 
posed to  prevent  either  from  learning  much  of  the  other's 
character.  I  say  not  this,  Sigismund,  as  by  the  eye  I  see 
thou  wouldst  think,  in  reproach  for  any  deception,  for  I 
well  know  the  accidental  nature  of  our  acquaintance,  and 
that  the  intimacy  was  forced  upon  thee  by  our  own  impor- 
tunate gratitude,  but  simply,  and  in  explanation  of  my 
own  feelings.  As  it  is,  we  are  not  to  judge  of  our  situa- 
tion by  ordinary  rules,  and  I  am  not  now  to  decide  on 
your  pretensions  to  my  hand  merely  as  the  daughter  of 
the  Baron  de  Willading  receiving  a  proposal  from  one 
whose  birth  is  not  noble,  but  as  Adelheid  should  weigh  the 
claims  of  Sigismund,  subject  to  some  diminution  of  ad- 
vantages, if  thou  wilt,  that  is  perhaps  greater  than  she  had 
at  first  anticipated." 

"  Dost  thou  consider  the  acceptance  of  my  hand  possi- 
ble, after  what  thou  knowest  ?  "  exclaimed  the  young  man, 
in  open  wonder. 

"  So  far  from  regarding  the  question  in  that  manner,  I 
ask  myself  if  it  will  be  right — if  it  be  possible,  to  reject 
the  preserver  of  my  own  life,  the  preserver  of  my  father's 
life,  Sigismund  Steinbach,  because  he  is  the  son-  of  one 
that  men  persecute  ? " 

"Adelheid!" 

"Do  not  anticipate  my  words,"  said  the  maiden  calmly, 
but  in  a  way  to  check  his  impatience  by  the  quiet  dignity 
of  her  manner.  "  This  is  an  important,  I  might  say  a  sol- 
emn decision,  and  it  has  been  presented  to  me  suddenly 
and  without  preparation.  Thou  wilt  not  think  the  worse 


152 


THE  HEADSMAN. 


of  me,  for  asking  time  to  reflect  before  I  give  the  pledge 
that  in  my  eyes  will  be  forever  sacred.  My  father,  believ- 
ing thee  to  be  of  obscure  origin,  and  thoroughly  conscious 
of  thy  worth,  dear  Sigismund,  authorized  me  to  speak  as  I 
did  in  the  beginning  of  our  interview  ;  but  my  father  may 
possibly  think  the  conditions  of  his  consent  altered  by  this 
unhappy  exposure  of  the  truth.  It  is  meet  that  I  tell  him 
all,  for  thou  knovvest  I  must  abide  by  his  decision.  This 
thine  own  sense  and  filial  piety  will  approve." 

In  spite  of  the  strong  objectionable  facts  that  he  had 
just  revealed,  hope  had  begun  to  steal  upon  the  wishes  of 
the  young  man,  as  he  listened  to  the  consoling  words  of 
the  single-minded  and  affectionate  Adelheid.  It  would 
scarcely  have  been  possible  for  a  youth  so  endowed  by  nat- 
ure, and  one  so  inevitably  conscious  of  his  own  value, 
though  so  modest  in  its  exhibition,  not  to  feel  encouraged 
by  her  ingenuous  and  frank  admission,  as  she  betrayed  his 
influence  over  her  happiness  in  the  undisguised  and  simple 
manner  related.  But  the  intention  to  appeal  to  her  father 
caused  him  to  view  the  subject  more  dispassionately,  for 
his  strong  sense  was  not  slow  in  pointing  out  the  difference 
between  the  two  judges,  in  a  case  like  his. 

"  Trouble  him  not,  Adelheid  ;  the  consciousness  that  his 
prudence  denies  what  a  generous  feeling  might  prompt 
him  to  bestow,  may  render  him  unhappy.  It  is  impossible 
that  Melchior  de  Willading  should  consent  to  give  an  only 
child  to  a  son  of  the  headsman  of  his  canton.  At  some 
other  time  when  the  recollections  of  the  late  storm  shall 
be  less  vivid,  thine  own  reason  will  approve  of  his  decis- 
ion." 

His  companion,  who  was  thoughtfully  leaning  her  spot- 
less brow  on  her  hand,  did  not  appear  to  hear  his  words. 
She  had  recovered  from  the  shock  given  by  the  sudden  an- 
nouncement of  his  origin,  and  was  now  musing  intently, 
and  with  cooler  discrimination,  on  the  commencement  of 
their  acquaintance,  its  progress  and  all  its  little  incidents, 
down  to  the  grave  events  which  had  so  gradually  and 
firmly  cemented  the  sentiments  of  esteem  and  admiration 
in  the  stronger  and  indelible  tie  of  affection. 

"  If  thou  art  the  son  of  him  thou  namest,  why  art  thou 
known  by  the  name  of  Steinbach,  when  Balthazar  bears 
another  ? "  demanded  Adelheid,  anxious  to  seize  even  the 
faintest  hold  of  hope. 

"It  was  my  intention  to  conceal  nothing,  but  to  lay  be- 


THE  PIEADSMAK.  153 

fore  thee  the  history  of  my  life,  with  all  the  reasons  that 
may  have  influenced  my  conduct,"  returned  Sigismund  ; 
"  at  some  other  time,  when  both  are  in  a  calmer  state  of 
mind,  I  shall  dare  to  entreat  a  hearing " 

"Delay  is  unnecessary —it  might  even  be  improper.  It 
is  my  duty  to  explain  everything  to  my  father,  and  he  may 
wish  to  know  why  thou  hast  not  always  appeared  what 
thou  art.  Do  not  fancy,  Sigismund,  that  I  distrust  thy 
motive,  but  the  wariness  of  the  old  and  the  confidence  of 
the  young  have  so  little  in  common! — I  would  rather  that 
thou  told  me  now." 

He  yielded  to  the  mild  earnestness  of  her  manner,  and 
to  the  sweet  but  sad  smile  with  which  she  seconded  the 
appeal. 

"  If  thou  wilt  hear  the  melancholy  history,  Adelheid," 
he  said,  "  there  is  no  sufficient  reason  why  I  should  wish 
to  postpone  the  little  it  will  be  necessary  to  say.  You  are 
probably  familiar  with  the  laws  of  the  canton,  I  mean 
those  cruel  ordinances  by  which  a  particular  family  is  con- 
demned, for  a  better  word  can  scarcely  be  found,  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  this  revolting  office.  This  duty  may 
have  been  a  privilege  in  the  dark  ages,  but  it  is  now  be- 
come a  tax  that  none,  who  have  been  educated  with  better 
hopes,  can  endure  to  pay.  My  father,  trained  from  infan- 
cy to  expect  the  employment,  and  accustomed  to  its  dis- 
charge in  contemplation,  succeeded  to  his  parent  while  yet 
young,  and,  though  formed  by  nature  a  meek  and  even  a 
compassionate  man,  he  has  never  shrunk  from  his  bloody 
tasks,  whenever  required  to  fulfil  them  by  the  command 
of  his  superiors.  But,  touched  by  a  sentiment  of  human- 
ity, it  was  his  wish  to  avert  from  me  what  his  better  reason 
led  him  to  think  the  calamity  of  our  race.  I  am  the  eldest 
born,  and,  strictly,  I  was  the  child  most  liable  to  be  called 
to  assume  the  office,  but,  as  I  have  heard,  the  tender  love 
of  my  mother  induced  her  to  suggest  a  plan  by  which  I, 
at  least,  might  be  rescued  from  the  odium  that  had  so  long 
been  attached  to  our  name.  I  was  secretly  conveyed  from 
the  house  while  yet  an  infant ;  a  feigned  death  concealed 
the  pious  fraud,  and  thus  far,  Heaven  be  praised !  the  au- 
thorities are  ignorant  of  my  birth  !" 

"And  thy  mother,  Sigismund  ;  I  have  great  respect  for 
that  noble  mother,  who,  doubtless,  is  endowed  with  more 
than  her  sex's  firmness  and  constancy,  since  she  must  have 
sworn  faith  and  love  to  thy  father,  knowing  his  duties  and 


1 54  THK   ITKADSMAN-. 

the  hopelessness  of  their  being  evaded  ?  I  feel  a  reverence 
for  a  woman  so  superior  to  the  weaknesses,  and  yet  so  true 
to  the  real  and  best  affections,  of  her  sex ! " 

The  young  man  smiled  so  painfully  as  to  cause  his  en- 
thusiastic companion  to  regret  that  she  had  put  the  ques- 
tion. 

"My  mother  is  certainly  a  woman  not  only  to  be  loved, 
but  in  many  particulars  deeply  to  be  revered.  My  poor 
and  noble  mother  has  a  thousand  excellences,  being  a  most 
tender  parent,  with  a  heart  so  kind  that  it  would  grieve 
her  to  see  injury  done  even  to  the  meanest  living  thing. 
She  was  not  a  woman,  surely,  intended  by  God  to  be  the 
mother  of  a  line  of  executioners  !  " 

"Thou  seest,  Sigismund,"  said  Adelheid,  nearly  breath- 
less in  the  desire  to  seek  an  excuse  for  her  own  predilec- 
tions, and  to  lessen  the  mental  agony  he  endured — "  thou 
seest  that  one  gentle  and  excellent  woman,  at  least,  could 
trust  her  happiness  to  thy  family.  No  doubt  she  was  the 
daughter  of  some  worthy  and  just-viewing  burgher  of  the 
canton,  that  had  educated  his  child  to  distinguish  between 
misfortune  and  crime  ? " 

"  She  was  an  only  child  and  an  heiress,  like  thyself, 
Adelheid,"  he  answered,  looking  about  him  as  if  he  sought 
some  object  on  which  he  might  cast  part  of  the  bitterness 
that  loaded  his  heart.  "  Thou  art  not  less  the  beloved  and 
cherished  of  thine  own  parent  than  was  my  excellent 
mother  of  hers  !  " 

"Sigismund,  thy  manner  is  startling!  What  wouldst 
thou  say  ? " 

"  Neufchatel,  and  other  countries  besides  Berne,  have 
their  privileged  !  My  mother  was  the  only  child  of  the 
headsman  of  the  first.  Thus  thou  seest,  Adelheid,  that  I 
boast  my  quarterings  as  well  as  another.  God  be  praised ! 
we  are  not  legally  compelled,  however,  to  butcher  the  con- 
demned of  any  country  but  our  own  ! " 

The  wild  bitterness  with  which  this  was  uttered,  and  the 
energy  of  his  language,  struck  thrilling  chords  on  every 
nerve  of  his  listener. 

"  So  many  honors  should  not  be  unsupported,"  he  re- 
sumed. "  We  are  rich,  for  people  of  humble  wishes,  and 
have  ample  means  of  living  without  the  revenues  of  our 
charge — I  love  to  put  forth  our  long-acquired  honors  ! 
The  means  of  a  respectable  livelihood  are  far  from  being 
wanted.  I  have  told  you  of  the  kind  intentions  of  my 


THE  HEADSMAN.  15$ 

mother  to  redeem  one  of  her  children,  at  least,  from  the 
stigma  which  weighed  upon  us  all,  and  the  birth  of  a  sec- 
ond son  enabled  her  to  effect  this  charitable  purpose,  with, 
out  attracting  attention.  I  was  nursed  and  educated  apart, 
for  many  years,  in  ignorance  of  my  birth.  At  a  suitable 
age,  notwithstanding  the  early  death  of  my  brother,  I  was 
sent  to  seek  advancement  in  the  service  of  the  house  of 
Austria,  "under  the  feigned  name  I  bear.  I  will  not  tell 
thee  the  anguish  I  felt,  Adelheid,  when  the  truth  was  at 
length  revealed  !  Of  all  the  cruelties  inflicted  by  society, 
there  is  none  so  unrighteous  in  its  nature  as  the  stigma  it 
entails  in  the  succession  of  crime  or  misfortune  ;  of  all 
its  favors,  none  can  find  so  little  justification,  in  right, 
and  reason,  as  the  privileges  accorded  to  the  accident  of 
descent." 

"And  yet  we  are  much  accustomed  to  honor  those 
that  come  of  an  ancient  line,  and  to  see  some  part  of 
the  glory  of  the  ancestor  even  in  the  most  remote  de- 
scendant." 

"  The  more  remote,  the  greater  is  the  world's  deference. 
What  better  proof  can  we  have  of  the  world's  weakness  ? 
Thus  the  immediate  child  of  the  hero,  he  whose  blood  is 
certain,  who  bears  the  image  of  the  father  in  his  face,  who 
has  listened  to  his  counsels,  and  may  be  supposed  to  have 
derived  at  least  some  portion  of  his  greatness  from  the 
nearness  of  his  origin,  is  less  a  prince  than  he  who  has 
imbibed  the  current  through  a  hundred  vulgar  streams, 
and,  were  truth  but  known,  may  have  no  natural  claim  at 
all  upon  the  much  prized  blood  !  This  comes  of  artfully 
leading  the  mind  to  prejudices,  and  of  a  vicious  longing 
in  man  to  forget  his  origin  and  destiny,  by  wishing  to 
be  more  than  nature  ever  intended  he  should  become." 

"Surely,  Sigismund,  there  is  something  justifiable 
in  the  sentiment  of  desiring  to  belong  to  the  good  and 
noble  !  " 

"If  good  and  noble  were  the  same.  Thou  hast  well 
designated  the  feeling,  so  long  as  it  is  truly  a  sentiment, 
it  is  not  only  excusable  but  wise  ;  for  who  would  not  wish 
to  come  of  the  brave,  and  honest,  and  learned,  or  by  what 
other  greatness  they  may  be  known  ? — it  is  wise,  since  the 
legacy  of  his  virtues  is  perhaps  the  dearest  incentive  that 
a  good  man  has  for  struggling  against  the  currents  of 
baser  interest ;  but  what  hope  is  left  to  one  like  me,  who 
finds  himself  so  placed  that  he  can  neither  inherit  nor  trans- 


156  THE  HEADSMAN: 

mit  aught  but  disgrace  !  I  do  not  affect  to  despise  the 
advantages  of  birth,  simply  because  I  do  not  possess  them ; 
I  only  complain  that  artful  combinations  have  perverted 
what  should  be  sentiment  and  taste,  into  a  narrow  and  vul- 
gar prejudice,  by  which  the  really  ignoble  enjoy  privi- 
leges greater  than  those  perhaps  who  are  worthy  of  the 
highest  honors  man  can  bestow." 

Adelheid  had  encouraged  the  digression,  which,  with 
one  less  gifted  with  strong  good  sense  than  Sigismund, 
might  have  only  served  to  wound  his  pride,  but  she  per- 
ceived that  he  eased  his  mind  by  thus  drawing  on  his  rea- 
son, and  by  setting  up  that  which  should  be  in  opposition 
to  that  which  was. 

"Thou  knowest,"  she  answered,  "that  neither  my 
father  nor  I  am  disposed  to  lay  much  stress  on  the  opin- 
ions of  the  world,  as  it  concerns  thee." 

"  That  is,  neither  will  insist  on  nobility  ;  but  will  either 
consent  to  share  the  obloquy  of  a  union  with  an  hereditary 
executioner  ? " 

"  Thou  hast  not  yet  related  all  it  may  be  necessary  to 
know,1  that  we  may  decide." 

"There  is  left  little  to  explain.  The  expedient  of  my 
kind  parents  has  thus  far  succeeded.  The  two  surviving 
children,  my  sister  and  myself,  were  snatched,  for  a  time 
at  least,  from  their  accursed  fortune,  while  my  poor 
brother,  who  promised  little,  was  left,  by  a  partiality  I 
will  not  stop  to  examine,  to  pass  as  the  inheritor  of  our 
infernal  privileges.  Nay,  pardon,  dearest  Adelheid,  I  will 
be  more  cool  ;  but  death  has  saved  the  youth  from  the  ex- 
ecrable duties,  and  I  am  now  the  only  male  child  of  Bal- 
thazar— yes,"  he  added,  laughing  frightfully,  "  I  too  have 
now  a  narrow  monopoly  of  all  the  honors  of  our 
house  ! " 

"  Thou — thou,  Sigismund — with  thy  habits,  thy  educa- 
tion, thy  feelings,  thou  surely  canst  not  be  required  to  dis- 
charge the  duties  of  this  horrible  office  !  " 

"  It  is  easy  to  see  that  my  high  privileges  do  not  charm 
you,  Mademoiselle  de  Willading  ;  nor  can  I  wonder  at  the 
taste.  My  chief  surprise  should  be,  that  you  so  long  toler- 
ate an  executioner  in  your  presence." 

"  Did  I  not  know  and  understand  the  bitterness  of  feeling 
natural  to  one  so  placed,  this  language  would  cruelly  hurt 
me,  Sigismund  ;  but  thou  canst  not  truly  mean  there  is  a 
real  danger  of  thy  ever  being  called  to  execute  this  duty  ? 


THE  HEADSMAN.  157 

Should  there  be  the  chance  of  such  a  calamity,  may  not 
the  influence  of  my  father  avert  it  ?  He  is  not  without 
weight  in  the  councils  of  the  canton." 

"  At  present  his  friendship  need  not  be  taxed,  for  none 
but  my  parents,  my  sister,  and  thou,  Adelheid,  are  ac- 
quainted with  the  facts  I  have  just  related.  My  poor  sister 
is  an  artless,  but  unhappy  girl,  for  the  well-intentioned 
design  of  our  mother  has  greatly  disqualified  her  from 
bearing  the  truth  as  she  might  have  done,  had  it  been  kept 
constantly  before  her  eyes.  To  the  world,  a  young  kins- 
man of  my  father  appears  destined  to  succeed  him,  and 
then  the  matter  must  stand  until  fortune  shall  decide  dif- 
ferently. As  respects  my  poor  sister,  there  is  some  little 
hope  that  the  evil  may  be  altogether  averted.  She  is  on 
the  point  of  a  marriage  here  at  Vevey,  that  may  be  the 
means  of  concealing  her  origin  in  new  ties.  As  for  me, 
time  must  decide  my  fate." 

"Why  should  the  truth  be  ever  known!"  exclaimed 
Adelheid,  nearly  gasping  for  breath,  in  her  eagerness  to 
propose  some  expedient  that  should  rescue  Sigismund  for- 
ever from  so  odious  an  office.  "Thou  sayest  that  there 
are  ample  means  in  thy  family — relinquish  all  to  this  youth, 
on  condition  that  he  assume  thy  place  !  " 

"  I  would  gladly  beggar  myself  to  be  quit  of  it " 

"  Nay,  thou  wilt  not  be  a  beggar  while  there  is  wealth 
among  the  De  Willadings.  Let  the  final  decision,  in  re- 
spect to  other  things,  be  what  it  may,  this  we  can  at  least 
promise  !  " 

"  My  sword  will  prevent  me  from  being  under  the  neces- 
sity of  accepting  the  boon  thou  wouldst  offer.  With  this 
good  sword  I  can  always  command  an  honorable  existence, 
should  Providence  save  me  from  the  disgrace  of  exchang- 
ing it  for  that  of  the  executioner.  But  there  exists  an  ob- 
stacle of  which  thou  hast  not  yet  heard.  My  sister,  who 
has  certainly  no  admiration  for  the  honors  that  have 
humiliated  our  race  for  so  many  generations — I  might  say 
ages — have  we  not  ancient  honors,  Adelheid,  as  well  as 
thou  ? — my  sister  is  contracted  to  one  who  bargains  for 
eternal  secrecy  on  this  point,  as  the  condition  of  his  ac- 
cepting the  hand  and  ample  dowry  of  one  of  the  gentlest 
of  human  beings  !  Thou  seest  that  others  are  not  as  gener- 
ous as  thyself,  Adelheid  !  My  father,  anxious  to  dispose 
of  his  child,  has  consented  to  the  terms,  and  as  the  youth 
\vho  is  next  in  succession  to  the  family  honors  is  little  dis- 


158  THE   HEADSMAN. 

posed  to  accept  them,  and  has  already  some  suspicion  oi 
the  deception,  as  respects  her,  I  may  be  compelled  to  appear 
in  order  to  protect  the  offspring  of  my  unoffending  sister 
from  the  curse." 

This  was  assailing  Adelheid  in  a  point  where  she  was  the 
weakest.  One  of  her  generous  temperament  and  self- 
denying  habits  could  scarce  entertain  the  wish  of  exacting 
that  from  another  which  she  was  not  willing  to  undergo 
herself,  and  the  hope  that  had  just  been  reviving  in  her 
heart  was  nearly  extinguished  by  the  discovery.  Still  she 
was  so  much  in  the  habit  of  feeling  under  the  guidance  of 
her  excellent  sense,  and  it  was  so  natural  to  cling  to  her 
just  wishes,  wThile  there  was  a  reasonable  chance  of  their 
being  accomplished,  that  she  did  not  despair. 

"  Thy  sister  and  her  future  husband  know  her  birth,  and 
understand  the  chances  they  run." 

"  She  knows  all  this,  and  such  is  her  generosity,  that  she 
is  not  disposed  to  betray  me  in  order  to  serve  herself.  But 
this  self-denial  forms  an  additional  obligation  on  my  part 
to  declare  myself  the  wretch  I  am.  I  cannot  say  that  my 
sister  is  accustomed  to  regard  our  long-endured  fortunes 
with  all  the  horror  I  feel,  for  she  has  been  longer  acquaint- 
ed with  the  facts,  and  the  domestic  habits  of  her  sex  have 
left  her  less  exposed  to  the  encounter  of  the  world's  hatred, 
and  perhaps  she  is  partly  ignorant  of  all  the  odium  we  sus- 
tain. My  long  absences  in  foreign  services  delayed  the 
confidence  as  respects  myself,  while  the  yearnings  of  a 
mother  toward  an  only  daughter  caused  her  to  be  received 
into  the  family,  though  still  in  secret,  several  years  before 
I  was  told  the  truth.  She  is  also  much  my  junior  ;  and  all 
these  causes,  with  some  difference  in  our  education,  have 
less  disposed  her  to  misery  than  I  am  ;  for  while  my  father 
with  a  cruel  kindness,  had  me  well  and  even  liberally  in- 
structed, Christine  was  taught  as  better  became  the  hopes 
and  origin  of  both.  Now  tell  me,  Adelheid,  that  thou 
hatest  me  for  my  parentage,  and  despisest  me  for  having 
so  long  dared  to  intrude  on  thy  company,  with  the  full 
consciousness  of  what  I  am  forever  present  to  my 
thoughts!" 

"  I  like  not  to  hear  thee  make  these  bitter  allusions  to 
an  accident  of  this  nature,  Sigismund.  Were  I  to  tell 
thee  that  I  do  not  feel  this  circumstance  with  nearly,  if  not 
quite,  as  much  poignancy  as  thyself,"  added  the  ingenuous 
girl,  with  a  noble  frankness,  "  I  should  do  injustice  to  my 


THE  HEADSMAN.  l$g 

gratitude  and  to  my  esteem  for  thy  character.  But  there 
Is  more  elasticity  in  the  heart  of  woman  than  in  that  of  thy 
imperious  and  proud  sex.  So  far  from  thinking  of  thee  as 
thou  wouldst  fain  believe,  I  see  naught  but  what  is  natural 
and  justifiable  in  thy  reserve.  Remember,  thou  hast  not 
tempted  my  ears  by  professions  and  prayers,  as  women  are 
commonly  entreated,  but  that  the  interest  I  feel  in  thee 
has  been  modestly  and  fairly  won.  I  can  neither  say  nor 
hear  more  at  present,  for  this  unexpected  announcement 
has  in  some  degree  unsettled  my  mind.  Leave  me  to  re- 
flect on  what  I  ought  to  do,  and  rest  assured  that  thou 
canst  not  have  a  kinder  or  more  partial  advocate  of  what 
truly  belongs  to  thy  honor  and  happiness  than  my  own 
heart." 

As  the  daughter  of  Melchior  de  Willading  concluded,  she 
extended  her  hand  with  affection  to  the  young  man,  who 
pressed  it  against  his  breast  with  manly  tenderness,  when 
he  slowly  and  reluctantly  withdrew. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

"  To  know  no  more 
Is  woman's  happiest  knowledge  and  her  praise." — MILTON. 

OUR  heroine  was  a  woman  in  the  best  meaning  of  that 
endearing,  and,  we  might  add,  comprehensive  word.  Sensi- 
tive, reserved,  and  at  times  even  timid,  on  points  that  did 
not  call  for  the  exercise  of  higher  qualities,  she  was  firm 
in  her  principles,  constant  as  she  was  fond  in  her  affections, 
and  self-devoted  when  duty  and  inclination  united  to  in- 
duce the  concession,  to  a  degree  that  placed  the  idea  of 
sacrifice  out  of  the  question.  On  the  other  hand,  the  lia- 
bility to  receive  lively  impressions,  a  distinctive  feature  of 
her  sex,  and  the  aptitude  to  attach  importance  to  the 
usages  by  which  she  was  surrounded,  and  which  is  neces- 
sarily greatest  in  those  who  lead  secluded  and  inactive 
lives,  rendered  it  additionally  difficult  for  her  mind  to  es- 
cape from  the  trammels  of  opinion,  and  to  think  with  in^ 
difference  of  circumstances  which  all  near  her  treated  with 
high  respect,  or  to  which  they  attached  a  stigma  allied  to 
disgust.  Had  the  case  been  reversed,  had  Sigismund  been 
noble,  and  Adelheid  a  headsman's  child,  it  is  probable  the 


l6o  THE  HEADSMAN. 

young  man  might  have  found  the  means  to  indulge  his 
passion  without  making  too  great  a  sacrifice  of  his  pride. 
By  transporting  his  wife  to  his  castle,  conferring  his  own 
established  name,  separating  her  from  all  that  was  un- 
pleasant and  degrading  in  the  connection,  and  finding  oc- 
cupation for  his  own  mind  in  the  multiplying  and  engross- 
ing employments  of  his  station,  he  would  have  diminished 
motives  for  contemplating,  and  consequently  for  lament- 
ing, the  objectionable  features  of  the  alliance  he  had  made. 
These  are  the  advantages  which  nature  and  the  laws  of  so- 
ciety give  to  man  over  the  weaker  but  the  truer  sex  :  and 
yet  how  few  would  have  had  sufficient  generosity  to  make 
even  the  sacrifice  of  feeling  which  such  a  course  required  ! 
On  the  other  hand,  Adelheid  would  be  compelled  to  part 
with  the  ancient  and  distinguished  appellation  of  her  fam- 
ily, to  adopt  one  which  was  deemed  infamous  in  the  can- 
ton, or,  if  some  politic  expedient  were  found  to  avert  this 
first  disgrace,  it  would  unavoidably  be  of  a  nature  to  at- 
tract, rather  than  to  avert,  the  attention  of  all  who  knew 
the  facts,  from  the  humiliating  character  of  his  origin. 
She  had  no  habitual  relief  against  the  constant  action  of 
her  thoughts,  for  the  sphere  of  woman  narrows  the  affec- 
tions in  such  a  way  as  to  render  them  most  dependent  on 
the  little  accidents  of  domestic  life  ;  she  could  not  close 
her  doors  against  communication  with  the  kinsmen  of  her 
husband,  should  it  be  his  pleasure  to  command  or  his  feel- 
ing to  desire  it  ;  and  it  would  become  obligatory  on  her 
to  listen  to  the  still  but  never-ceasing  voice  of  duty,  and  to 
forget,  at  his  request,  that  she  had  ever  been  more  fortu- 
nate, or  that  she  was  born  for  better  hopes. 

We  do  not  say  that  all  these  calculations  crossed  the 
mind  of  the  musing  maiden,  though  she  certainly  had  a 
general  and  vague  view  of  the  consequences  that  were 
likely  to  be  drawn  upon  herself  by  a  connection  with 
Sigismund.  She  sat  motionless,  buried  in  deep  thought, 
long  after  his  disappearance.  The  young  man  had  passed 
by  the  postern  around  the  base  of  the  castle,  and  was  de- 
scending the  mountain-side  across  the  sloping  meadows 
with  rapid  steps,  and  probably  for  the  first  time  since  their 
acquaintance  her  eye  followed  his  manly  figure  vacantly 
and  with  indifference. 

Her  mind  was  too  intently  occupied  for  the  usual  ob* 
servation  of  the  senses.  The  whole  of  that  grand  and 
lovely  landscape  was  spread  before  her  without  conveying 


THE  HEADSMAN'.  161 

impressions,  as  we  gaze  into  the  void  of  the  firmament  with 
our  looks  on  vacuum.  Sigismund  had  disappeared  among 
the  walls  of  the  vineyards,  when  she  arose,  and  drew  such 
a  sigh  as  is  apt  to  escape  us  after  long  and  painful  medi- 
tation. But  the  eyes  of  the  high-minded  girl  were  bright 
and  her  cheek  flushed,  while  the  whole  of  her  features 
wore  an  expression  of  loftier  beauty  than  ordinarily  dis- 
tinguished even  her  loveliness.  Her  own  resolution  was 
formed.  She  had  decided,  with  the  rare  and  generous 
self-devotion  of  a  female  heart  that  loves,  and  which  can 
love  in  its  freshness  and  purity  but  once.  At  that  instant 
footsteps  were  heard  in  the  corridor,  and  the  three  old 
nobles  whom  we  so  lately  left  on  the  castle  terrace,  ap- 
peared together  in  the  knight's  hall. 

Melchior  de  Willading  approached  his  daughter  with  a 
joyous  face,  for  he,  too,  had  lately  gained  what  he  con- 
ceived to  be  a  glorious  conquest  over  his  prejudices,  and 
the  victory  put  him  in  excellent  humor  with  himself. 

"The  question  is  forever  decided,"  he  said,  kissing  the 
burning  forehead  of  Adelheid  with  affection,  and  rubbing 
his  hands  in  the  manner  of  one  who  was  glad  to  be  free 
from  a  perplexing  doubt.  "These  good  friends  agree 
with  me,  that  in  a  case  like  this,  it  becomes  even  our  birth 
to  forget  the  origin  of  the  youth.  He  who  has  saved  the 
lives  of  the  two  last  Willadings  at  least  deserves  to  have 
some  share  in  what  is  left  of  them.  Here  is  my  good 
Grimaldi,  too,  ready  to  beard  me  if  I  will  not  consent  to 
let  him  enrich  the  brave  fellow — as  if  we  were  beggars,  and 
had  not  the  means  of  supporting  our  kinsman  in  credit  at 
home.  But  we  will  not  be  indebted  even  to  so  tried  a 
friend  for  a  tittle  of  our  happiness.  The  work  shall  be  all 
our  own,  even  to  the  letters  of  nobility,  which  I  shall  com- 
mand at  an  early  day  from  Vienna ;  for  it  would  be  cruel 
to  let  the  noble  fellow  want  so  simple  an  advantage,  which 
will  at  once  raise  him  to  our  own  level,  and  make  him  as 
good — aye,  by  the  beard  of  Luther !  better  than  the  best 
man  in  Berne." 

"  I  have  never  known  thee  niggardly  before,  though  I 
have  known  thee  often  well  intrenched  behind  Swiss  fru- 
gality," said  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  laughing.  "  Thy  life,  my 
dear  Melchior,  may  have  excellent  value  in  thine  own  eyes, 
but  I  am  little  disposed  to  set  so  mean  a  price  on  my  own 
as  thou  appearest  to  think  it  should  command.  Thou  hast 
decided  well,  I  will  say  nobly,  in  the  best  meaning  of  the 
ii 


1 62  THE  HEADSMAN'. 

word,  in  consenting  to  receive  this  brave  Sigismund  as  a 
son  ;  but  thou  art  not  to  think,  young  lady,  because  this 
body  of  mine  is  getting  the  worse  for  use,  that  I  hold  it  al- 
together worthless,  and  that  it  is  to  be  dragged  from  yon- 
der lake  like  so  much  foul  linen,  and  no  questions  are  to 
be  asked  touching  the  manner  in  which  the  service  has 
been  done.  I  claim  to  portion  thy  husband,  that  he  may 
at  least  make  an  appearance  that  becomes  the  son-in-law 
of  Melchior  de  Willading.  Am  I  of  no  value,  that  ye  treat 
me  so  unceremoniously  as  .to  say  I  shall  not  pay  for  my 
own  preservation  ? " 

"  Have  it  thine  own  way,  good  Gaetano — have  it  as  thou 
wilt,  so  thou  dost  but  leave  us  the  youth " 

"  Father— 

"  I  will  have  no  maidenly  affectation,  Adelheid.  I  expect 
thee  to  receive  the  husband  we  offer  with  as  good  a  grace 
as  if  he  wore  a  crown.  It  has  been  agreed  upon  between 
us  that  Sigismund  Steinbach  is  to  be  my  son  ;  and  from 
time  immemorial  the  daughters  of  our  house  have  sub- 
mitted, in  these  affairs,  to  what  has  been  advised  by  the 
wisdom  of  their  seniors,  as  became  their  sex  and  inex- 
perience." 

The  three  old  men  had  entered  the  hall  full  of  good  hu- 
mor, and  it  would  have  been  sufficiently  apparent,  by  the 
manner  of  the  Baron  de  Willading,  that  he  trifled  with 
Adelheid,  had  it  not  been  well  known  to  the  others  that 
her  feelings  were  chiefly  consulted  in  the  choice  that  had 
just  been  made. 

But,  notwithstanding  the  high  glee  in  which  the  father 
spoke,  the  pleasure  and  buoyancy  of  his  manner  did  not 
communicate  itself  to  the  child  as  quickly  as  he  could  wish. 
There  was  far  more  than  virgin  embarrassment  in  the  mien 
of  Adelheid.  Her  color  went  and  came,  and  her  look  turned 
from  one  to  the  other  painfully,  while  she  struggled  to 
speak.  The  Signor  Grimaldi  whispered  to  his  compan- 
ions, and  Roger  de  Blonay  discreetly  withdrew,  under  the 
pretence  that  his  services  were  needed  at  Vevey,  where  ac- 
tive preparations  were  making  for  the  Abbaye  des  Vigne- 
rons.  The  Genoese  would  then  have  followed  his  example, 
but  the  Baron  held  his  arm,  while  he  turned  an  inquiring 
eye  toward  his  daughter,  as  if  commanding  her  to  deal  more 
frankly  with  him. 

"  Father,"  said  Adelheid,  in  a  voice  that  shook,  in  spite 
of  the  effort  to  control  her  feelings,"  I  have- something  im- 


THE   HEADSMAN,  163 

portant  to  communicate,  before  this  acceptance  of  Herr 
Steiubach  is  a  matter  irrevocably  determined." 

"  Speak  freely,  my  child  ;  this  is  a  tried  friend,  and  one 
entitled  to  know  all  that  concerns  us,  especially  in  this 
affair.  Throwing1  aside  all  pleasantry,  I  trust,  Adelheid, 
that  we  are  to  have  no  girlish  trifling  with  a  youth  like 
Sigismund  ;  to  whom  we  owe  so  much,  even  to  our  lives, 
and  in  whose  behalf  we  should  be  ready  to  sacrifice  every 
feeling  of  prejudice,  or  habits — all  that  we  possess,  aye, 
even  to  our  pride." 

"All,  father?" 

"  I  have  said  all.  I  will  not  take  back  a  letter  of  the 
word,  though  it  should  rob  me  of  Willading,  my  rank  in 
the  canton,  and  an  ancient  name  to  boot.  Am  I  not  right, 
Gaetano  ?  I  place  the  happiness  of  the  boy  above 'all 
other  considerations,  that  of  Adelheid  being  understood 
to  be  so  intimately  blended  with  his.  I  repeat  it,  there- 
fore, all." 

"  It  would  be  well  to  hear  what  the  young  lady  has  to 
say,  before  we  urge  this  affair  any  further,"  said  the  Signor 
Grimaldi,  who,  having  achieved  no  conquest  over  himself, 
was  not  quite  so  exuberant  in  his  exultation  as  his  friend  ; 
observing  more  calmly,  and  noting  what  he  saw  with  the 
clearness  of  a  cooler-headed  and  more  sagacious  man.  "  I 
am  much  in  error,  or  thy  daughter  has  that  which  is  serious 
to  communicate." 

The  paternal  affection  of  Melchior  now  took  the  alarm, 
and  he  gave  an  eager  attention  to  his  child.  Adelheid  re- 
turned his  evident  solicitude  by  a  smile  of  love,  but  its 
painful  expression  was  so  unequivocal  as  to  heighten  the 
Baron's  fears. 

"Art  not  well,  love  ?  It  cannot  be  that  we  have  been 
deceived — that  some  peasant's  daughter  is  thought  worthy 
to  supplant  thee  ?  Ha ! — Signor  Grimaldi,  this  matter  be- 
gins, in  sooth,  to  seem  offensive  ; — but,  old  as  I  am — Well, 
we  shall  never  know  the  truth,  unless  thou  speakest  frank- 
ly— this  is  a  rare  business,  after  all,  Gaetano — that  a 
daughter  of  mine  should  be  repulsed  by  a  hind  !  " 

Adelheid  made  an  imploring  gesture  for  her  father  to 
forbear,  while  she  resumed  her  seat  from  further  inability 
to  stand.  The  two  anxious  old  men  followed  her  example, 
in  wondering  silence. 

"  Thou  dost  both  the  honor  and  modesty  of  Sigismund 
great  injustice,  father,"  resumed  the  maiden,  after  a  pause, 


164  THE  HEADSMAN. 

and  speaking  with  a  calmness  of  manner  that  surprised 
even  herself.  "  If  thou  and  this  excellent  and  tried  friend 
will  give  me  your  attention  for  a  few  minutes,  nothing 
shall  be  concealed." 

Her  companions  listened  in  wonder,  for  they  plainly  saw 
that  the  matter  was  more  grave  than  either  had  at  first 
imagined.  Adelheid  paused  again,  to  summon  force  for 
the  ungrateful  duty,  and  then  she  succinctly,  but  clearly, 
related  the  substance  of  Sigismund's  communication. 
Both  the  listeners  eagerly  caught  each  syllable  that  fell 
from  the  quivering  lips  of  the  maiden,  for  she  trembled, 
notwithstanding  a  struggle  to  be  calm  that  was  almost 
superhuman,  and  when  her  voice  ceased  they  gazed  at 
each  other  like  men  suddenly  astounded  by  some  dire  and 
totally  unexpected  calamity.  The  Baron,  in  truth,  could 
scarcely  believe  that  he  had  not  been  deceived  by  a  de- 
fective hearing,  for  age  had  begun  a  little  to  impair  that 
useful  faculty,  while  his  friend  admitted  the  words  as  one 
receives  impressions  of  the  most  revolting  and  dishearten- 
ing nature. 

"This  is  a  damnable  and  fearful  fact!"  muttered  the 
latter,  when  Adelheid  had  altogether  ceased  to  speak. 

"  Did  she  say  that  Sigismund  is  the  son  of  Balthazar, 
the  public  headsman  of  the  canton  ? "  asked  the  father  of 
his  friend,  in  the  way  that  one  reluctantly  assures  himself 
of  some  half-comprehended  and  unwelcome  truth — "of 
Balthazar — of  that  family  accursed  !  " 

"  Such  is  the  parentage  it  has  been  the  will  of  God  to 
bestow  on  the  preserver  of  our  lives,"  meekly  answered 
Adelheid. 

"  Hath  the  villain  dared  to  steal  into  my  family  circle, 
concealing  this  disgusting  and  disgraceful  fact !  Hath  he 
endeavored  to  engraft  the  impurity  of  his  source  on  the 
untarnished  stock  of  a  noble  and  ancient  family  ?  There 
is  something  exceeding  mere  duplicity  in  this,  Signer 
Grimaldi.  There  is  a  dark  and  meaning  crime." 

"  There  is  that  which  much  exceeds  our  means  of  rem- 
edying, good  Melchior.  But  let  us  not  rashly  blame  the 
boy,  whose  birth  is  rather  to  be  imputed  to  him  as  a  mis- 
fortune than  as  a  crime.  If  he  were  a  thousand  Baltha- 
zars, he  has  saved  all  our  lives !  " 

"  Thou  sayest  true — thou  sayest  no  more  than  the  truth 
Thou  wert  always  of  a  more  reasonable  brain  than  I, 
though  thy  more  southern  origin  would  seem  to  contra- 


THE  HEADSMAN.  165 

diet  it.  Here,  then,  are  all  our  fine  fancies  and  liberal 
schemes  of  generosity  blown  to  the  winds  ! " 

"  That  is  not  so  evident,"  returned  the  Genoese,  who 
had  not  failed  the  while  to  study  the  countenance  of  Adel- 
heid,  as  if  he  would  fully  ascertain  her  secret  wishes. 
"  There  has  been  much  discourse,  fair  Adelheid,  between 
thee  and  the  youth  on  this  matter?" 

"  Signore,  there  has.  I  was  about  to  communicate  the 
intentions  of  my  father  ;  for  the  circumstances  in  which 
we  were  placed,  the  weight  of  our  many  obligations,  the 
usual  distance  which  rank  interposes  between  the  noble 
and  the  simply  born,  perhaps  justifies  this  boldness  in  a 
maiden,"  she  added,  though  the  tell-tale  blood  revealed 
her  shame.  "  I  was  making  Sigismund  acquainted  with 
my  father's  wishes,  when  he  met  my  confidence  by  the 
avowal  which  I  have  just  related." 

"  He  deems  his  birth ? " 

"  An  insuperable  barrier  to  the  connection.  Sigismund 
Steinbach,  though  so  little  favored  in  the  accident  of  his 
origin,  is  not  a  beggar  to  sue  for  that  which  his  own  gen- 
erous feelings  would  condemn." 

"  And  thou  ?  " 

Adelheid  lowered  her  eyes,  and  seemed  to  reflect  on  the 
nature  of  her  answer. 

"  Thou  wilt  pardon  this  curiosity,  which  may  wear  too 
much  the  aspect  of  unwarrantable  meddling,  but  my  age 
and  ancient  friendship,  the  recent  occurrences,  and  a  grow- 
ing love  for  all  that  concerns  thee,  must  plead  my  excuses. 
Unless  we  know  thy  wishes,  daughter,  neither  Melchior 
nor  I  can  act  as  we  might  wish  ! " 

Adelheid  was  long  and  thoughtfully  silent.  Though 
every  sentiment  of  her  heart,  and  all  that  inclination  which 
is  the  offspring  of  the  warm  and  poetical  illusions  of  love, 
tempted  her  to  declare  a  readiness  to  sacrifice  every  other 
consideration  to  the  engrossing  and  pure  affections  of 
woman,  opinion  with  its  iron  grip  still  held  her  in  suspense 
on  the  propriety  of  braving  the  prejudices  of  the  world. 
The  timidity  of  that  sex  which,  however  ready  to  make  an 
offering  of  its  most  cherished  privileges  on  the  shrine  of 
connubial  tenderness,  shrinks  with  a  keen  sensitiveness 
from  the  appearance  of  a  forward  devotion  to  the  other, 
had  its  weight  also,  nor  could  a  child  so  pious  altogether 
forget  the  effect  her  decision  might  have  on  the  future 
happiness  of  her  sole  surviving  parent. 


166  THE  HEADSMAN. 

The  Genoese  understood  the  struggle,  though  he  fore« 
saw  its  termination,  and  he  resumed  the  discourse  himself, 
partly  with  the  kind  wish  to  give  the  maiden  time  to  re- 
flect maturely  before  she  answered,  and  partly  following  a 
very  natural  train  of  his  own  thoughts. 

"  There  is  naught  sure  in  this  fickle  state  of  being,"  he 
continued.  "  Neither  the  throne,  nor  riches,  nor  health, 
nor  even  the  sacred  affections,  are  secure  against  change. 
Well  may  we  pause  then  and  weigh  every  chance  of  hap- 
piness, ere  we  take  the  last  and  final  step  in  any  great  or 
novel  measure.  Thou  knowest  the  hopes  with  which  I 
entered  life,  Melchior,  and -the  chilling  disappointments 
with  which  my  career  is  likely  to  close.  No  youth  was 
born  to  fairer  hopes,  nor  did  Italy  know  one  more  joyous 
than  myself,  the  morning  I  received  the  hand  of  Angio- 
lina  ;  and  yet  two  short  years  saw  all  those  hopes  withered, 
this  joyousness  gone,  and  a  cloud  thrown  across  my  pros- 
pects which  has  never  disappeared.  A  widowed  husband, 
a  childless  father,  may  not  prove  a  bad  counsellor,  my 
friend,  in  a  moment  when  there  is  so  much  doubt  besetting 
thee  and  thine." 

"Thy  mind  naturally  returns  to  thine  own  unhappy 
child,  poor  Gaetano,  when  there  is  so  much  question  of 
the  fortunes  of  mine." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  turned  his  look  on  his  friend,  but 
the  gleam  of  anguish,  which  was  wont  to  pass  athwart  his 
countenance  when  his  mind  was  drawn  powerfully  toward 
that  painful  subject,  betrayed  that  he  was  not  just  then 
able  to  reply. 

"  We  see  in  all  these  events,"  continued  the  Genoese,  as 
if  too  full  of  his  subject  to  restrain  his  words,  "  the  un- 
searchable designs  of  Providence.  Here  is  a  youth  that  is 
all  that  a  father  could  desire  ;  worthy  in  every  sense  to  be 
the  depository  of  a  beloved  and  only  daughter's  weal ; 
manly,  brave,  virtuous,  and  noble  in  all  but  the  chances 
of  blood  and  yet  so  accursed  by  the  world's  opinion  that 
we  might  scarce  venture  to  name  him  as  the  associate  of 
an  idle  hour,  were  the  fact  known  that  he  is  the  man  he 
has  declared  himself  to  be  !  " 

"You  put  the  matter  in  strong  language,  Signor  Gri- 
maldi," said  Adelheid,  starting. 

"  A  youth  of  a  form  so  commanding  that  a  king  might 
exult  at  the  prospect  of  his  crown  descending  on  such  a 
head  ;  of  a  perfection  of  strength  and  masculine  excellence 


THE  HEADSMAN.  167 

that  will  almost  justify  the  dangerous  exultation  of  health 
and  vigor ;  of  a  reason  that  is  riper  than  his  years  ;  of  a 
virtue  of  proof ;  of  all  the  qualities  that  we  respect,  and 
which  come  of  study  and  not  of  accident,  and  yet  a  youth 
condemned  of  men  to  live  under  the  reproach  of  their  hatred 
and  contempt,  or  to  conceal  forever  the  name  of  the 
mother  that  bore  him  !  Compare  this  Sigismund  with 
others  that  may  be  named;  with  the  high-born  and  pam- 
pered heir  of  some  illustrious  house,  who  riots  in  men's 
respect  while  he  shocks  men's  morals;  who  presumes  on 
privilege  to  trifle  with  the  sacred  and  the  just ;  who  lives 
for  self,  and  that  in  base  enjoyments  ;  who  is  fitter  to  be 
the  lunatic's  companion  than  any  other's,  though  destined 
to  rule  in  the  council  ;  who  is  the  type  of  the  wicked, 
though  called  to  preside  over  the  virtuous  ;  who  cannot 
be  esteemed,  though  entitled  to  be  honored  ;  and  let  us 
ask  why  this  is  so,  what  is  the  wisdom  which  hath  drawn 
differences  so  arbitrary,  and  which,  while  proclaiming  the 
necessity  of  justice,  so  openly,  so  wantonly,  and  so  ingen- 
iously sets  its  plainest  dictates  at  defiance  ?" 

"  Signore,  it  should  not  be  thus — God  never  intended  it 
should  be  so  !  " 

"  While  every  principle  would  seem  to  say  that  each  must 
stand  or  fall  by  his  own  good  or  evil  deeds,  that  men  are 
to  be  honored  as  they  merit,  every  device  of  human  insti- 
tutions is  exerted  to  achieve  the  opposite.  This  is  exalted, 
because  his  ancestry  is  noble  ;  that  condemned  for  no 
better  reason  than  that  he  is  born  vile.  Melchior !  Mel- 
chior !  our  reason  is  unhinged  by  subtleties,  and  our 
boasted  philosophy  and  right  are  no  more  than  unblushing 
mockeries,  at  which  the  very  devils  laugh  !  " 

"And  yet  the  commandments  of  God  tell  us,  Gaetano, 
that  the  sins  of  the  father  shall  be  visited  on  the  descend- 
ants from  generation  to  generation.  You  of  Rome  pay 
not  this  close  attention,  perhaps,  to  sacred  writ,  but  I  have 
heard  it  said  that  we  have  not  in  Berne  a  law  for  which 
good  warranty  cannot  be  found  in  the  holy  volume  itself !  " 

"Aye,  there  are  sophists  to  prove  all  that  they  wish. 
The  crimes  and  follies  of  the  ancestor  leave  their  physical, 
or  even  their  moral  taint,  on  the  child,  beyond  a  question, 
good  Melchior  ; — but  is  not  this  difficult  ?  Are  we  blas- 
phemously, even  impiously,  to  pretend  that  God  has  not 
sufficiently  provided  for  the  punishment  of  the  breaches 
of  his  wise  ordinances.,  that  we  must  come  forward  to  sec- 


168  TffE  HEADSMAN. 

ond  them  by  arbitrary  and  heartless  rules  of  our  own  ? 
What  crime  is  imputable  to  the  family  of  this  youth  be- 
yond that  of  poverty,  which  probably  drove  the  first  of 
his  race  to  the  execution  of  their  revolting  office.  There 
is  little  in  the  mien  or  morals  of  Sigismund  to  denote  the 
visitations  of  Heaven's  wise  decrees,  but  there  is  everything 
in  his  present  situation  to  proclaim  the  injustice  of  man." 

"  And  dost  thou,  Gaetano  Grimaldi,  the  ally  of  so  many 
ancient  and  illustrious  houses— thou,  Gaetano  Grimaldi, 
the  honored  of  Genoa — dost  thou  counsel  me  to  give  my 
only  child,  the  heiress  of  my  lands  and  name,  to  the  son  of 
the  public  executioner,  nay,  to  the  very  heritor  of  his  dis- 
gusting duties!  " 

"  There  thou  hast  me  on  the  hip,  Melchior  ;  the  question 
is  put  strongly,  and  needs  reflection  for  an  answer.  Oh  ! 
why  is  this  Balthazar  so  rich  in  offspring,  and  I  so  poor  ? 
But  we  will  not  press  the  matter  ;  it  is  an  affair  of  many 
sides,  and  should  be  judged  by  us  as  men,  as  well  as 
nobles.  Daughter,  thou  hast  just  learned,  by  the  words  of 
thy  father,  that  I  am  against  thee,  by  position  and  heritage, 
for,  while  I  condemn  the  principle  of  this  wrong,  I  cannot 
overlook  its  effects,  and  never  before  did  a  case  of  as  tan- 
gled difficulty,  one  in  which  right  was  so  palpably  opposed 
by  opinion,  present  itself  for  my  judgment.  Leave  us, 
that  we  may  command  ourselves  ;  the  required  decision 
exacts  much  care,  and  greater  mastery  of  ourselves  than  I 
can  exercise  with  that  sweet  pale  face  of  thine  appealing 
so  eloquently  to  my  heart  in  behalf  of  the  noble  boy." 

Adelheid  arose,  and  first  offering  her  marble-like  brow 
to  the  salutation  of  both  her  parents,  for  the  ancient 
friendship  and  strong  sympathies  of  the  Genoese  gave  him 
a  claim  to  this  appellation  in  her  affections  at  least,  she  si- 
lently withdrew.  As  to  the  conversation  which  ensued 
between  the  old  nobles,  we  momentarily  drop  the  curtain, 
to  proceed  to  other  incidents  of  our  narrative.  It  may, 
however,  be  generally  observed  that  the  day  passed  quietly 
away,  without  the  occurrence  of  any  event  which  it  is 
necessary  to  relate,  all  in  the  chateau,  with  the  exception 
of  the  travellers,  being  principally  occupied  by  the  ap- 
proaching festivities.  The  Signer  Grimaldi  sought  an  oc- 
casion to  have  a  long  and  a  confidential  communication 
with  Sigismund,  who,  on  his  part,  carefully  avoided  being 
seen  again  by  her  who  had  so  great  an  influence  on  his 
feelings,  until  both  had  time  to  recover  their  self-command. 


THE  HEADSMAN.  16$ 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

"  Hold,  hurt  him  not,  for  God's  sake  ; — he  is  mad." 

—  Comedy  of  Errors. 

THE  festivals  of  Bacchus  are  supposed  to  have  been  the 
models  of  those  long-continued  festivities  which  are  still 
known  in  Switzerland  by  the  name  of  the  Abbaye  des 
Vignerons. 

This  fete  was  originally  of  a  simple  and  rustic  character, 
being  far  from  possessing  the  labored  ceremonies  and  clas- 
sical allegories  of  a  later  day,  the  severity  of  monkish  dis- 
cipline most  probably  prohibiting  the  introduction  of  allu- 
sions to  the  Heathen  mythology,  as  was  afterward  prac- 
tised ;  for  certain  religious  communities  that  were  the 
proprietors  of  large  vineyards  in  that  vicinity  appear  to 
have  been  the  first  known  patrons  of  the  custom.  So  long 
as  a  severe  simplicity  reigned  in  the  festivities,  they  were 
annually  observed  ;  but  when  heavier  expenses  and  great- 
er preparations  became  necessary,  longer  intervals  suc- 
ceeded ;  the  Abbaye  at  first  causing  its  festival  to  become 
triennial,  and  subsequently  extending  the  period  of  vaca- 
tion to  six  years.  As  greater  time  was  obtained  for  the 
collection  of  means  and  inclination  the  festival  gained  in 
eclat,  until  it  came  at  length  to  be  a  species  of  jubilee,  to 
which  the  idle,  the  curious,  and  the  observant  of  all  the 
adjacent  territories  were  accustomed  to  resort  in  crowds. 
The  town  of  Vevey  profited  by  the  circumstance,  the  usu- 
al motive  of  interest  being  enlisted  in  behalf  of  the  usage, 
and,  down  to  the  epoch  of  the  great  European  revolution, 
there  would  seem  to  have  been  an  unbroken  succession  of 
the  fetes.  The  occasion  to  which  there  has  so  often  been 
allusion,  was  one  of  the  regular  and  long-expected  festi- 
vals ;  and  as  report  had  spoken  largely  of  the  preparations, 
the  attendance  was  even  more  numerous  than  usual. 

Early  on  the  morning  of  the  second  day  after  the  arrival 
of  our  travellers  at  the  neighboring  castle  of  Blonay,  a 
body  of  men,  dressed  in  the  guise  of  halberdiers,  a  species 
of  troops  then  known  in  most  of  the  courts  of  Europe, 
marched  into  the  great  square  of  Vevey,  taking  possession 
of  all  its  centre,  and  posting  its  sentries  in  such  a  manner 
as  to  interdict  the  usual  passages  of  the  place.  This  was 


170  THE  HEADSMAN'. 

the  preliminary  step  in  the  coming  festivities  ;  for  this  was 
the  spot  chosen  for  the  scene  of  most  of  the  ceremonies  of 
the  day.  The  curious  were  not  long  behind  the  guards, 
and  by  the  time  the  sun  had  fairly  arisen  above  the  hills 
of  Fribourg,  some  thousands  of  spectators  were  pressing 
in  and  about  the  avenues  of  the  square,  and  boats  from 
the  opposite  shores  of  Savoy  were  arriving  at  each  instant, 
crowded  to  the  water's  edge  with  peasants  and  their  fam- 
ilies. 

Near  the  upper  end  of  the  square,  capacious  scaffold- 
ings had  been  erected  to  contain  those  who  were  privi- 
leged by  rank,  or  those  who  were  able  to  buy  honors  with 
the  vulgar  medium ;  while  humbler  preparations  for  the 
less  fortunate  completed  the  three  sides  of  a  space  that  was 
in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  and  which  was  intended  to 
receive  the  actors  in  the  coming  scene.  The  side  next  the 
water  was  unoccupied,  though  a  forest  of  latine  spars,  and 
a  platform  of  decks,  more  than  supplied  the  deficiency  of 
scaffolding  and  room.  Music  was  heard,  from  time  to 
time,  intermingled  or  relieved  by  those  wild  Alpine  cries 
which  characterize  the  songs  of  the  mountaineers.  The 
authorities  of  the  town  were  early  afoot,  and  as  is  custom- 
ary with  the  important  agents  of  small  concerns,  they  were 
exercising  their  municipal  functions  writh  a  bustle,  which 
of  itself  contained  reasonable  evidence  that  they  were  of 
no  great  moment,  and  a  gravity  of  mien  with  which  the 
chiefs  of  a  state  might  have  believed  it  possible  to  dis- 
pense. 

The  estrade,  or  stage,  erected  for  the  superior  class  of 
spectators,  was  decorated  with  flags,  and  a  portion  near  its 
centre  had  a  fair  display  of  tapestry  and  silken  hangings. 
The  chateau-looking  edifice  near  the  bottom  of  the  square, 
and  whose  windows,  according  to  a  common  Swiss  and 
German  usage,  showed  the  intermingled  stripes  that  de^ 
noted  it  to  be  public  property,  were  also  gay  in  colors,  for 
the  ensign  of  the  Republic  floated  over  its  pointed  roofs, 
and  rich  silks  waved  against  the  walls.  This  was  the  offi- 
cial residence  of  Peter  Hofmeister,  the  functionary  whom 
we  have  already  introduced  to  the  reader. 

An  hour  later,  a  shot  gave  the  signal  for  the  various 
troupes  to  appear,  and  soon  after,  parties  of  the  different 
actors  arrived  in  the  square.  As  the  little  processions  ap- 
proached to  the  sound  of  the  trumpet  or  horn,  curiosity 
became  more  active,  and  the  populace  was  permitted  to 


THE   HEADSMAN.  171 

circulate  in  those  portions  of  the  square  that  were  not  im- 
mediately required  for  other  purposes.  About  this  time, 
a  solitary  individual  appeared  on  the  stage.  He  seemed 
to  enjoy  peculiar  privileges,  not  only  from  his  situation, 
but  by  the  loud  salutations  and  noisy  welcomes  with  which 
he  was  greeted  from  the  crowd  below.  It  was  the  good 
monk  of  St.  Bernard,  who,  with  a  bare  head,  and  a  joyous, 
contented  face,  answered  to  the  several  calls  of  the  peas- 
ants, most  of  whom  had  either  bestowed  hospitality  on  the 
worthy  Augustine,  in  his  many  journeyings  among  the  char- 
itable of  the  lower  world,  or  had  received  it  at  his  hands  in 
the  frequent  passages  of  the  mountain.  These  recogni- 
tions and  greetings  spoke  well  for  humanity  ;  for  in  every 
instance  they  wore  the  air  of  cordial  good-will,  and  a  read- 
iness to  do  honor  to  the  benevolent  character  of  the  relig- 
ious community  that  was  represented  in  the  person  of  its 
clavier  or  steward. 

"  Good  luck  to  thee,  Father  Xavier,  and  a  rich  qucte" 
cried  a  burly  peasant  ;  "  thou  hast  of  late  unkindly  forgot- 
ten Benoit  Emery  and  his.  When  did  a  clavier  of  St.  Ber- 
nard over  knock  at  rny  door,  and  go  away  with  an  empty 
hand  ?  We  look  for  thee,  reverend  monk,  with  thy  vessel 
to-morrow  ;  for  the  summer  has  been  hot,  the  grapes  are 
rich,  and  the  wine  is  beginning  to  run  freely  in  our  tul?s. 
Thou  shalt  dip  without  any  to  look  at  thee,  and,  take  it  of 
which  color  thou  wilt,  thou  shalt  take  it  with  a  welcome." 

"  Thanks,  thanks,  generous  Benoit  ;  St.  Augustine  will 
remember  thy  favor,  and  thy  fruitful  vines  will  be  none 
the  poorer  for  thy  generosity.  We  ask  only  that  we  may 
give,  and  on  none  do  we  bestow  more  willingly  than  on 
the  honest  Vaudois,  whom  may  the  saints  keep  in  mind 
for  their  kindness  and  good-will." 

"  Nay,  I  will  have  none  of  thy  saints  ;  thou  knowest  we 
are  St.  Calvin's  men  in  Vaud,  if  there  must  be  any  canon- 
ized. But  what  is  it  to  us  that  thou  hearest  mass,  while 
we  love  the  simple  worship  ?  Are  we  not  equally  men  ? 
Does  not  the  frost  nip  the  members  of  Catholic  and  Prot- 
estant the  same  ?  or  does  the  avalanche  respect  one  more 
than  the  other?  I  never  knew  thee  or  any  of  thy  convent 
question  the  frozen  traveller  of  his  faith,  but  all  are  fed, 
and  warmed,  and  at  need  administered  to  from  the  phar- 
macy with  brotherly  care,  and  as  Christians  merit.  What- 
ever thou  mayest  think  of  the  state  of  our  souls,  thou  on 
thy  mountain  there,  no  one  will  deny  thy  tender  services 


172  THE  HEADSMAN. 

to  our  bodies.  Say  I  well,  neighbors,  or  is  this  only  the 
foolish  gossip  of  old  Benoit,  who  has  crossed  the  Col  so 
often  that  he  has  forgotten  that  our  churches  have  quar- 
relled, and  that  the  learned  will  have  us  go  to  Heaven  by 
different  roads  ? " 

A  general  movement  among  the  people,  and  a  tossing  of 
hands,  appeared  in  support  of  the  truth  and  popularity  of 
the  honest  peasant's  sentiments,  for  in  that  age  the  hospice 
of  St.  Bernard,  more  exclusively  a  refuge  for  the  real  and 
poor  traveller  than  at  present,  enjoyed  a  merited  reputa- 
tion in  all  the  country  round. 

"  Thou  shalt  always  be  welcome  on  the  pass,  thou  and 
thy  friends,  and  all  others  in  the  shape  of  men,  without 
other  interference  in  thy  opinions  than  secret  prayers,"  re- 
turned the  good-humored  and  happy-looking  clavier,  whose 
round,  contented  face  shone  partly  in  habitual  joy,  partly 
in  gratification  at  this  public  testimonial  in  favor  of  the 
brotherhood,  and  a  little  in  satisfaction  perhaps  at  the 
promise  of  an  ample  addition  to  the  convent's  stores  ;  for 
the  community  of  St.  Bernard,  while  so  much  was  going 
out,  had  a  natural  and  justifiable  desire  to  see  some  return 
for  its  incessant  and  unwearied  liberality.  "  Thou  wilt  not 
deny  us  the  happiness  of  praying  for  those  we  love,  though 
it.  happened  to  be  in  a  manner  different  from  that  in  which 
they  ask  blessings  for  themselves." 

"  Have  it  thine  own  way,  good  canon  ;  I  am  none  of 
those  who  are  ready  to  refuse  a  favor  because  it  savors 
of  Rome.  But  what  has  become  of  our  friend  Uberto  ? 
He  rarely  comes  into  the  valleys,  that  we  are  not  anxious 
to  see  his  glossy  coat." 

The  Augustine  gave  the  customary  call,  and  the  mastiff 
mounted  the  stage  with  a  grave,  deliberate  step,  as  if  con- 
scious of  the  dignity  and  usefulness  of  the  life  he  led,  and 
like  a  dog  accustomed  to  the  friendly  notice  of  man.  The 
appearance  of  this  well-known  and  celebrated  brute  caused 
another  stir  in  the  throng,  many  pressing  upon  the  guards 
to  get  a  nearer  view,  and  a  few  casting  fragments  of  food 
from  their  wallets,  as  tokens  of  gratitude  and  regard.  In 
the  midst  of  this  little  by-play  of  good  feeling,  a  dark 
shaggy  animal  leaped  upon  the  scaffolding,  and  very  coolly 
commenced,  with  an  activity  that  denoted  the  influence  of 
the  keen  mountain  air  on  his  appetite,  picking  up  the  dif- 
ferent particles  of  meat  that  had,  as  yet,  escaped  the  eye 
of  Uberto.  The  intruder  was  received  much  in  the  man- 


THE  HEADSMAN.  173 

ner  that  an  unpopular  or  an  offending  actor  is  made  to 
undergo  the  hostilities  of  pit  and  galleries,  to  revenge  some 
slight  or  neglect  for  which  he  has  forgotten  or  refused  to 
atone.  In  other  words,  he  was  incontinently  and  merci- 
lessly pelted  with  such  missiles  as  first  presented  them- 
selves. The  unknown  animal,  which  the  reader  however  will 
not  be  slow  in  recognizing  to  be  the  water-dog  of  II  Male- 
detto,  received  these  unusual  visitations  with  some  surprise, 
and  rather  awkwardly  ;  for,  in  his  proper  sphere,  Nettuna 
had  been  quite  as  much  accustomed  to  meet  with  demon- 
strations of  friendship  from  the  race  he  so  faithfully  served 
as  any  of  the  far-famed  and  petted  mastiffs  of  the  convent. 
After  dodging  sundry  stones  and  clubs,  as  well  as  a  pretty 
close  attention  to  the  principal  matter  in  hand  would  al- 
low, and  with  a  dexterity  that  did  equal  credit  to  his  cool- 
ness and  muscle,  a  missile  of  formidable  weight  took  the 
unfortunate  follower  of  Maso  in  the  side,  and  sent  him 
howling  from  the  stage.  At  the  next  instant,  his  master 
was  at  the  throat  of  the  offender,  throttling  him  till  he  was 
black  in  the  face. 

The  unlucky  stone  had  come  from  Conrad.  Forgetful 
of  his  assumed  character,  he  had  joined  in  the  hue  and 
cry  against  a  dog  whose  character  and  service  should  have 
been  sufficiently  known  to  him,  at  least,  to  prove  his  pro- 
tection, and  had  given  the  crudest  blow  of  all.  It  has 
been  already  seen  that  there  was  little  friendship  between 
Maso  and  the  pilgrim,  for  the  former  appeared  to  have  an 
instinctive  dislike  for  the  latter's  calling,  and  this  little 
occurrence  was  not  of  a  character  likely  to  restore  the 
peace  between  them. 

"  Thou,  too  !  "  cried  the  Italian,  whose  blood  had  mount- 
ed at  the  very  first  attack  on  his  faithful  follower,  and 
which  fairly  boiled  when  he  witnessed  the  cowardly  and 
wanton  conduct  of  this  new  assailant — "  art  not  satisfied 
with  feigning  prayers  and  godliness  with  the  credulous, 
but  thou  must  even  feign  enmity  to  my  dog,  because  it  is 
the  fashion  to  praise  the  cur  of  St.  Bernard  at  the  expense 
of  all  other  brutes!  Reptile  ! — dost  not  dread  the  arm  of 
an  honest  man,  when  raised  against  thee  in  just  anger?" 

"  Friends — Vevaisans — honorable  citizens  !"  gasped  the 
pilgrim,  as  the  gripe  of  Maso  permitted  breath.  "  I  am 
Conrad,  a  poor,  miserable,  repentant  pilgrim.  Will  ye  see 
me  murdered  for  a  brute  ?  " 

Such  a  contest  could  not  continue  long  in  such  a  place. 


174  THE  HEADSMAN. 

At  first  the  pressure  of  the  curious,  and  the  great  density 
of  the  crowd,  rather  favored  the  attack  of  the  mariner ; 
but  in  the  end  they  proved  his  enemies,  by  preventing  the 
possibility  of  escaping  from  those  who  were  specially 
charged  with  the  care  of  the  public  peace.  Luckily  for 
Conrad,  for  passion  had  fairly  blinded  Maso  to  the  conse- 
quences of  his  fury,  the  halberdiers  soon  forced  their  way 
into  the  centre  of  the  living  mass,  and  they  succeeded  in 
seasonably  rescuing  him  from  the  deadly  gripe  of  his  as- 
sailant. II  Maledetto  trembled  with  the  reaction  of  this 
hot  sally,  the  moment  his  gripe  was  forcibly  released,  and 
he  would  have  disappeared  as  soon  as  possible,  had  it  been 
the  pleasure  of  those  into  whose  hands  he  had  fallen  to 
permit  so  politic  a  step.  But  now  commenced  the  war  of 
words,  and  the  clamor  of  voices,  which  usually  succeed, 
as  well  as  precede,  all  contests  of  a  popular  nature.  The 
officer  in  charge  of  this  portion  of  the  square  questioned  ; 
twenty  answered  in  a  breath,  not  only  drowning  each  oth- 
er's voices,  but  effectually  contradicting  all  that  was  said 
in  the  way  of  explanation.  One  maintained  that  Conrad 
had  not  been  content  with  attacking  Maso's  dog,  but  that 
he  had  followed  up  the  blow  by  offering  a  personal  indig- 
nity to  the  master  himself  ;  this  was  the  publican  in  whose 
house  the  mariner  had  taken  up  his  abode,  and  in  which 
he  had  been  sufficiently  liberal  in  his  expenditure  fairly  to 
entitle  him  to  the  hospitable  support  of  its  landlord.  An- 
other professed  to  his  readiness  to  swear  that  the  dog  was 
the  property  of  the  pilgrim,  being  accustomed  to  carry 
his  wallet,  and  that  Maso,  owing  to  an  ancient  grudge 
against  both  master  and  beast,  had  hurled  the  stone  which 
sent  the  animal  away  howling,  and  had  resented  a  mild  re- 
monstrance of  its  owner  in  the  extraordinary  manner  that 
all  had  seen.  This  witness  was  the  Neapolitan  juggler 
Bippo,  who  had  much  attached  himself  to  the  person 
of  Conrad  since  the  adventure  of  the  bark,  and  who 
was  both  ready  and  willing  to  affirm  anything  in  behalf 
of  a  friend  who  had  so  evident  need  of  his  testimony, 
if  it  were  only  on  the  score  of  boon-companionship.  A 
third  declared  that  the  dog  belonged  truly  to  the  Italian, 
that  the  stone  had  been  really  hurled  by  one  who  stood 
near  the  pilgrim,  who  had  been  wrongfully  accused  of 
the  offence  by  Maso  ;  that  the  latter  had  made  his  at- 
tack under  a  false  impression,  and  richly  merited  punish- 
ment, for  the  unceremonious  manner  in  which  he  had 


THE   HEADSMAN".  175 

stopped  Conrad's  breath.  This  witness  was  perfectly 
honest,  but  of  a  vulgar  and  credulous  mind.  He  attrib- 
uted the  original  offence  to  one  near  that  happened  to 
have  a  bad  name,  and  who  was  very  liable  to  father 
every  sin  that,  by  possibility,  could  be  laid  at  his  door,  as 
well  as  some  that  could  not.  On  the  other  hand,  he  had 
also  been  duped  that  morning  by  the  pilgrim's  superabun- 
dant professions  of  religious  zeal,  a  circumstance  that  of 
itself  would  have  prevented  him  from  detecting  Conrad's 
arm  in  the  air  as  it  cast  the  stone,  and  which  served  greatly 
to  increase  his  certainty  that  the  first  offence  came  from 
the  luckless  wight  just  alluded  to  ;  since  they  who  dis- 
criminate under  general  convictions  and  popular  preju- 
dices, usually  heap  all  the  odium  they  pertinaciously  with- 
hold from  the  lucky  and  favored,  on  those  who  seem  fated 
by  general  consent  to  be  the  common  target  of  the  world's 
darts. 

The  officer,  by  the  time  he  had  deliberately  heard  the 
three  principal  witnesses,  together  with  the  confounding 
explanations  of  those  who  professed  to  be  only  half  in- 
formed in  the  matter,  was  utterly  at  a  loss  to  decide  which 
had  been  right  and  which  wrong.  He  came,  therefore,  to 
the  safe  conclusion  to  send  all  the  parties  to  the  guard- 
house, including  the  witnesses,  being  quite  sure  that  he 
had  hit  on  an  effectual  method  of  visiting  the  true  criminal 
with  punishment,  and  of  admonishing  all  those  who  gave 
evidence  in  future  to  have  a  care  of  the  manner  in  which 
they  contradicted  each  other.  Just  as  this  equitable  decis- 
ion was  pronounced,  the  sound  of  a  trumpet  proclaimed 
the  approach  of  a  division  of  the  principal  mummers,  if  so 
irreverent  a  term  can  be  applied  to  men  engaged  in  a  festi- 
val as  justly  renowned  as  that  of  the  vine-dressers.  This 
announcement  greatly  quickened  the  steps  of  justice,  for 
they  who  were  charged  with  the  execution  of  her  decrees 
felt  the  necessity  of  being  prompt,  under  the  penalty  of  los- 
ing an  interesting  portion  of  the  spectacle.  Actuated  by 
this  new  impulse,  which,  if  not  as  respectable,  was  quite 
as  strong,  as  the  desire  to  do  right,  the  disturbers  of  the 
peace,  even  to  those  who  had  shown  a  quarrelsome  temper 
by  telling  stories  that  gave  each  other  the  lie,  were  hurried 
away  in  a  body,  and  the  public  was  left  in  the  enjoyment 
of  that  tranquillity  which,  in  these  perilous  times  of  revo- 
lution and  changes,  is  thought  to  be  so  necessary  to  its 
dignity,  so  especially  favorable  to  commerce,  and  so  grate- 


1 76  THE  HEADSMAN. 

ful  to  those  whose  duty  it  is  to  preserve   the  public  peace 
with  as  little  inconvenience  to  themselves  as  possible. 

A  blast  of  the  trumpet  was  the  signal  fora  more  general 
movement,  for  it  announced  the  commencement  of  the 
ceremonies.  As  it  will  be  presently  necessary  to  speak  of 
the  different  personages  who  were  represented  on  this  joy- 
ous occasion,  we  shall  only  say  here,  that  group  after  group 
of  the  actors  came  into  the  square,  each  party  marching  to 
the  sound  of  music  from  its  particular  point  of  rendezvous 
to  the  common  centre.  The  stage  now  began  to  fill  with 
the  privileged,  among  whom  were  many  of  the  high  aris- 
tocracy of  the  ruling  canton,  most  of  its  officials,  who  were 
too  dignified  to  be  more  than  complacent  spectators  of 
revels  like  these,  many  nobles  of  mark  from  France  and 
Italy,  a  few  travellers  from  England — for  in  that  age  Eng- 
land was  deemed  a  distant  country  and  sent  forth  but  a  few 
of  her  elite  to  represent  her  on  such  occasions — most  of 
those  from  the  adjoining  territories  who  could  afford  the 
time  and  cost,  and  who  by  rank  or  character  were  entitled 
to  the  distinction,  and  the  wives  and  families  of  the  local 
officers  who  happened  to  be  engaged  as  actors  in  the  rep- 
resentation. By  the  time  the  different  parts  of  the  princi- 
pal procession  were  assembled  in  the  square,  all  the  seats 
of  the  estrade  were  crowded,  with  the  exception  of  those 
reserved  for  the  bailiff  and  his  immediate  friends. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

"  So  once  were  ranged  the  sons  of  ancient  Rome, 
A  noble  show  !     While  Roscius  trod  the  stage." — COWPER. 

r  THE  day  was  not  yet  far  advanced,  when  all  the  com- 
ponent parts  of  the  grand  procession  had  arrived  in  the 
square.  Shortly  after,  a  flourish  of  clarions  gave  notice  of 
the  approach  of  the  authorities.  First  came  the  bailiff,  filled 
with  the  dignity  of  station,  and  watching,  with  a  vigilant, 
but  covert  eye,  every  indication  of  feeling  that  might  prove 
of  interest  to  his  employers,  even  while  he  most  affected 
sympathy  with  the  occasion  and  self-abandonment  to  the 
follies  of  the  hour  ;  for  Peter  Hofmeister  owed  his  long- 
established  favor  with  the  biirgerschaft  more  to  a  never- 
slumbering  regard  to  its  exclusive  interests  and  its  undi- 


THE  HEADSMAN.  177 

vided  supremacy,  than  to  any  particular  skill  in  the  art  of 
rendering  men  comfortable  and  happy.  Next  to  the  worthy 
bailiff — for  apart  from  an  indomitable  resolution  to  main- 
tain the  authority  of  his  masters  for  good  or  for  evil,  the 
Herr  Hofmeister  merited  the  appellation  of  a  worthy  man 
— came  Roger  de  Blonay  and  his  guest  the  Baron  de  Wil- 
lading,  marching  pari  passu  at  the  side  of  the  represent- 
ative of  Berne  himself.  There  might  have  been  some 
question  how  far  the  bailiff  was  satisfied  with  this  arrange- 
ment of  the  difficult  point  of  etiquette,  for  he  issued  from 
his  own  gate  with  a  sort  of  sidelong  movement,  that  kept 
him  nearly  confronted  to  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  though  it 
left  him  the  means  of  choosing  his  path  and  of  observing 
the  aspect  of  things  in  the  crowd.  At  any  rate,  the  Genoese, 
though  apparently  occupying  a  secondary  station,  had  no 
grounds  to  complain  of  indifference  to  his  presence.  Most 
of  the  observances  and  not  a  few  of  the  sallies  of  honest 
Peter,  who  had  some  local  reputation  as  a  joker  and  a  bel 
esprit,  as  is  apt  to  be  the  case  with  your  municipal  magis- 
trate, more  especially  when  he  holds  his  authority  inde- 
pendently of  the  community  with  whom  he  associates,  and 
perhaps  as  little  likely  to  be  the  fact  when  he  depends 
on  popular  favor  for  his  rank,  were  addressed  to  the  Sign- 
or Grimaldi.  Most  of  these  good  things  were  returned  in 
kind,  the  Genoese  meeting  the  courtesies  like  a  man  ac- 
customed to  be  the  object  of  peculiar  attentions,  and  pos- 
sibly like  one  who  rather  rioted  in  the  impunity  from 
ceremonies  and  public  observation,  that  he  now  happened 
to  enjoy.  Adelheid,  with  a  maiden  of  the  house  of  Blonay, 
closed  the  little  train. 

As  all  commendable  diligence  was  used  by  the  officers  of 
the  peace  to  make  way  for  the  bailiff,  Herr  Hofmeister 
and  his  companions  were  soon  in  their  allotted  stations, 
which,  it  is  scarcely  necessary  to  repeat,  were  the  upper 
places  on  the  estrade.  Peter  had  seated  himself,  after  re- 
turning numerous  salutations,  for  none  in  a  situation  to 
catch  his  eye  neglected  so  fair  an  opportunity  to  show  their 
intimacy  with  the  bailiff,  when  his  wandering  glance  fell 
upon  the  happy  visage  of  Father  Xavier.  Rising  hastily, 
the  bailiff  went  through  a  multitude  of  the  formal  ceremo- 
nies that  distinguished  the  courtesy  of  the  place  and 
period,  such  as  frequent  wavings  and  liftings  of  the  beaver, 
profound  reverences,  smiles  that  seemed  to  flow  from  the 
heart,  and  a  variety  of  other  tokens  of  extraordinary  love 


178  TFIR   HEADSMAN'. 

and  respect.  When  all  were  ended,  he  resumed  his  place 
by  the  side  of  Melchior  de  Willading,  with  whom  he  com- 
menced a  confidential  dialogue. 

"We  know  not,  noble  Freiherr  "  (he.  spoke  in  the  ver- 
nacular of  their  common  canton),  "  whether  we  have  most 
reason  to  esteem  or  to  disrelish  these  Augustines.  While 
they  do  so  many  Christian  acts  to  the  travellers  on  their 
mountain  yonder,  they  are  devils  incarnate  in  the  way  of 
upholding  popery  and  its  abominations  among  the  people. 
Look  you,  the  commonalty — God  bless  them  as  they  de- 
serve ! — have  no  great  skill  at  doctrinal  discussions,  and 
are  much  disposed  to  be  led  away  by  appearances.  Num- 
berless are  the  miserable  dolts  who  fancy  the  godliness 
which  is  content  to  pass  its  time  on  the  top  of  a  frozen  hill, 
doing  good,  feeding  the  hungry,  dressing  the  wounds  of 
the  fallen  and — but  thou  knowest  the  manner  in  which 
these  sayings  run — the  ignorant,  as  I  was  about  to  add,  are 
but  too  ready  to  believe  that  the  religion  which  leads  men 
to  do  this,  must  have  some  savor  of  Heaven  in  it  after 
all !  " 

"  Are  they  so  very  wrong,  friend  Peter,  that  we  were 
wise  to  disturb  the  monks  in  the  enjoyment  of  a  favor  that 
is  so  fairly  earned  ?  " 

The  bailiff  looked  askance  at  his  brother  burgher,  for 
such  was  the  humble  appellation  that  aristocracy  assumed 
in  Berne,  appearing  desirous  of  probing  the  depth  of  the 
other's  political  morals  before  he  spoke  more  freely. 

"  Though  of  a  house  so  honored  and  trusted,  I  believe 
thou  art  not  much  accustomed  of  late  to  mingle  with  the 
council  ?"  he  evasively  observed. 

"  Since  the  heavy  losses  in  my  family,  of  which  thou 
mayst  have  heard,  the  care  of  this  sole  surviving  child  has 
been  my  principal  solace  and  occupation.  I  know  not 
whether  the  frequent  and  near  sight  of  death  among  those 
so  tenderly  loved  may  have  softened  my  heart  toward  the 
Augustines,  but  to  me  theirs  seems  a  self-denying  and  a 
right  worthy  life." 

"  Tis  doubtless  as  you  say,  noble  Melchior,  and  we  shall 
do  well  to  let  our  love  for  the  holy  canons  be  seen.  Ho  ! 
Mr.  Officer — do  us  the  favor  to  request  the  reverend  monk 
of  St.  Bernard  to  draw  nearer,  that  the  people  may  learn 
the  esteem  in  which  their  patient  charities  and  never- 
wearying  benevolence  are  held  by  the  lookers-on.  As  you 
will  have  occasion  to  pass  the  night  beneath  the  convent's 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  179 

roof,  Herr  von  Willading,  in  your  journey  to  Italy,  a  little 
honor  shown  to  the  honest  and  painstaking  clavier  will  not 
be  lost  on  the  brotherhood,  if  these  churchmen  have  even 
a  decent  respect  for  the  usages  of  their  fello.w-creatures." 

Father  Xavier  took  the  proffered  place,  wThich  was  near- 
er to  the  person  of  the  bailiff  than  the  one  he  had  just 
quitted,  and  insomuch  the  more  honorable,  with  the  usual 
thanks,  but  with  a  simplicity  which  proved  that  he  under- 
stood the  compliment  to  be  due  to  the  fraternity  of  which 
he  was  a  member,  and  not  to  himself.  This  little  disposi- 
tion made,  as  well  as  all  other  preliminary  matters  prop- 
erly observed,  the  bailiff  seemed  satisfied  with  himself  and 
his  arrangements  for  the  moment. 

The  reader  must  imagine  the  stir  in  the  throng,  the  im- 
portance of  the  minor  agents  appointed  to  marshal  the 
procession,  and  the  mixture  of  weariness  and  curiosity 
that  possessed  the  spectators,  while  the  several  parts  of  so 
complicated  and  numerous  a  train  were  getting  arranged, 
each  in  its  prescribed  order  and  station.  But,  as  the  cere- 
monies which  followed  were  of  a  peculiar  character,  and 
have  an  intimate  connection  with  the  events  of  the  tale, 
wre  shall  describe  them  with  a  little  detail,  although  the 
task  we  have  allotted  to  ourselves  is  less  that  of  sketching 
pictures  of  local  usages,  and  of  setting  before  the  reader's 
imagination  scenes  of  real  or  fancied  antiquarian  accuracy, 
than  the  exposition  of  a  principle,  and  the  wholesome 
moral  which  we  have  always  flattered  ourselves  might,  in 
a  greater  or  less  degree,  follow  from  our  labors. 

A  short  time  previous  to  the  commencement  of  the  cer- 
emonies, a  guard  of  honor,  composed  of  shepherds,  gar- 
deners, mowers,  reapers,  vine-dressers,  escorted  by  halber- 
diers and  headed  by  music,  had  left  the  square  in  quest  of 
the  abbe,  as  the  regular  and  permanent  presiding  officer 
of  the  abbaye,  or  company,  is  termed.  This  escort,  all  the 
individuals  of  which  were  dressed  in  character,  was  not 
long  in  making  its  appearance  with  the  officer  in  ques- 
tion, a  warm,  substantial  citizen  and  proprietor  of  the 
place,  who,  otherwise  attired  in  the  ordinary  costume  of 
his  class  in  that  age,  had  decorated  his  beaver  with  a  wav- 
ing plume,  and,  in  addition  to  a  staff  or  baton,  wore  a 
floating  scarf  pendent  from  his  shoulder.  This  personage, 
on  whom  certain  judicial  functions  had  devolved,  took  a 
convenient  position  in  the  front  of  the  stage,  and  soon 
made  a  sign  for  the  officials  to  proceed  with  their  duties 


l8o  THE  HEADSMAN. 

Twelve  vine-dressers  led  by  a  chief,  each  having  his  per* 
son  more  or  less  ornamented  with  garlands  of  vine-leaves, 
and  bearing  other  emblems  of  his  calling,  marched  in  a 
body  chanting  a  song  of  the  fields.  They  escorted  two  of 
their  number  who  had  been  pronounced  the  most  skilful 
and  successful  in  cultivating  the  vineyards  of  the  adjacent 
cotes.  When  they  reached  the  front  of  the  estrade,  the 
abbe  pronounced  a  short  discourse  in  honor  of  the  culti- 
vators of  the  earth  in  general,  after  which  he  digressed 
into  especial  eulogiums  on  the  successful  candidates — two 
pleased,  abashed,  and  unpractised  peasants,  who  received 
the  simple  prizes  with  throbbing  hearts.  This  little  cere- 
mony observed,  amid  the  eager  and  delighted  gaze  of 
friends,  and  the  oblique  and  discontented  regards  of  the 
few  whose  feelings  were  too  contracted  to  open  to  the  joys 
of  others,  even  on  this  simple  and  grateful  festival,  the 
trumpets  sounded  again,  and  the  cry  was  raised  to  make 
room. 

A  large  group  advanced  from  among  the  body  of  the 
actors  to  an  open  space,  of  sufficient  size  and  elevation, 
inmediately  in  front  of  the  stage.  When  in  full  view  of 
the  multitude,  those  who  composed  it  arranged  themselves 
in  a  prescribed  and  seemly  order.  They  were  the  officials 
of  Bacchus.  The  high  priest,  robed  in  a  sacrificial  dress, 
with  flowing  beard,  and  head  crowned  with  the  vine,  stood 
foremost,  chanting  in  honor  of  the  craft  of  the  vine-dresser. 
His  song  also  contained  a  few  apposite  allusions  to  the 
smiling,  blushing  candidates.  The  whole  joined  in  the 
chorus,  though  the  leader  of  the  band  scarce  needed  the 
support  of  any  other  lungs  than  those  with  which  he  had 
been  very  amply  furnished  by  nature. 

The  hymn  ended,  a  general  burst  of  instrumental  music 
succeeded ;  and,  the  followers  of  Bacchus  regaining  their 
allotted  station,  the  general  procession  began  to  move, 
sweeping  round  the  whole  area  of  the  square  in  a  manner 
to  pass  in  order  before  the  bailiff. 

The  first  body  in  the  march  was  composed  of  the  council 
of  the  abbaye,  attended  by  the  shepherds  and  gardeners. 
One,  in  an  antique  costume,  and  bearing  a  halberd,  acted 
as  marshal.  He  was  succeeded  by  the  two  crowned  vine- 
dressers, after  whom  came  the  abbe  with  his  counsellors, 
and  large  groups  of  shepherds  and  shepherdesses,  as  well 
as  a  number  of  both  sexes  who  toiled  in  gardens,  all  at- 
tired in  costumes  suited  to  the  traditions  of  their  respec* 


THE   HE  ADS  WAX.  181 

*ive  pursuits.  The  marshal  and  the  officers  of  the  abbaye 
moved  slowly  past,  with  the  gravity  and  decorum  that  be- 
came their  stations,  occasionally  halting  to  give  time  for 
the  evolutions  of  those  who  followed  ;  but  the  other  actors 
now  began  in  earnest  to  play  their  several  parts.  A  group 
of  young  shepherdesses,  clad  in  closely  fitting  vests  of  sky- 
blue,  with  skirts  of  white,  each  holding  her  crook,  came 
forward,  dancing  and  singing  songs  that  imitated  the 
bleatings  of  their  flocks,  and  all  the  other  sounds  familiar 
to  the  elevated  pasturages  of  that  region.  These  were 
soon  joined  -by  an  equal  number  of  young  shepherds,  also 
singing  their  pastorals,  the  whole  exhibiting  an  active  and 
merry  group  of  dancers,  accustomed  to  exercise  their  art 
on  the  sward  of  the  Alps  ;  for  in  this  festival,  although  we 
have  spoken  of  the  performers  as  actors,  it  is  not  in  the 
literal  meaning  of  the  term,  since,  with  few  exceptions, 
none  appeared  to  represent  any  other  calling  than  that 
which  in  truth  formed  his  or  her  daily  occupation.  We 
shall  not  detain  the  narrative  to  say  more  of  this  party, 
than  that  they  formed  a  less  striking  exception  to  the  con- 
ventional picture  of  the  appearance  of  those  engaged  in 
tending  flocks  than  the  truth  ordinarily  betrays  ;  and  that 
their  buoyant  gayety,  blooming  faces,  and  unwearied  ac- 
tion formed  a  good  introductory  preparation  for  the  salta- 
tion that  was  to  follow. 

The  male  gardeners  appeared  in  their  aprons,  carrying 
spades,  rakes,  and  the  other  implements  of  their  trade  ; 
the  females  supporting  baskets  on  their  heads  filled  with 
rich  flowers,  vegetables,  and  fruits.  When  in  front  of  the 
bailiff,  the  young  men  formed  a  sort  of  fasces  of  their 
several  implements,  with  a  readiness  that  denoted  much 
study,  while  the  girls  arranged  their  baskets  in  a  circle  at 
its  foot.  Then,  joining  hands,  the  whole  whirled  around, 
filling  the  air  with  a  song  peculiar  to  their  pursuits. 

During  the  whole  of  the  preparations  of  the  morning, 
Adelheid  had  looked  on  with  a  vacant  eye,  as  if  her  feel- 
ings had  little  connection  with  that  which  was  passing  be- 
fore her  face.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  say,  that  her 
mind,  in  spite  of  herself,  wandered  to  other  scenes,  and 
that  her  truant  thoughts  were  busy  with  interests  very  dif- 
ferent from  those  which  were  here  presented  to  the  senses. 
But,  by  the  time  the  group  of  gardeners  had  passed  dan- 
cing away,  her  feelings  began  to  enlist  with  those  who  \vere 
so  evidently  pleased  with  themselves  and  all  around  them, 


,82  THE  HEADSMAN. 

and  her  father,  for  the  first  time  that  morning,  was  re* 
warded  for  the  deep  attention  with  which  he  watched  the 
play  of  her  features,  by  an  affectionate  and  natural  smile. 

"  This  goes  off  right  merrily,  Herr  Bailiff,"  exclaimed 
the  Baron,  animated  by  that  encouraging  smile,  as  the 
blood  is  quickened  by  a  genial  ray  of  the  sun's  heat  when 
it  has  been  long  chilled  and  deadened  by  cold — "  This  goes 
off  with  a  joyful  will,  and  is  likely  to  end  with  credit  to 
thy  town  !  I  only  wonder  that  you  have  not  more  of  this, 
and  monthly.  When  joy  can  be  had  so  cheap,  it  is  churlish 
to  deny  it  to  a  people." 

"We  complain  not  of  the  levities,  noble  Freiherr,  for 
your  light  thinker  makes  a  sober  and  dutiful  subject  ;  but 
we  shall  have  more  of  this,  and  of  a  far  better  quality,  or 
our  time  is  wasted.  What  is  thought  at  Berne,  noble  Mel- 
chior,  of  the  prospects  of  the  Emperor's  obtaining  a  new 
concession  for  the  levy  of  troops  in  our  cantons  ? " 

"  I  cry  thy  mercy,  good  Peterchen,  but  by  thy  leave  we 
will  touch  on  these  matters  more  at  our  leisure.  Boyish 
though  it  seem  to  thy  eyes,  so  long  accustomed  to  look  at 
matters  of  state,  I  do  confess  that  these  follies  begin  to 
have  their  entertainment,  and  may  \vell  claim  an  hour  of 
idleness  from  him  that  has  nothing  better  in  hand." 

Peter  Hofmeister  ejaculated  a  little  expressively.  He 
then  examined  the  countenance  of  the  Signer  Grimaldi, 
who  had  given  himself  to  the  merriment  with  the  perfect 
good-will  and  self-abandonment  of  a  man  of  strong  in- 
tellect, and  who  felt  his  powers  too  sensibly  to  be  jealous 
of  appearances.  Shrugging  his  shoulders,  like  one  that 
was  disappointed,  the  pragmatical  bailiff  turned  his  look 
toward  the  revellers,  in  order  to  detect,  if  possible,  some 
breach  of  the  usages  of  the  country,  that  might  require 
official  reproof  ;  for  Peter  was  of  that  class  of  governors 
who  have  an  itching  to  see  their  fingers  stirring  even  the 
air  that  is  breathed  by  the  people,  lest  they  should  get  it 
of  a  quality  or  in  a  quantity  that  might  prove  dangerous 
to  a  monopoly  which  it  is  now  the  fashion  to  call  the  con- 
servative principle.  In  the  meantime  the  revels  pro- 
ceeded. 

No  sooner  had  the  gardeners  quitted  the  arena,  than  a 
solemn  and  imposing  train  appeared  to  occupy  the  sward. 
Four  females  marched  to  the  front,  bearing  an  antique  al- 
tar that  was  decorated  with  suitable  devices.  They  were 
clad  in  emblematical  dresses,  and  wore  garlands  of  flowers 


THE  HEADSMAN:  183 

on  their  heads.  Boys  carrying  censers  preceded  an  altar 
that  was  dedicated  to  Flora,  and  her  ministering  official 
came  after  it,  mitred  and  carrying  flowers.  Like  all  the 
priestesses  that  followed,  she  was  laboriously  attired  in  the 
robes  that  denoted  her  sacred  duty.  The  goddess  herself 
was  borne  by  four  females  on  a  throne  canopied  by  flowers, 
and  from  whose  several  parts  sweeping  festoons  of  every 
hue  and  dye  descended  to  the  earth.  Haymakers  of  both 
sexes,  gay  and  pastoral  in  their  air  and  attire,  succeeded, 
and  a  car  groaning  with  the  sweet-scented  grass  of  the 
Alps,  accompanied  by  females  bearing  rakes,  brought  up 
the  rear. 

The  altar  and  the  throne  being  deposited  on  the  sward, 
the  priestess  offered  sacrifice,  hymning  the  praise  of  the 
goddess  with  mountain  lungs.  Then  followed  the  dance 
of  the  haymakers,  as  in  the  preceding  exhibition,  and  the 
train  went  off  as  before. 

"  Excellent  well,  and  truer  than  it  could  be  done  by  your 
real  pagan  !  "  cried  the  bailiff,  who,  in  spite  of  his  official 
longings,  began  to  watch  the  mummery  with  a  pleased 
eye.  "  This  beateth  greatly  our  youthful  follies  in  the 
Genoese  and  Lombard  cardinals,  in  which,  to  say  truth, 
there  are  sometimes  seen  rare  niceties  in  the  way  of  rep- 
resenting the  old  deities." 

"  Is  it  the  usage,  friend  Hofmeister,"  demanded  the 
Baron,  "  to  enjoy  these  admirable  pleasantries  often  here 
in  Vaud  ? " 

*'  We  partake  of  them,  from  time  to  time,  as  the  abbaye 
desires,  and  much  as  thou  seest.  The  honorable  Signer 
Grimaldi — who  wrill  pardon  me  that  he  gets  no  better  treat- 
ment than  he  receives,  and  who  will  not  fail  to  ascribe 
what,  to  all  who  know  him,  might  otherwise  pass  for  inex- 
cusable neglect,  to  his  own  desire  for  privacy — he  will  tell 
us,  should  he  be  pleased  to  honor  us  with  his  real  opinion, 
that  the  subject  is  none  the  worse  for  occasions  to  laugh 
and  be  gay.  Now,  there  is  Geneva,  a  town  given  to  subt- 
leties as  ingenious  and  complicated  as  the  machinery  of 
their  own  watches  ;  it  can  never  have  a  merry-making 
without  a  leaven  of  disputation  and  reason,  two  as  dam- 
nable ingredients  in  the  public  humor  as  schism  in  re- 
ligion, or  two  minds  in  a  menage.  There  is  not  a  knave  in 
the  city  who  does  not  fancy  himself  a  better  man  than 
Calvin,  and  some  there  are  who  believe  if  they  are  not 
cardinals,  it  is  merely  because  the  reformed  Church  does 


184  THE   HE  ADS  MAN. 

not  relish  legs  cased  in  red  stockings.  By  the  word  of  a 
bailiff !  I  would  not  be  the  ruler,  look  ye,  of  such  a  com- 
munity, for  the  hope  of  becoming  Avoyer  of  Berne  itself. 
Here  it  is  different.  We  play  our  antics  in  the  shape  of 
gods  and  goddesses  like  sober  people,  and,  when  all  is 
over,  we  go  to  train  our  vines,  or  count  our  herds,  like 
faithful  subjects  of  the  great  canton.  Do  I  state  the  mat- 
ter fairly  to  our  friends,  Baron  de  Blonay  ? " 

Roger  de  Blonay  bit  his  lip,  for  he  and  his  had  been  of 
Vaud  a  thousand  years,  and  he  little  relished  the  allusion 
to  the  quiet  manner  in  which  his  countrymen  submitted 
to  a  compelled  and  foreign  dictation.  He  bowed  a  cold 
acquiescence  to  the  bailiff's  statement,  however,  as  if  no 
further  answer  were  needed. 

"We  have  other  ceremonies  that  invite  our  attention," 
said  Melchior  de  Willading,  who  had  sufficient  acquaint- 
ance with  his  friend's  opinions  to  understand  his  silence. 

The  next  group  that  approached  was  composed  of  those 
who  lived  by  the  products  of  the  dairy.  Two  cowherds 
led  their  beasts,  the  monotonous  tones  of  whose  heavy 
bells  formed  a  deep  and  rural  accompaniment  to  the  music 
that  regularly  preceded  each  party,  while  a  train  of  dairy- 
girls,  and  of  young  mountaineers  of  the  class  that  tend 
the  herds  in  the  summer  pasturages,  succeeded,  a  car 
loaded  with  the  implements  of  their  calling  bringing  up 
the  rear.  In  this  little  procession,  no  detail  of  equipment 
was  wanting.  The  milking-stool  was  strapped  to  the 
body  of  the  dairyman  ;  one  had  the  peculiary  con- 
structed pail  in  his  hand,  while  another  bore  at  his  back 
the  deep  wooden  vessel  in  which  milk  is  carried  up  and 
down  the  precipices  to  the  chdlet.  When  they  reached 
the  sodden  arena,  the  men  commenced  milking  the  cows, 
the  girls  set  in  motion  the  different  processes  of  the  dairy, 
and  the  whole  united  in  singing  the  Ranz  des  Vaches  of 
the  district.  It  is  generally  and  erroneously  believed  that 
there  is  a  particular  air  which  is  known  throughout 
Switzerland  by  this  name,  whereas,  in  truth,  nearly  every 
canton  has  its  own  song  of  the  mountains,  each  varying 
from  the  others  in  the  notes,  as  well  as  in  the  words,  and 
we  might  almost  add  in  the  language.  The  Ranz  des 
Vaches  of  Vaud  is  in  the  patois  of  the  country,  a  dialect 
that  is  composed  of  words  of  Greek  and  Latin  origin, 
mingled  on  a  foundation  of  Celtic.  Like  our  own  familiar 
tune,  which  was  first  bestowed  in  derision,  and  which  a 


THE   HEADSMAN.  .     185 

glorious  history  has  enabled  us  to  continue  in  pride,  the 
words  are  far  too  numerous  to  be  repeated.  We  shall, 
however,  give  the  reader  a  single  verse  of  a  song  which 
Swiss  feeling  has  rendered  so  celebrated,  and  which  is 
said  often  to  induce  the  mountaineer  in  foreign  service  to 
desert  the  mercenary  standard  and  the  tame  scenes  of  the 
towns,' to  return  to  the  magnificent  nature  that  haunts 
his  waking  imagination  and  embellishes  his  dreams.  It 
will  at  once  be  perceived  that  the  power  of  this  song  is 
chiefly  to  be  found  in  the  recollections  to  which  it  gives 
birth,  by  recalling  the  simple  charms  of  rural  life,  and  by 
reviving  the  indelible  impressions  that  are  made  by  nature 
wherever  she  has  laid  her  hand  on  the  face  of  the  earth 
with  the  same  majesty  as  in  Switzerland. 

L6  zermailli  del  Colombette 
D6  bon  matin,  se  san  I6ha — 

REFRAIN. 

Ha,  ah  !  ha,  ah  ! 

Liauba  !  Liauba  !  por  aria. 

Venide  tote, 

Bllantz'  et  naire, 

Rodz  et  motaile, 

Dzjouvan'  et  etro 

Dezo  ou  tzehano, 

lo  vo  z'  ario 

Dezo  ou  triembllo, 

lo  ie  triudzo, 

Liauba  !  Liauba !  por  aria.  * 

The  music  of  the  mountains  is  peculiar  and  wild,  having 
most  probably  received  its  inspiration  from  the  grandeur 
of  the  natural  objects.  Most  of  the  sounds  partake  of  the 

*The  cowherds  of  the  Alps 
Arise  at  an  early  hour. 

CHORUS. 

Ha,  ah  !   ha,  ah  ! 

Liauba  !  Liauba  !   in  order  to  milk. 

Come  all  of  you, 

Black  and  white, 

Red  and  mottled, 

Young  and  old  ; 

Beneath  this  oak 

I  am  about  to  milk  you, 

Beneath  this  poplar, 

I  am  about  to  press, 

Liauba  !  Liauba  !   in  order  to  milk. 


1 86  THE   HEADSMAN. 

character  of  echoes,  being  high-keyed  but  false  notes ; 
such  as  the  rocks  send  back  to  the  valleys,  when  the  voice 
is  raised  above  its  natural  key  in  order  to  reach  the  cav- 
erns and  savage  recesses  of  inaccessible  precipices.  Strains 
like  these  readily  recall  the  glens  and  the  magnificence 
amid  which  they  were  first  heard,  and  hence,  by  an  irre- 
sistible impulse,  the  rnind  is  led  to  indulge  in  the  strong- 
est of  all  its  sympathies,  those  which  are  mixed  with  the 
unalloyed  and  unsophisticated  delights  of  buoyant  child- 
hood. 

The  herdsmen  and  dairymaids  no  sooner  uttered  the 
first  notes  of  this  magic  song,  than  a  deep  and  breathing 
stillness  pervaded  the  crowd.  As  the  peculiar  strains  of 
the  chorus  rose  on  the  ear,  murmuring  echoes  issued  from 
among  the  spectators,  and  ere  the  wild  intonations  could 
be  repeated  which  accompanied  the  words  uLiauba!  Lia- 
uba ! "  a  thousand  voices  were  lifted  simultaneously,  as  it 
were,  to  greet  the  surrounding  mountains  with  the  saluta- 
tions of  their  children.  From  that  moment  the  remainder 
of  the  Ranz  des  V aches  was  a  common  burst  of  enthusiasm, 
the  offspring  of  that  national  fervor,  which  forms  so  strong 
a  link  in  the  social  chain,  and  which  is  capable  of  recalling 
to  the  bosom  that,  in  other  respects,  has  been  hardened  by 
vice  and  crime,  a  feeling  of  some  of  the  purest  sentiments 
of  our  nature. 

The  last  strain  died  amidst  this  general  exhibition  of 
healthful  feeling.  The  cowherds  and  the  dairy  girls  col- 
lected their  different  implements,  and  resumed  their  march 
to  the  melancholy  music  of  the  bells,  which  formed  a  deep 
contrast  to  the  wild  notes  that  had  just  filled  the  square. 

To  these  succeeded  the  followers  of  Ceres,  with  the 
altar,  the  priestess,  and  the  enthroned  goddess,  as  has 
been  already  described  in  the  approach  of  Flora.  Cornu- 
copiae  ornamented  the  chair  of  the  deity,  and  the  canopy 
was  adorned  with  the  gifts  of  autumn.  The  whole 
was  surmounted  by  a  sheaf  of  wheat.  She  held  the  sickle 
as  her  sceptre,  and  a  tiara  composed  of  the  bearded  grain 
covered  her  brow.  Reapers  followed,  bearing  emblems  of 
the  season  of  abundance,  and  gleaners  closed  the  train. 
There  was  the  halt,  the  chant,  the  chorus,  and  the  song  in 
praise  of  the  beneficent  goddess  of  autumn,  as  had 
been  done  by  the  votaries  of  the  deity  of  flowers.  A  dance 
of  the  reapers  and  gleaners  followed,  the  threshers  flour- 
ished their  flails,  and  the  whole  went  their  wav. 


THE   HEADSMAN.  18) 

After  these  came  the  grand  standard  of  the  abbaye,  and 
the  vine-dressers,  the  real  objects  of  the  festival  succeeded. 
The  laborers  of  the  spring  led  the  advance,  the  men  car- 
rying their  picks  and  spades,  and  the  women  vessels  to 
contain  the  cuttings  of  the  vines.  Then  came  a  train 
bearing  baskets  loaded  with  the  fruit,  in  its  different  degrees 
of  perfection  and  of  every  shade  of  color.  Youths  hold- 
ing staves  topped  with  miniature  representations  of  the  va- 
rious utensils  known  in  the  culture  of  the  grape,  such  as 
the  laborer  with  the  tub  on  his  back,  the  butt,  and  the 
vessel  that  first  receives  the  flowing  juice,  followed.  A 
great  number  of  men,  who  brought  forward  the  forge  that 
is  used  to  prepare  the  tools,  closed  this  part  of  the  ex- 
hibition. The  song  and  the  dance  again  succeeded,  when 
the  whole  disappeared  at  a  signal  given  by  the  approaching 
music  of  Bacchus.  As  we  now  touch  upon  the  most  elab- 
orate part  of  the  representation,  we  seize  the  interval  that 
is  necessary  to  bring  it  forward,  in  order  to  take  breath 
ourselves. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

"And  thou,  O  wall,  O  sweet,  O  lovely  wall, 

That  stand' st  between  her  father's  ground  and  mine, 

Thou  wall,  O  wall,  O  sweet  and  lovely  wall, 

Show  me  thy  chink,  to  blink  through  with  mine  eyne." 

— Midsummer  Nigh?  s  Dream. 

"  'ODDS  my  life,  but  this  goes  off  with  a  grace,  brother 
Peter  !  "  exclaimed  the  Baron  de  Willading,  as  he  followed 
the  vine-dressers  in  their  retreat,  with  an  amused  eye — 
"If  we  have  much  more  like  it,  I  shall  forget  the  dignity 
of  the  biirgerschaft,  and  turn  mummer  with  the  rest, 
though  my  good  name  for  wisdom  were  the  forfeit  of  the 
folly." 

"  That  is  better  said  between  ourselves  than  performed 
before  the  vulgar  eye,  honorable  Melchior.  It  would 
sound  ill,  of  a  truth,  were  these  Vaudois  to  boast  that  a 
noble  of  thy  estimation  in  Berne  were  thus  to  forget  him- 
self." 

"None  of  this! — are  we  not  here  to  be  merry,  and  to 
laugh,  and  to  be  pleased  with  any  folly  that  offers  ?  A 
truce,  then,  to  thy  official  distrusts  and  superabundant  dig« 


i88  THE   HEADSMAN. 

nity,  honest  Peterchen,"  for  such  was  the  good-natured 
name  by  which  the  worthy  bailiff  was  most  commonly 
addressed  by  his  friends ;  "  let  the  tongue  freely  answer  to 
the  heart,  as  if  we  were  boys  rioting  together,  as  was  once 
the  case,  long  ere  thou  wert  thought  of  for  this  office,  or  1 
knew  a  sorrowful  hour." 

"The  Signor  Grimaldi  shall  judge  between  us;  I  main- 
tain that  restraint  is  necessary  to  those  in  high  trusts." 

"  I  will  decide  when  the  actors  have  all  played  their 
parts,"  returned  the  Genoese,  smiling  ;  "  at  present,  here 
cometh  one  to  whom  all  old  soldiers  pay  homage.  We  will 
not  fail  of  respect  in  so  great  a  presence,  on  account  of  a 
little  difference  in  taste." 

Peter  Hofmeister  was  not  a  small  drinker,  and  as  the 
approach  of  the  god  of  the  cup  was  announced  by  a  flourish 
from  some  twenty  instruments  made  to  speak  on  a  key 
suited  to  the  vault  of  heaven,  he  was  obliged  to  reserve  his 
opinions  for  another  time.  After  the  passage  of  the 
musicians  and  a  train  of  the  abbaye's  servants,  for  especial 
honors  were  paid  to  the  ruby  deity,  there  came  three  offi- 
cials of  the  sacrifice,  one  leading  a  goat  with  gilded  horns, 
while  the  two  others  bore  the  knife  and  the  hatchet.  To 
these  succeeded  the  altar  adorned  with  vines,  the  incense 
bearers,  and  the  high-priest  of  Bacchus,  who  led  the  way 
for  the  appearance  of  the  youthful  god  himself.  The  deity 
was  seated  astride  on  a  cask,  his  head  encircled  with  a  gar- 
land of  generous  grapes,  bearing  a  cup  in  one  hand,  and  a 
vine-entwined  and  fruit-crowned  sceptre  in  the  other. 
Four  Nubians  carried  him  on  their  shoulders,  while  others 
shaded  his  form  with  an  appropriate  canopy  ;  fauns  wear- 
ing tiger-skins,  and  playing  their  characteristic  antics, 
danced  in  his  train,  while  twenty  laughing  and  light-footed 
Bacchantes  flourished  their  instruments,  moving  in  measure 
in  the  rear. 

A  general  shout  in  the  multitude  preceded  the  appear- 
ance of  Silenus,  who  was  sustained  in  his  place  on  an  ass 
by  two  blackamoors.  The  half-empty  skins  at  his  side, 
the  vacant  laugh,  the  foolish  eye,  the  lolling  tongue,  the 
bloated  lip,  and  the  idiotic  countenance,  gave  reason  to 
suspect  that  there  was  a  better  motive  for  their  support 
than  any  which  belonged  to  the  truth  of  the  representa- 
tion. Two  youths  then  advanced  bearing  on  a  pole  a 
cluster  of  grapes  that  nearly  descended  to  the  ground,  and 
which  was  intended  to  represent  the  fruit  brought  from 


THE  HEADSMAN.  189 

Canaan  by  the  messengers  of  Joshua — a  symbol  much 
affected  by  the  artists  and  mummers  of  the  other  hemi- 
sphere, on  occasions  suited  to  its  display.  A  huge  vehicle, 
ycleped  the  ark  of  Noah,  closed  the  procession.  It  held  a 
wine-press,  having  its  workmen  embowered  among  the 
vines,  and  it  contained  the  family  of  the  second  father  of 
the  human  race.  As  it  rolled  past,  traces  of  the  rich  liquor 
were  left  in  the  tracks  of  its  wheels. 

Then  came  the  sacrifice,  the  chant,  and  the  dance,  as  in 
most  of  the  preceding  exhibitions,  each  of  which,  like  this 
of  Bacchus,  had  contained  allusions  to  the  peculiar  habits 
and  attributes  of  the  different  deities.  The  bacchanal 
that  closed  the  scene  was  performed  in  character  ;  the 
trumpets  flourished  and  the  procession  departed  in  the 
order  in  which  it  had  arrived. 

Peter  relented  a  little  from  his  usual  political  reserve, 
as  he  witnessed  these  games  in  honor  of  a  deity  to  whom 
he  so  habitually  did  practical  homage,  for  it  was  seldom 
that  this  elaborate  functionary,  who  might  be  termed  quite 
a  doctrinaire  in  his  way,  composed  his  senses  in  sleep 
without  having  pretty  effectually  steeped  them  in  the 
liquor  of  the  neighboring  hills  ;  a  habit  that  was  of  far 
more  general  use  among  men  of  his  class  in  that  age  than 
in  this  of  ours,  which  seems  so  eminently  to  be  the  season 
of  sobriety. 

"This  is  not  amiss,  of  a  verity,"  observed  the  contented 
bailiff,  as  the  Fauns  and  Bacchantes  moved  off  the  sward, 
capering  and  cutting  their  classical  antics  with  far  more 
agility  and  zeal  than  grace.  "  This  looks  like  the  inspiration 
of  good  wine,  Signor  Genoese,  and  were  the  truth  known, 
it  would  be  found  that  the  rogue  who  plays  the  part  of  the 
fat  person  on  the  ass — how  dost  call  the  knave,  noble 
Molchior  ?" 

"  Body  o'  me  !  if  I  am  wiser  than  thyself,  worthy  bailiff ; 
it  is  clearly  a  rogue  who  can  never  have  done  his  mum- 
mery so  expertly,  without  some  aid  from  the  flask." 

"  'Twill  be  well  to  know  the  fellow's  character,  for  there 
may  be  occasion  to  commend  him  to  the  gentlemen  of 'the 
abbaye,  when  all  is  oven  Your  skilful  ruler  has  two  great 
instruments  that  he  need  use  with  discretion,  Baron  de 
Willading,  and  these  are,  fear  and  flattery  ;  and  Berne 
hath  no  servant  more  ready  to  apply  both,  or  either,  as 
there  may  be  necessity,  than  one  of  her  poor  bailiffs  that 
hath  not  received  all  his  dues  from  the  general  opinion,  if 


1 9o  THE   ffEA&SMAM 

truth  were  spoken.  But  it  is  well  to  be  prepared  to  speak 
these  good  people  of  the  abbaye  fairly,  touching  their  ex- 
ploits. Harkee,  master  halberdier  ;  thou  art  of  Vevey,  I 
think,  and  a  warm  citizen  in  thy  every-day  character,  or  my 
eyes  do  us  both  injustice  ! " 

"  I  am,  as  you  have  said,  Monsieur  le  Bailli,  a  Vevai- 
san,  and  one  that  is  well  known  among  our  artisans." 

"  True,  that  was  visible,  spite  of  thy  halberd.  Thou  art, 
no  doubt,  rarely  gifted,  and  taught  to  the  letter  in  these 
games.  Wilt  name  the  character  that  has  just  ridden  past 
on  the  ass — he  that  hath  so  well  enacted  the  drunkard,  I 
mean  ?  His  name  hatli  gone  out  of  our  minds  for  the  mo- 
ment, though  his  acting  never  can,  for  a  better  perform- 
ance of  one  overcome  by  liquor  is  seldom  seen." 

u  Lord  keep  you  !  worshipful  bailiff,  that  is  Antoine 
Giraud,  the  fat  butcher  of  La  Tour  de  Peil,  and  a  better  at 
the  cup  there  is  not  in  all  the  country  of  Vaud  !  No  won- 
der that  he  hath  done  his  part  so  readily  ;  for,  while  the 
others  have  been  reading  in  books,  or  drilling  like  so  many 
awkward  recruits  under  the  schoolmaster,  Antoine  hath 
had  little  more  to  perform  than  to  dip  into  the  skin  at  his 
elbow.  When  the  officers  of  the  abbaye  complain,  lest  he 
should  disturb  the  ceremonies,  he  bicjs  them  not  to  make 
fools  of  themselves,  for  every  swallow  he  gives  is  just  so 
much  done  in  honor  of  the  representation  ;  and  he  swears, 
by  the  creed  of  Calvin  !  that  there  shall  be  more  truth  in 
his  acting  than  in  that  of  any  other  of  the  whole  party." 

"  Odds  my  life  !  the  fellow  hath  humor  as  well  as  good 
acting  in  him — this  Antoine  Giraud  !  Will  you  look  into 
the  written  order  they  have  given  us,  fair  Adelheid,  that 
we  may  make  sure  this  artisan-Tialberdier  hath  not  deceived 
us  ?  We  in  authority  must  not  trust  a  Vevaisan  too  lightly." 

"It  will  be  vain,  I  fear,  Herr  Bailiff,  since  the  charac- 
ters, and  not  the  names  of  the  actors,  appear  in  the  lists. 
The  man  in  question  represents  Silenus  I  should  think, 
judging  from  his  appearance  and  all  the  other  circum- 
stances." 

"  Well,  let  it  be  as  thou  wilt.  Silenus  himself  could  not 
play  his  own  part  better  than  it  hath  been  done  by  this 
Antoine  Giraud.  The  fellow  would  gain  gold  like  water 
at  the  court  of  the  Emperor  as  a  mime,  were  he  only  ad- 
vised to  resort  thither.  I  warrant  you,  now,  he  would  do 
Pluto,  or  Minerva,  or  any  other  god,  just  as  weL1  as  he  hath 
done  this  rogue  Silenus!  " 


THE  HEADSMAN:  i91 

The  honest  admiration  of  Peter,  who,  sooth  to  say,  had 
not  much  of  the  learning  of  the  age,  as  the  phrase  is,  raised 
a  smile  on  the  lip  of  the  beauteous  daughter  of  the  Baron, 
and  she  glanced  a  look  to  catch  the  eye  of  Sigismund,  to- 
ward whom  all  her  secret  sympathies,  whether  of  sorrow 
or  of  joy,  so  naturally  and  so  strongly  tended.  But  the 
averted  head,  the  fixed  attention,  and  the  nearly  immovable 
and  statue-like  attitude  in  which  he  stood,  showed  that  a 
more  powerful  interest  drew  his  gaze  to  the  next  group. 
Though  ignorant  of  the  cause  of  his  intense  regard,  Adel- 
heid  instantly  forgot  the  bailiff,  his  dogmatism,  and  his  want 
of  erudition,  in  the  wish  to  examine  those  who  approached. 

The  more  classical  portion  of  the  ceremonies  was  now 
duly  observed.  The  council  of  the  abbaye  intended  to 
close  with  an  exhibition  that  was  more  intelligible  to  the 
mass  of  the  spectators  than  anything  which  had  preceded 
it,  since  it  was  addressed  to  the  sympathies  and  habits  of 
every  people,  and  in  all  conditions  of  society.  This  was 
the  spectacle  that  so  engrossingly  attracted  the  attention 
of  Sigismund.  It  was  termed  the  procession  of  the  nup- 
tials, and  it  was  now  slowly  advancing  to  occupy  the  space 
left  vacant  by  the  retreat  of  Antoine  Giraud  and  his  com- 
panions. 

There  came  in  front  the  customary  band,  playing  a  lively 
air  which  use  has  long  appropriated  to  the  festivities  of 
Hymen.  The  lord  of  the  Manor,  or,  as  he  was  termed,  the 
Baron,  and  his  lady  partner  led  the  train,  both  apparelled  in 
the  rich  and  quaint  attire  of  the  period.  Six  ancient 
couples,  the  representatives  of  happy  married  lives,  fol- 
lowed by  a  long  succession  of  offspring  of  every  age,  in- 
cluding equally  the  infant  at  the  breast  and  the  husband 
and  wife  in  the  flower  of  their  days,  walked  next  to  the 
noble  pair.  Then  appeared  the  section  of  the  dwelling, 
which  was  made  to  portray  the  interior  of  domestic  econ- 
omy, having  its  kitchen,  its  utensils,  and  most  of  the  use- 
ful and  necessary  objects  that  may  be  said  to  compose  the 
material  elements  of  an  humble  menage.  Within  this 
moiety  of  a  house,  one  female  plied  the  wheel,  and  an- 
other was  occupied  in  baking.  The  notary,  bearing  the 
register  beneath  an  arm,  with  hat  in  hand,  and  dressed 
in  an  exaggerated  costume  of  his  profession,  strutted  in 
the  rear  of  the  two  industrious  housemaids.  His  appear- 
ance was  greeted  with  a  general  laugh,  for  the  spectators 
relished  the  humor  of  the  caricature  with  infinite  gout 


192  THE  HEADSMAN. 

But  this  sudden  and  general  burst  of  merriment  was  as 
quickly  forgotten  in  th£  desire  to  behold  the  bride  and 
bridegroom,  whose  station  was  next  to  that  of  the  officer 
of  the  law.  It  was  understood  that  these  parties  were  not 
actors,  but  that  the  abbaye  had  sought  out  a  couple,  of 
corresponding  rank  and  means,  who  had  consented  to  join 
their  fortunes  in  reality  on  the  occasion  of  this  great 
jubilee,  thereby  lending  to  it  a  greater  appearance  of  that 
genuine  joy  and  festivity  which  it  was  the  desire  of  the 
heads  of  the  association  to  represent.  Such  a  search  had 
not  been  made  without  exciting  deep  interest  in  the  simple 
communities  which  surrounded  Vevey.  Many  requisites 
had  been  proclaimed  to  be  necessary  in  the  candidates — 
such  as  beauty,  modesty,  merit,  and  the  submission  of  her 
sex,  in  the  bride  ;  and  in  her  partner  those  qualities  which 
might  fairly  entitle  him  to  be  the  repository  of  the  happi- 
ness of  a  maiden  so  endowed. 

Many  had  been  the  speculations  of  the  Vevaisans  touch- 
ing the  individuals  who  had  been  selected  to  perform  these 
grave  and  important  characters,  which,  for  fidelity  of  rep- 
resentation, were  to  outdo  that  of  Silenus  himself  ;  but  so 
much  care  had  been  taken  by  the  agents  of  the  abbaye  to 
conceal  the  names  of  those  they  had  selected,  that,  until 
this  moment,  when  disguise  was  no  longer  possible,  the 
public  was  completely  in  the  dark  on  the  interesting  point. 
It  was  so  usual  to  make  matches  of  this  kind  on  occasions 
of  public  rejoicing,  and  marriages  of  convenience,  as  they 
are  not  unaptly  termed,  enter  so  completely  into  the  habits 
of  all  European  communities — perhaps  we  might  say  of  all 
old  communities — that  common  opinion  would  not  have 
been  violently  outraged  had  it  been  known  that  the 
chosen  pair  saw  each  other  for  the  second  or  third  time  in 
the  procession,  and  that  they  had  now  presented  them- 
selves to  take  the  nuptial  vow,  as  it  were,  at  the  sound  of 
the  trumpet  or  beat  of  drum.  Still,  it  was  more  usual  to 
consult  the  inclinations  of  the  parties,  since  it  gave  greater 
zest  to  the  ceremony,  and  these  selections  of  couples  on 
public  occasions  were  generally  supposed  to  have  'more 
than  the  common  interest  of  marriages,  since  they  were 
believed  to  be  the  means  of  uniting,  through  the  agency  of 
the  rich  and  powerful,  those  whom  poverty  or  other  ad- 
verse circumstances  had  hitherto  kept  asunder.  Rumor 
spoke  of  many  an  inexorable  father  who  had  listened  to 
reason  from  the  mouths  of  the  great,  rather  than  balk  the 


THE  HEADSMAN.  193 

public  humor  ;  and  thousands  of  pining  hearts,  among  the 
obscure  and  simple,  are  even  now  gladdened  at  the  ap- 
proach of  some  joyous  ceremony,  which  is  expected  to 
throw  open  the  gates  of  the  prison  to  the  debtor  and  the 
criminal,  or  that  of  Hymen  to  those  who  are  richer  in  con- 
stancy and  affection  than  in  any  other  stores. 

A  general  murmur  and  a  common  movement  betrayed 
the  lively  interest  of  the  spectators,  as  the  principal  and 
real  actors  in  this  portion  of  the  ceremonies  drew  near. 
Adelheid  felt  a  warm  glow  on  her  cheek,  and  a  gentler 
flow  of  kindness  at  her  heart  when  her  eye  first  caught  a 
view  of  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  whom  she  was  fain  to 
believe  a  faithful  pair  that  a  cruel  fortnne  had  hitherto 
kept  separate,  and  who  were  now  willing  to  brave  such 
strictures  as  all  must  encounter  who  court  public  atten- 
tion, in  order  to  receive  the  reward  of  their  enduring  love 
and  self-denial.  This  sympathy,  which  was  at  first  rather 
of  an  abstract  and  vague  nature,  finding  its  support  chiefly 
in  her  own  peculiar  situation  and  the  qualities  of  her  gen- 
tle nature,  became  intensely  heightened,  however,  when  she 
got  a  better  view  of  the  bride.  The  modest  mien,  abashed 
eye,  and  difficult  breathing  of  the  girl,  wrhose  personal 
charms  were  of  an  order  much  superior  to  those  which  usu- 
ally distinguish  rustic  beauty  in  those  countries  in  which 
females  are  not  exempted  from  the  labors  of  the  field,  were 
so  natural  and  winning  as  to  awaken  all  her  interest ;  and, 
with  instinctive  quickness,  the  lady  of  Willading  bent  her 
look  on  the  bridegroom,  in  order  to  see  if  one  whose  ap- 
pearance was  so  eloquent  in  her  favor  was  likely  to  be  hap- 
py in  her  choice.  In  age,  personal  appearance,  and  ap- 
parently in  condition  of  life,  there  was  no  very  great 
unfitness,  though  Adelheid  fancied  that  the  mien  of  the 
maiden  announced  a  better  breeding  than  that  of  her  com- 
panion— a  difference  which  she  was  willing  to  ascribe, 
however,  to  a  greater  aptitude  in  her  owrn  sex  to  receive 
the  first  impress  of  the  moral  seal,  than  that  which  belongs 
to  man. 

"  She  is  fair,"  whispered  Adelheid,  slightly  bending  her 
head  toward  Sigismund,  who  stood  at  her  side,  "  and  must 
deserve  her  happiness." 

"  She  is  good,  and  merits  a  better  fate ! "  muttered 
the  youth,  breathing  so  hard  as  to  render  his  respiration 
audible. 

The  startled  Adelheid  raised  her  eyes,   and  strong  but 

13 


194  THE   IIRADSMAN. 

suppressed  agitation  was  quivering  in  every  lineament  of 
her  companion's  countenance.  The  attention  of  those 
near  was  so  closely  drawn  toward  the  procession,  as  to  al- 
low an  instant  of  unobserved  communication. 

"  Sigismund,  this  is  thy  sister  !  " 

"  God  so  cursed  her." 

"  Why  has  an  occasion,  public  as  this,  been  chosen  to 
wed  a  maiden  of  her  modesty  and  manner  ?  " 

"  Can  the  daughter  of  Balthazar  be  squeamish  ?  Gold, 
the  interest  of  the  abbaye,  and  the  foolish  eclat  of  this 
silly  scene,  have  enabled  my  father  to  dispose  of  his  child 
to  yonder  mercenary,  who  has  bargained  like  a  Jew  in  the 
aifair,  and  who,  among  other  conditions,  has  required  that 
the  true  name  of  his  bride  shall  never  be  revealed.  Are 
we  not  honored  by  a  connection  which  repudiates  us  even 
before  it  is  formed  ! " 

The  hollow  stifled  laugh  of  the  young  man  thrilled  on 
the  nerves  of  his  listener,  and  she  ceased  the  stolen  dia- 
logue to  return  to  the  subject  at  a  more  favorable  moment. 
In  the  meantime  the  procession  had  reached  the  station  in 
front  of  the  stage,  where  the  mummers  had  already  com- 
menced their  rites. 

A  dozen  groomsmen  and  as  many  female  attendants  ac- 
companied the  pair  who  were  about  to  take  the  nuptial 
vow.  Behind  these  came  the  trousseau  and  the  corbeille ; 
the  first  being  that  portion  of  the  dowry  of  the  bride  which 
applies  to  her  personal  wants,  and  the  last  is  an  offering  of 
the  husband,  and  is  figuratively  supposed  to  be  the  pledge 
of  the  strength  of  his  passion.  In  the  present  instance  the 
trousseau  was  so  ample,  and  betokened  so  much  liberality, 
as  well  as  means,  on  the  part  of  the  friends  of  a  maiden 
who  would  consent  to  become  a  wife  in  a  ceremony  so  pub- 
lic, as  to  create  general  surprise  ;  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
a  solitary  chain  of  gold,  of  rustic  fashion,  and  far  more  in 
consonance  with  the  occasion,  was  the  sole  tribute  of  the 
swain.  This  difference  between  the  liberality  of  the  friends 
of  the  bride,  and  that  of  the  individual,  who,  judging  from 
appearances,  had  much  the  most  reason  to  show  his  satis- 
faction, did  not  fail  to  give  rise  to  many  comments.  They 
ended,  as  most  comments  do,  by  deductions  drawn  against 
the  weaker  and  least  defended  of  the  parties.  The  general 
conclusion  was  so  uncharitable  as  to  infer  that  a  girl  thus 
bestowed  must  be  under  peculiar  disadvantages,  else  would 
there  have  been  a  greater  equality  between  the  gifts  ;  an 


THE  HEADSMAN.  IQ$ 

inference  that  was  sufficiently  true,  though  cruelly  unjust 
to  its  modest  but  unconscious  subject. 

While  speculations  of  this  nature  were  rife  among  the 
spectators,  the  actors  in  the  ceremony  began  their  dances, 
which  were  distinguished  by  the  quaint  formality  that  be- 
longed to  the  politeness  of  the  age.  The  songs  that  suc- 
ceeded were  in  honor  of  Hymen  and  his  votaries,  and  a 
few  couplets  that  extolled  the  virtues  and  beauty  of  the 
bride  were  chanted  in  chorus.  A  sweep  appeared  at  the 
chimney-top,  raising  his  cry,  in  allusion  to  the  business  of 
the  menage,  and  then  all  moved  away,  as  had  been  done 
by  those  who  had  preceded  them.  A  guard  of  halberdiers 
closed  the  procession. 

That  part  of  the  mummeries  which  was  to  be  enacted  in 
front  of  the  estradc  was  now  ended  for  the  moment,  and 
the  different  groups  proceeded  to  various  other  stations  in 
the  town,  where  the  ceremonies  were  to  be  repeated  for 
the  benefit  of  those  who,  by  reason  of  the  throng,  had  not 
been  able  to  get  a  near  view  of  what  had  passed  in  the 
square.  Most  of  the  privileged  profited  by  the  pause  to 
leave  their  seats,  and  to  seek  such  relaxation  as  the  con- 
finement rendered  agreeable.  Among  those  who  entirely 
quitted  the  square  were  the  bailiff  and  his  friends,  who 
strolled  toward  the  promenade  on  the  lake-shore,  holding 
discourse,  in  which  there  was  blended  much  facetious  mer- 
riment concerning  what  they  had  just  seen. 

The  bailiff  soon  drew  his  companions  around  him,  in  a 
deep  discussion  of  the  nature  of  the  games,  during  which 
the  Signor  Grimaldi  betrayed  a  malicious  pleasure  in  lead- 
ing on  the  dogmatic  Peter  to  expose  the  confusion  that 
existed  in  his  head,  touching  the  characters  of  sacred  and 
profane  history.  Even  Adelheid  was  compelled  to  laugh 
at  the  commencement  of  this  ludicrous  exhibition,  but  her 
thoughts  were  not  long  in  recurring  to  a  subject  in  which 
she  felt  a  nearer  and  a  more  tender  interest.  Sigismund 
walked  thoughtfully  at  her  side,  and  she  profited  by  the 
attention  of  all  around  them  being  drawn  to  the  laughable 
dialogue  just  mentioned,  to  renew  the  subject  that  had  been 
so  lightly  touched  on  before. 

"  I  hope  thy  fair  and  modest  sister  will  never  have  reason 
to  repent  her  choice,"  she  said,  lessening  her  speed  in  a 
manner  to  widen  the  distance  between  herself  and  those 
she  did  not  wish  to  overhear  the  words,  while  it  brought 
her  nearer  to  Sigismund  ;  "  'tis  a  frightful  violence  to  all 


196  THE  HEADSMAN. 

maiden  feeling  to  be  thus  dragged  before  the  eyes  of  the 
curious  and  vulgar,  in  a  scene  trying  and  solemn  as  that  in 
which  she  plights  her  marriage  vows  ! " 

"  Poor  Christine  !  her  fate  from  infancy  has  been  pitia- 
ble. A  purer  or  milder  spirit  than  hers,  one  that  more 
sensitively  shrinks  from  rude  collision,  does  not  exist ; 
and  yet,  on  whichever  side  she  turns  her  eyes,  she  meets 
with  appalling  prejudices  or  opinions  to  drive  a  gentle 
nature  like  hers  to  madness.  It  may  be  a  misfortune, 
Adelheid,  to  want  instruction,  and  to  be  fated  to  pass  a  life 
in  the  depths  of  ignorance,  and  in  the  indulgence  of  brutal 
passions,  but  it  is  scarcely  a  blessing  to  have  the  mind 
elevated  above  the  tasks  which  a  cruel  and  selfish  world  so 
frequently  imposes." 

"  Thou  wast  speaking  of  thy  mild  and  excellent  sis- 
ter  " 

"Well  hast  thou  described  her!  Christine  is  mild,  and 
more  than  modest — she  is  meek.  But  what  can  meekness 
itself  do  to  palliate  such  a  calamity?  Desirous  of  averting 
the  stigma  of  his  family  from  all  he  could  with  prudence, 
my  father  caused  my  sister  like  myself,  to  be  early  taken 
from  the  parental  home.  She  was  given  in  charge  to 
strangers,  under  such  circumstances  of  secrecy,  as  left  her 
long,  perhaps  too  long,  in  ignorance  of  the  stock  from 
which  she  sprang.  When  maternal  pride  led  my  mother 
to  seek  her  daughter's  society,  the  mind  of  Christine  was 
in  some  measure  formed,  and  she  had  to  endure  the  humil- 
iation of  learning  that  she  was  one  of  a  family  proscribed. 
Her  gentle  spirit,  however,  soon  became  reconciled  to  the 
truth,  at  least  so  far  as  human  observation  could  penetrate, 
and,  from  the  moment  of  the  first  terrible  agony,  no  one 
has  heard  her  murmur  at  the  stern  decree  of  Providence. 
The  resignation  of  that  mild  girl  has  ever  been  a  reproach 
to  my  own  rebellious  temper,  for,  Adelheid,  I  cannot  con- 
ceal the  truth  from  thee — I  have  cursed  all  that  I  dared 
include  in  my  wicked  imprecations,  in  very  madness  at 
this  blight  on  my  hopes  !  Nay,  I  have  even  accused  my 
father  of  injustice,  that  he  did  not  train  me  at  the  side  of 
the  block,  that  I  might  take  a  savage  pride  in  that  which 
is  now  the  bane  of  my  existence.  Not  so  with  Christine  ; 
she  has  always  warmly  returned  the  affection  of  our  par- 
ents, as  a  daughter  should  love  the  author  of  her  being, 
while  I  fear  I  have  been  repining  when  I  should  have 
loved.  Our  origin  is  a  curse  entailed  by  the  ruthless  laws 


THE  HEADSMAN.  I97 

of  the  land,  and  it  is  not  to  be  attributed  to  any,  at  least 
to  none  of  these  later  days,  as  a  fault  ;  and  such  has  ever 
been  the  language  of  my  poor  sister  when  she  has  seen  a 
merit  in  their  wishes  to  benefit  us  at  the  expense  of  their 
own  natural  affection.  I  would  I  could  imitate  her  reason 
and  resignation ! " 

"  The  view  taken  by  thy  sister  is  that  of  a  female,  Sigis- 
mund,  whose  heart  is  stronger  than  her  pride  ;  and,  what 
is  more,  it  is  just." 

"  I  deny  it  not  ;  'tis  just.  But  the  ill-judged  mercy  has 
forever  disqualified  me  to  sympathize  as  I  could  wish  with 
those  to  whom  I  belong.  Tis  an  error  to  draw  these  broad 
distinctions  between  our  habits  and  our  affections.  Creat- 
ures stern  as  soldiers  cannot  bend  their  fancies  like  pliant 
twigs,  or  with  the  facility  of  female — 

"  Duty,"  said  Adelheid,  gravely,  observing  that  he  hesi- 
tated. 

"  If  thou  wilt,  duty.  The  word  has  great  weight  with 
thy  sex,  and  I  do  not  question  that  it  should  have  with 
mine." 

"  Thou  canst  not  be  wanting  in  affection  for  thy  father, 
Sigismund.  The  manner  in  which  thou  interposedst  to  save 
his  life,  when  we  were  in  the  fearful  jeopardy  of  the  tem- 
pest, disproves  thy  words." 

"  Heaven  forbid  that  I  should  be  wanting  in  natural 
feeling  of  this  sort,  and  yet,  Adelheid,  it  is  horrible  not  to 
be  able  to  respect,  to  love  profoundly,  those  to  whom  we 
owe  our  existence  !  Christine  in  this  is  far  happier  than 
I,  an  advantage  that  I  doubt  not  she  owes  to  her  simple 
life,  and  to  the  closer  intimacies  which  unites  females.  I 
am  the  son  of  a  headsman  ;  that  bitter  fact  is  never  absent 
from  my  thoughts  when  they  turn  to  home  and  those 
scenes  in  which  I  could  so  gladly  take  pleasure.  Balthazar 
may  have  meant  a  kindness  when  he  caused  me  to  be  trained 
in  habits  so  different  from  his  own,  but,  to  complete  the 
good  work,  the  veil  should  never  have  been  removed." 

Adelheid  was  silent.  Though  she  understood  the  feel- 
ings which  controlled  one  educated  so  very  differently 
from  those  to  whom  he  owed  his  birth,  her  habits  of 
thought  were  opposed  to  the  indulgence  of  any  reflections 
that  could  unsettle  the  reverence  of  the  child  for  its 
parents. 

"  One  of  a  heart  like  thine,  Sigismund,  cannot  hate  his 
mother  I  "  she  said,  after  a  pause. 


198  THE  HEADSMAN-. 

"  In  this  thou  dost  me  no  more  than  justice  ;  my  words 
have  ill  represented  my  thoughts,  if  they  have  left  such  an 
impression.  In  cooler  moments,  I  have  never  considered  my 
birth  as  more  than  a  misfortune,  and  my  education  I  deem 
a  reason  for  additional  respect  and  gratitude  to  my  parents, 
though  it  may  have  disqualified  me  in  some  measure  to 
enter  deeply  into  their  feelings.  Christine  herself  is  not 
more  true,  nor  of  more  devoted  love,  than  my  poor  mother. 
It  is  necessary,  Adelheid,  to  see  and  know  that  excellent 
woman  in  order  to  understand  all  the  wrongs  that  the 
world  inflicts  by  its  ruthless  usages." 

"We  will  now  speak  only  of  thy  sister.  Has  she  been 
here  bestowed  without  regard  to  her  own  wishes,  Sigis- 
mund?" 

"  I  hope  not.  Christine  is  meek,  but,  while  neither 
word  nor  look  betrays  the  weakness,  still  she  feels  the 
load  that  crushes  us  both.  She  has  long  accustomed  her- 
self to  look  at  all  her  own  merits  through  the  medium  of 
this  debasement,  and  has  set  too  low  a  value  on  her  own 
excellent  qualities.  Much,  very  much,  depends,  in  this 
life,  on  our  own  habits  of  self-estimation,  Adelheid  ;  for 
he  who  is  prepared  to  admit  unworthiness — I  speak  not  of 
demerit  toward  God  but  toward  men — will  soon  become 
accustomed  to  familiarity  with  a  standard  below  his  just 
pretensions,  and  will  end  perhaps  in  being  the  thing  he 
dreaded.  Such  has  been  the  consequence  of  Christine's 
knowledge  of  her  birth,  for,  to  her  meek  spirit,  there  is  an 
appearance  of  generosity,  in  overlooking  this  grand  defect, 
and  it  has  too  well  prepared  her  mind  to  endow  the  youth 
with  a  hundred  more  of  the  qualities  that  are  absolutely 
necessary  to  her  esteem,  but  which  I  fear  exist  only  in  her 
own  warm  fancy." 

"  This  is  touching  on  the  most  difficult  branch  of  hu- 
man knowledge,"  returned  Adelheid,  smiling  sweetly  on 
the  agitated  brother;  "a  just  appreciation  of  ourselves. 
If  there  is  danger  of  setting  too  Iowa  value  on  our  merits, 
there  is  also  some  danger  of  setting  too  high  ;  though  I 
perfectly  comprehend  the  difference  you  would  make  be- 
tween vulgar  vanity,  and  that  self-respect  which  is  cer- 
tainly in  some  degree  necessary  to  success.  But  one,  like 
her  thou  hast  described,  would  scarce  yield  her  affections 
without  good  reason  to  think  them  well  bestowed." 

"  Adelheid,  thou,  who  hast  never  felt  the  world's  con- 
tempt, cannot  understand  how  winning  respect  and  esteem 


THE   HEADSMAN.  199 

can  be  made  to  those  who  pine  beneath  its  weight !  My 
sister  hath  so  long  accustomed  herself  to  think  meanly  of 
her  hopes,  that  the  appearance  of  liberality  and  justice  in 
this  youth  would  have  been  sufficient  of  itself  to  soften  her 
feelings  in  his  favor.  I  cannot  say  I  think — for  Christine 
will  soon  be  his  wife — but  will  say,  I  fear  that  the  simple 
fact  of  his  choosing  one  that  the  world  persecutes  has 
given  him  a  value  in  her  eyes  he  might  not  otherwise  have 
possessed." 

"  Thou  dost  not  apppear  to  approve  of  thy  sister's 
choice  ?" 

"  I  know  the  details  of  the  disgusting  bargain  better 
than  poor  Christine,"  answered  the  young  man,  speaking 
between  his  teeth,  like  one  who  repressed  bitter  emotion. 
"  I  was  privy  to  the  greedy  exactions  on  the  one  side,  and 
to  the  humiliating  concessions  on  the  other.  Even  money 
could  not  buy  this  boon  for  Balthazar's  child,  without  a 
condition  that  the  ineffaceable  stigma  of  her  birth  should 
be  forever  concealed." 

Adelheid  saw,  by  the  cold  perspiration  that  stood  on  the 
brow  of  Sigismund,  how  intensely  he  suffered,  and  she 
sought  an  immediate  occasion  to  lead  his  thoughts  to  a 
less  disturbing  subject.  With  the  readiness  of  her  sex,  and 
with  the  sensitiveness  and  delicacy  of  a  woman  that  sin- 
cerely loved,  she  found  means  to  effect  the  charitable  pur- 
pose, without  again  alarming  his  pride.  She  succeeded  so 
far  in  calming  his  feelings,  that  when  they  rejoined  their 
companions,  the  manner  of  the  young  man  had  entirely  re- 
gained the  quiet  and  proud  composure  in  which  he  ap- 
peared to  take  refuge  against  the  consciousness  of  the  blot 
that  darkened  his  hopes,  frequently  rendering  life  itself  a 
burden  nearly  too  heavy  to  be  borne. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

• ; Come  apace,  good  Audrey,  I  will  fetch 

Up  your  goats,  Audrey  :  and  how,  Audrey  ?  am 

I  the  man  yet  ?     Doth  my  simple  features  content 

You  ?  "  —As  You  Like  It. 

WHILE  the  mummeries  related  were  exhibiting  in  the 
great  square,  Maso,  Pippo,  Conrad,  and  the  others  con- 
cerned in  the  little  disturbance  connected  with  the  affair  of 


too  THE  IIEADSMAAr. 

{.lie  dog,  were  eating  their  discontent  within  the  walls 
of  the  guard-house.  Vevey  had  several  squares,  and  the 
various  ceremonies  of  the  gods  and  demigods  were  now  to 
be  repeated  in  the  smaller  areas.  On  one  of  the  latter 
stand  the  town-house  and  prison.  The  offenders  in 
question  had  been  summarily  transferred  to  the  jail,  in 
obedience  to  the  command  of  the  officer  charged  with  the 
preservation  of  the  peace.  By  an  act  of  grace,  however, 
that  properly  belonged  to  the  day  as  \vell  as  to  the  char- 
acter of  the  offence,  the  prisoners  were  permitted  to  occupy 
a  part  of  the  edifice  that  commanded  a  view7  of  the  square, 
and  consequently  wrere  not  precluded  from  all  participation 
in  the  joyousness  of  the  festivities.  This  indulgence  had 
been  accorded  on  the  condition  that  the  parties  should 
cease  their  wrangling,  and  otherwise  conduct  themselves 
in  a  way  not  to  bring  scandal  on  the  exhibition  in  which 
the  pride  of  every  Vevaisan  wras  so  deeply  enlisted.  All 
the  captives,  the  innocent  as  well  as  the  guilty,  gladly  sub- 
scribed to  the  terms  ;  for  they  found  themselves  in  a  tem- 
porary duress  which  did  not  admit  of  any  fair  argument  of 
the  merits  of  the  case,  and  there  is  no  leveller  so  effectual 
as  a  common  misfortune. 

The  anger  of  Maso,  though  sudden  and  violent,  the  ef- 
fect of  a  hot  temperament,  had  quickly  subsided  in  a  calm 
which  more  probably  belonged  to  his  education  and  opin- 
ions, in  all  of  wrhich  he  was  much  superior  to  his  profligate 
antagonist.  Contempt,  therefore,  soon  took  the  place  of 
resentment ;  and  though  too  much  accustomed  to  rude  con- 
tact with  men  of  the  pilgrim's  class  to  be  ashamed  of  what 
had  occurred,  the  mariner  strove  to  forget  the  occurrence. 
It  was  one  of  those  moral  disturbances  to  which  he  was 
scarcely  less  used,  than  he  was  accustomed  to  encounter 
physical  contests  of  the  elements  like  that  in  which  he  had 
lately  rendered  so  essential  service  on  the  Leman. 

"Give  me  thy  hand,  Conrad,"  he  said,  with  the  frank 
forgiveness  which  is  apt  to  distinguisli  the  reconciliation 
of  men  who  pass  their  lives  among  the  violent,  but  some- 
times ennobling  scenes  of  adventure  and  lawlessness. 
"  Thou  hast  thy  humors  and  habits,  and  I  have  mine.  If 
them  findest  this  trafficking  in  penances  and  prayers  to  thy 
fancy,  follow  the  trade,  for  Heaven's  sake,  and  leave  me 
and  my  dog  to  live  by  other  means." 

"  Thou  oughtst  to  have  bethought  thee  how  much  reason 
we  pilgrims  have  to  prize  the  mastiffs  of  the  mountains," 


THE   HEADSMAN.  201 

answered  Conrad,  "  and  how  likely  it  was  to  stir  my  blood 
to  see  another  cur  devouring  that  which  was  intended  for 
old  Uberto.  Thou  hast  never  toiled  up  the  sides  of  St. 
Bernard,  friend  Maso,  loaded  with  the  sins  of  a  whole  par- 
ish, to  say  nothing  of  thine  own,  and  therefore  cans{  not 
know  the  value  of  these  brutes  who  so  often  stand  between 
us  pilgrims  and  a  grave  of  snow." 

II  Maledetto  smile/1  grimly,  and  muttered  a  sentence  be- 
tween his  teeth  ;  for,  in  perfect  consonance  with  the  frank 
lawlessness  of  his  own  life,  there  was  a  reckless  honesty  in 
his  nature,  which  caused  him  to  despise  hypocrisy  as  un- 
worthy of  the  bold  attributes  of  manhood. 

u  Have  itasthou  wilt,  pious  Conrad,"  he  said  sneeringly, 
"  so  there  be  peace  between  us.  I  am,  as  thou  knowest,  an 
Italian,  and  though  we  of  the  south  seek  revenge  occasion- 
ally of  those  who  wrong  us,  it  is  not  often  that  we  do  vio- 
lence after  giving  a  willing  palm — I  trust  ye  of  Germany 
are  no  less  honest  ?  " 

"  May  the  Virgin  be  deaf  to  every  ave  I  have  sworn  to 
repeat,  and  the  good  fathers  of  Loretto  refuse  absolution, 
if  I  think  more  of  it  !  Twas  but  the  gripe  of  a  throat,  and 
I  am  not  so  tender  in  that  part  of  the  body  as  to  fear  it  is 
to  be  the  forerunner  of  a  closer  squeeze.  Didst  ever  hear 
of  a  churchman  that  suffered  in  this  way  ?" 

"Men  often  escape  with  less  than  their  deserts,"  Maso 
dryly  answered.  "Well,  fortune,  or  the  saints,  or  Calvin, 
or  whatever  power  most  suits  your  tastes,  good  friends, 
has  at  length  put  a  roof  over  our  heads, — an  honor  that 
rarely  arrives  to  most  of  us,  if  I  may  judge  by  appearances 
and  some  little  knowledge  of  the  different  trades  we  follow. 
Thou  wilt  have  a  fair  occasion  to  suffer  Policinello  to  rest 
from  his  uneasy  antics,  Pippo,  while  his  master  breathes 
the  air  through  a  window  for  the  first  time  in  many  a  day, 
as  I  will  answer." 

The  Neapolitan  had  no  difficulty  in  laughing  at  this 
sally ;  for  his  was  a  nature  that  took  all  things  pleasantly, 
though  it  took  nothing  under  the  corrective  of  principle  or 
a  respect  for  the  rights  of  others. 

"  Were  this  Napoli,with  her  gentle  sky  and  hot  volcano," 
he  said,  smiling  at  the  allusion,  "  no  one  would  have  less 
relish  for  a  roof  than  myself." 

"  Thou  wast  born  beneath  the  arch  of  some  Duca's  gate- 
way," returned  Maso,  with  a  sort  of  reckless  sarcasm  that 
as  often  cut  his  friends  as  his  enemies  ;  "thou  wilt  prob- 


202  THE  HEADSMAN. 

ably  die  in  the  hospital  of  the  poor,  and  wilt  surely  be  shot 
from  the  death-cart  into  one  of  the  daily  holes  of  thy 
Campo  Santo  among  a  goodly  company  of  Christians,  in 
which  arms  and  legs  will  be  thrown  at  random  like  jack- 
straws,  and  the  wisest  among  ye  all  will  be  puzzled  to  tell 
his  own  limbs  from  those  of  his  neighbors,  at  the  sound 
of  the  last  trumpet." 

"  Am  I  a  dog,  to  meet  this  end  ?•"  demanded  Pippo, 
fiercely — "  or  that  I  should  not  know  my  own  bones  from 
those  of  some  infidel  rascal  who  may  happen  to  be  my 
neighbor  ?" 

"  We  have  had  one  disturbance  about  brutes,  let  us 
not  have  another,"  sarcastically  rejoined  II  Maledetto. 
"  Princes  and  nobles,"  he  added,  with  affected  gravity, 
**  we  are  here  bound  by  the  heels  during  the  good  pleas- 
ure of  those  who  rule  in  Vevey  ;  the  wisest  course  will  be 
to  pass  the  time  in  good  humor  with  each  other,  and  as 
pleasantly  as  our  condition  will  allow.  The  reverend  Con- 
rad shall  have  all  the  honors  of  a  cardinal,  Pippo  shall 
have  the  led  horse  at  his  funeral,  and  as  for  these  worthy 
Vaudois,  who,  no  doubt,  are  men  of  substance  in  their 
way,  they  shall  be  bailiffs  sent  by  Berne  to  rule  between 
the  four  walls  of  our  palace!  Life  is  but  a  graver  sort  of 
mummery,  gentlemen,  and  the  second  of  its  rarest  secrets  is 
to  make  others  fancy  us  what  we  wish  to  appear — the  first 
being,  without  question,  the  faculty  of  deceiving  ourselves. 
Now  each  one  has-xmly  to  imagine  that  he  is  the  high  per- 
sonage I  have  just  named,  and  the  most  difficult  part  of 
the  work  is  achieved  to  his  hands." 

"  Thou  hast  forgotten  to  name  thine  own  quality,"  cried 
Pippo,  who  was  too  much  used  to  buffoonery  not  to  relish 
the  whim  of  Maso,  and  who,  with  Neapolitan  fickleness, 
forgot  his  anger  the  instant  he  had  given  it  vent. 

"  I  will  represent  the  sapient  public,  and,  being  well 
disposed  to  be  duped,  the  whole  job  is  complete.  Practice 
away,  worthies,  and  ye  shall  see  with  what  open  eyes  and 
wide  gullet  I  am  ready  to  admire  and  swallow  all  your 
philosophy." 

This  sally  produced  a  hearty  laugh,  which  rarely  fails  to 
establish  momentary  good-fellowship.  The  Vaudois,  who 
had  the  thirsty  propensities  of  mountaineers,  ordered  wine, 
and,  as  their  guardians  looked  upon  their  confinement 
more  as  a  measure  of  temporary  policy  than  of  serious 
moment,  the  command  was  obeyed.  In  a  short  time,  this 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  203 

little  group  of  worldlings  were  making  the  best  of  cir- 
cumstances, by  calling  in  the  aid  of  physical  stimulants  to 
cheer  their  solitude.  As  they  washed  their  throats  with 
the  liquor,  which  was  both  good  and  cheap,  and  by  conse- 
quence doubly  agreeable,  the  true  characters  of  the  differ- 
ent individuals  began  to  show  themselves  in  stronger  col- 
ors. 

The  peasants  of  Vaud,  of  whom  there  were  three,  and  all 
of  the  lowest  class,  became  confused  and  dull  in  their 
faculties,  though  louder  and  more  vehement  in  speech, 
each  man  appearing  to  balance  the  increasing  infirmities 
of  his  reason  by  stronger  physical  demonstrations  of  folly. 

Conrad,  the  pilgrim,  threw  aside  the  mask  entirely,  if 
indeed  so  thin  a  veil  as  that  he  ordinarily  wore  when  not 
in  the  presence  of  his  employers  deserved  such  a  name, 
and  appeared  the  miscreant  he  truly  was — a  strange  ad- 
mixture of  cowardly  superstition  (for  few  meddle  with 
superstition  without  getting  more  or  less  entangled  in  its 
meshes),  of  low  cunning,  and  of  the  most  abject  and  gross 
sensuality  and  vice.  The  invention  and  wit  of  Pippo,  at 
all  times  ready  and  ingenious,  gained  increased  powers, 
but  the  torrent  of  animal  spirits  that  were  let  loose  by  his 
potations  swept  before  it  all  reserve,  and  he  scarce  opened 
his  mouth  but  to  betray  the  thoughts  of  a  man  long  prac- 
tised in  frauds  and  all  other  evil  designs  on  the  rights  of 
his  fellow  creatures.  On  Maso  the  wine  produced  an  effect 
that  might  almost  be  termed  characteristic,  and  which  it  is 
in  some  sort  germane  to  the  moral  of  the  tale  to  describe. 

II  Maledetto  had  indulged  freely  and  with  apparent 
recklessness  in  the  frequent  draughts.  He  was  long  famil- 
iarized to  the  habits  of  this  wild  and  uncouth  fellowship, 
and  a  singular  sentiment,  that  men  of  his  class  choose  to 
call  honor,  and  which  perhaps  deserves  the  name  as  much 
as  half  of  the  principles  that  are  described  by  the  same 
appellation,  prevented  him  from  refusing  to  incur  an  equal 
risk  in  the  common  assault  on  their  faculties,  inducing 
him  to  swallow  his  full  share  of  the  intoxicating  fluid  as 
the  cup  passed  from  one  reeking  mouth  to  another.  He 
liked  the  wine,  too,  and  tasted  its  perfume,  and  cherished 
its  glowing  influence,  with  the  perfect  good-will  of  a  man 
who  knew  how  to  profit  by  the  accident  which  placed  such 
generous  liquor  at  his  command.  He  had  also  his  designs 
in  wishing  to  unmask  his  companions,  and  he  thought  the 
moment  favorable  to  such  an  intention.  In  addition  to 


204  THE  HEADSMAN. 

these  motives,  Maso  had  his  especial  reasons  for  being  tin* 
easy  at  finding  himself  in  the  hands  of  the  authorities,  and 
he  was  not  sorry  to  bring  about  a  state  of  things  that  might 
lead  to  his  being  confounded  with  the  others  in  a  group  of 
vulgar  devotees  of  Bacchus. 

But  Maso  yielded  to  the  common  disposition  in  a  man- 
ner peculiar  to  himself.  His  eyes  became  even  more 
lustrous  than  usual,  his  face  reddened,  and  his  voice  even 
grew  thick,  while  his  senses  retained  their  powers.  His 
reason,  instead  of  giving  way,  like  those  of  the  men  around 
him,  rather  brightened  under  the  excitement,  as  if  it  fore- 
saw the  danger  it  incurred,  and  the  greater  necessity  there 
existed  for  vigilance.  Though  born  in  a  southern  clime, 
he  was  saturnine  and  cold  when  unexcited,  and  such  tem- 
peraments rather  gain  their  tone  than  lose  their  powers  by 
stimulants  under  which  men  of  feebler  organizations  sink. 
He  had  passed  his  life  amid  wild  adventure  and  in  scenes 
of  peril  which  suited  such  a  disposition,  and  it  most  prob- 
ably required  either  some  strong  motive  of  danger,  like 
that  of  the  tempest  on  the  Leman,  or  a  stimulant  of  another 
quality,  to  draw  out  the  latent  properties  of  his  mind, 
which  so  well  fitted  him  to  lead  when  others  were  the  most 
disposed  to  follow.  He  was,  therefore,  without  fear  for 
himself  while  he  aroused  his  companions ;  and  he  was  free 
of  his  purse,  which  did  not,  however,  appear  to  be  suffi- 
ciently stored  to  answer  very  heavy  demands,  by  ordering 
cup  after  cup  to  supply  the  place  of  those  which  were  so 
quickly  drained  to  the  dregs.  In  this  manner  an  hour  or 
two  passed  swiftly,  they  who  were  charged  with  the  care  of 
the  jolly  party  in  the  town-house  being  much  more  occu- 
pied in  noting  the  festivities  without,  than  those  within, 
the  prison. 

"  Thou  hast  a  merry  life  of  it,  honest  Pippo,"  cried  Con- 
rad, with  swimming  eyes,  answering  a  remark  of  the  buf- 
foon. "  Thou  art  but  a  laugh  at  the  best,  and  wilt  go 
through  the  world  grinning  and  making  others  grin.  Thy 
Policinello  is  a  rare  fellow,  and  I  never  meet  one  of  thy 
set  that  weary  legs  and  sore  feet  are  not  forgotten  in  his 
fooleries  !  " 

"  Corpo  di  Bacco  ! — I  wish  this  were  so  ;  but  thou  hast 
much  the  best  of  the  matter,  even  in  the  way  of  amuse- 
ment, reverend  pilgrim,  though  to  the  looker-on  it  would 
seem  otherwise.  The  difference  between  us,  pious  Conrad, 
is  just  this — that  thou  laughest  in  thy  sleeve  without  seem- 


THE   flEADSMAN".  205 

ing  to  be  merry,  whereas  I  yawn  ready  to  split  my  jaws 
while  I  seem  to  be  dying  with  fun.  Your  often-told  joke 
is  a  bad  companion,  and  gets  at  last  to  be  as  gloomy  as  a 
dirge.  Wine  can  be  swallowed  but  once,  and  laughter 
will  not  come  forever  for  the  same  folly.  Cospetto  !  I 
would  give  the  earnings  of  a  year  for  a  set  of  new  jokes, 
such  as  might  come  fresh  from  the  wit  of  one  who  never 
saw  a  mountebank,  and  are  not  worn  threadbare  with  being 
rubbed  against  the  brains  of  all  the  jokers  in  Europe." 

"  There  was  a  wise  man  of  old,  of  whom  it  is  not  proba- 
ble that  any  of  you  have  ever  heard,"  observed  Maso,  "who 
has  said  that  there  was  nothing  new  under  the  sun." 

"  He  who  said  that  never  tasted  of  this  liquor,  which  is 
as  raw  as  if  it  were  still  running  from  the  press,"  rejoined 
the  pilgrim.  "  Knave,  dost  think  that  we  are  unknowing 
in  these  matters,  that  thou  darest  bring  a  pot  of  such  lees 
to. men  of  our  quality  ?  Go  to,  and  see  that  thou  doest  us 
better  justice  in  the  next  ?  " 

"  The  wine  is  the  same  as  that  which  first  pleased  you, 
but  it  is  the  nature  of  drunkenness  to  change  the  palate  ; 
and  therein  Solomon  was  right  as  in  all  other  points," 
coolly  remarked  II  Maledetto.  "  Nay,  friend,  thou  wilt 
scarce  bring  thy  liquors  again  to  those  who  do  not  know 
how  to  do  them  proper  honor." 

Maso  thrust  the  lad  who  served  them  from  the  room,  and 
he  slipped  a  small  coin  into  his  hand,  ordering  him  not  to 
return.  Inebriety  had  made  sufficient  ravages  for  his  ends, 
and  he  was  now  desirous  of  stopping  further  excesses. 

"  Here  come  the  mummers — gods  and  goddesses,  shep- 
herds and  their  lasses,  and  all  the  other  pleasantries  to 
keep  us  in  humor!  To  do  these  Vevaisans  justice,  they 
treat  us  rarely  ;  for  ye  see  they  send  their  players  to  amuse 
our  retirement!" 

"  Wine  !  liquor !  raw  or  ripe,  bring  us  liquor  ! "  roared 
Conrad,  Pippo,  and  their  pot-companions,  who  were  much 
too  drunk  to  detect  the  agency  of  Maso  in  defeating  their 
wishes,  though  they  were  just  drunk  enough  to  fancy  that 
what  he  said  of  the  attention  of  the  authorities  was  not 
only  true  but  merited. 

"  How  now,  Pippo  !  art  ashamed  to  be  outdone  in  thine 
own  craft,  that  thou  bellowest  for  wine  at  the  moment 
when  the  actors  have  come  into  the  square  to  exhibit  their 
skill  ?"  cried  the  mariner.  "  Truly,  we  shall  have  a  mean 
opinion  of  thy  merit,  if  thou  art  afraid  to  meet  a  fe\V 


206  THE  HEADSMAN. 

Vaudois  peasants  in  thy  trade, — and  thou  a  buffoon  of 
Napoli !  " 

Pippo  swore  with  pot-oaths  that  he  defied  the  cleverest 
of  Switzerland  ;  for  that  he  had  not  only  acted  on  every 
mall  and  mole  of  Italy,  but  that  he  had  exhibited  in  private 
before  princes  and  cardinals,  and  that  he  had  no  superior 
on  either  side  of  the  Alps.  Maso  profited  by  his  advan- 
tage, and,  by  applying  fresh  goads  to  his  vanity,  soon  suc- 
ceeded in  causing  him  to  forget  the  wine,  and  in  drawing 
him,  with  all  the  others,  to  the  windows. 

The  processions,  in  making  the  circuit  of  the  city,  had 
now  reached  the  square  of  the  town-house,  where  the  act- 
ing and  exhibition  were  repeated,  as  has  been  already  re- 
lated in  general  terms  to  the  reader.  There  were  the  offi- 
cers of  the  abbaye,  the  vine-dressers,  the  shepherds  and 
the  shepherdesses,  Flora,  Ceres,  Pales,  and  Bacchus,  with 
all  the  others,  attended  by  their  several  trains,  and  borne 
in  state  as  became  their  high  attributes.  Silenus  rolled 
from  his  ass,  to  the  great  joy  of  a  thousand  shouting  black- 
guards, and  to  the  infinite  scandal  of  the  prisoners  at  the 
windows,  the  latter  affirming  to  a  man  that  there  was  no 
acting  in  the  case,  but  that  the  demigod  was  shamefully 
under  the  influence  of  too  many  potations  that  had  been 
swallowed  in  his  own  honor. 

We  shall  not  go  over  the  details  of  these  scenes,  which 
all  who  have  ever  witnessed  a  public  celebration  will 
readily  imagine,  nor  is  it  necessary  to  record  the  different 
sallies  of  wit  that,  under  the  inspiration  of  the  warm  wanes 
of  Vevey  and  the  excitement  of  the  revels,  issued  from 
the  group  that  clustered  around  the  windows  of  the  prison. 
All  who  have  ever  listened  to  low7  humor,  that  is  rather 
deadened  than  quickened  by  liquor,  will  understand  their 
character,  and  they  who  have  not  will  scarcely  be  losers  by 
the  omission. 

At  length  the  different  allegories  drawn  from  the  heathen 
mythology  ended,  and  the  procession  of  the  nuptials  came 
into  the  square.  The  meek  and  gentle  Christine  had  ap- 
peared nowhere  that  day  without  awakening  strong  sym- 
pathy in  her  youth,  beauty,  and  apparent  innocence.  Mur- 
murs of  approbation  accompanied  her  steps,  and  the 
maiden,  more  accustomed  to  her  situation,  began  to  feel, 
probably  for  the  first  time  since  she  had  known  the  secret 
of  her  origin,  something  like  that  security  which  is  an  in- 
dispensable accompaniment  of  happiness.  Long  used  to 


THE   HE  ADS Al AN.  207 

think  of  herself  as  one  proscribed  of  opinion,  and  edu- 
cated in  the  retirement  suited  to  the  views  of  her  parents, 
the  praises  that  reached  her  ear  could  not  but  be  grateful, 
and  they  went  warm  and  cheeringly  to  her  heart,  in  spite 
of  the  sense  of  apprehension  and  uneasiness  that  had  so 
long  harbored  there.  Throughout  the  whole  of  the  day, 
until  now,  she  had  scarce  dared  to  turn  her  eyes  to  her 
future  husband, — him  who,  in  her  simple  and  single- 
minded  judgment,  had  braved  prejudice  to  do  justice  to 
her  worth  ;  but,  as'  the  applause,  which  had  been  hitherto 
suppressed,  broke  out  in  loud  acclamations  in  the  square 
of  the  town-house,  the  color  mantled  brightly  on  her  cheek, 
and  she  looked  with  modest  pride  at  her  companion,  as  if 
she  would  say  in  the  silent  appeal,  that  his  generous  choice 
would  not  go  entirely  without  its  reward.  The  crowd  re- 
sponded to  the  sentiment,  and  never  did  votaries  of  Hy- 
men approach  the  altar  seemingly  under  happier  au- 
spices. 

The  influence  of  innocence  and  beauty  is  universal. 
Even  the  unprincipled  and  half-intoxicated  prisoners  were 
loud  in  praise  of  the  gentle  Christine.  One  praised  her 
modesty,  another  extolled  her  personal  appearance,  and  all 
united  with  the  multitude  in  shouting  to  her  honor.  The 
blood  of  the  bridegroom  began  to  quicken,  and,  by  the 
time  the  train  had  halted  in  the  open  space  near  the  build- 
ing, immediately  beneath  the  windows  occupied  by  Maso 
and  his  fellows,  he  was  looking  about  him  in  the  exulta- 
tion of  a  vulgar  mind,  which  finds  its  delight  in,  as  it  is 
apt  to  form  its  judgments  from,  the  suffrages  of  others. 

"Here  is  a  grand  and  beautiful  festa !"  said  the  hic- 
coughing Pippo,  "and  a  most  willing  bride  !  San  Gennaro 
bless  thee,  bella  sposina,  and  the  worthy  man  who  is  the 
stem  of  so  fair  a  rose  !  Send  us  wine,  generous  groom  and 
happy  bride,  that  we  may  drink  to  the  health  of  thee  and 
thine!" 

Christine  changed  color,  and  looked  furtively  around, 
for  they  who  lie  under  the  weight  of  the  world's  displeas- 
ure, though  innocent,  are  sensitively  jealous  of  allusions 
to  the  sore  points  in  their  histories.  The  feeling  commu- 
nicated itself  to  her  companion,  who  threw  distrustful 
glances  at  the  crowd,  in  order  to  ascertain  if  the  secret  of 
his  bride's  birth  were  not  discovered. 

"  A  braver  festa  never  honored  an  Italian  corso,"  con- 
tinued the  Neapolitan,  whose  head  was  running  on  his 


208  THE   HEADSMAN. 

own  fancies,  without  troubling  itself  about  the  apprehen- 
sions and  wishes  of  others.  "A  gallant  array  and  a  fail 
bride  !  Send  us  wine,  felicissimi  sposi,  that  we  may  drink 
to  your  eternal  fame  and  happiness !  Happy  the  father 
that  calls  thee  daughter,  bella  sposa,  and  most  honored 
the  mother  that  bare  so  excellent  a  child  !  Scellerati,  ye 
of  the  crowd,  why  do  ye  not  bear  the  worthy  parents  in 
your  arms,  that  all  may  see  and  do  homage  to  the  honora- 
ble roots  of  so  rich  a  branch  !  Send  us  wine,  buona  gente, 
send  us  cups  of  merry  wine  !  " 

The  cries  and  the  figurative  language  of  Pippo  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  multitude,  who  were  additionally 
amused  by  the  mixture  of  dialects  in  which  he  uttered  his 
appeals.  The  least  important  trifles,  by  giving  a  new 
direction  to  popular  sympathies,  frequently  become  the 
parents  of  grave  events.  The  crowd,  which  followed  the 
train  of  Hymen,  had  begun  to  weary  with  the  repetition 
of  the  same  ceremonies,  and  it  now  gladly  lent  itself  to 
th.e  episode  of  the  felicitations  and  entreaties  of  the  half- 
intoxicated  Neapolitan. 

"  Come  forth,  and  act  the  father  of  the  happy  bride, 
thyself,  reverend  and  grave  stranger,"  cried  one  in  deris- 
ion, from  the  throng.  "  So  excellent  an  example  w:ll  de- 
scend to  thy  children's  children,  in  blessings  on  thy  line." 

A  shout  of  laughter  rewarded  this  retort.  It  put  the 
quick-witted  Neapolitan  on  his  mettle,  to  produce  a  prompt 
and  suitable  reply. 

"  My  blessing  on  the  blushing  rose  !  "  he  answered  in  an 
instant.  "  There  are  worse  parents  than  Pippo,  for  he  who 
lives  by  making  others  laugh  deserves  well  of  men,  where- 
as there  is  your  medico,  who  eats  the  bread  of  colics,  and 
rheumatisms,  and  other  foul  diseases,  of  which  he  pretends 
to  be  the  enemy,  though  San  Gennaro  to  aid  ! — who  is 
there  so  silly,  as  not  to  see  that  the  knavish  doctor  and  the 
knavish  distemper  play  into  each  other's  hands,  as  readily 
as  Policinello  and  the  monkey." 

"  Hast  thou  another  worse  than  thyself  that  can  be 
named  ? "  cried  he  of  the  crowd. 

"  A  score,  and  thou  shalt  be  of  the  number.  My  bless- 
ing on  the  fair  bride  !  thrice  happv  is  she  that  hath  a  right 
to  receive  the  benediction  from  one  of  so  honest  life  as  the 
merry  Pippo.  Speak  not  I  the  truth,  figliola  ? " 

Christine  perceived  that  the  hand  of  her  companion  was 
coldly  releasing  her  own,  and  she  felt  the  creeping  sensa- 


THE  HEADSMAN.  209 

tion  of  the  blood,  which  is  the  common  attendant  of  ex- 
treme and  humiliating  shame.  Still  she  bore  up  against 
the  weakness,  with  that  deep  reliance  on  the  justice  of 
others  which  is  usually  the  most  strongly  seated  in  those 
who  are  the  most  innocent ;  and  she  followed  the  proces- 
sion, in  its  circuit,  with  a  step  whose  trembling  was  mis- 
taken for  no  more  than  the  embarrassment  natural  to  her 
situation. 

At  this  moment,  as  the  mummers  were  wheeling  past  the 
town-house,  and  the  air  was  filled  with  music,  while  a  gen- 
eral movement  stirred  the  multitude,  a  cry  of  alarm  arose 
in  the  building.  It  was  immediately  succeeded  by  such  a 
rush  of  bodies  toward  the  spot,  as  indicates,  in  a  throng,  a 
sudden  and  general  interest  in  some  new  and  extraordinary 
event. 

The  crowd  was  beaten  back  and  dispersed,  the  proces- 
sion had  disappeared,  and  there  was  an  unusual  appear- 
ance of  activity  and  mystery  among  the  officials  of  the 
place,  before  the  cause  of  this  disturbance  began  to  be 
whispered  among  the  few  who  remained^jn  the  square. 
The  rumor  ran  that  one  of  the  prisoners,  an  athletic  Ital- 
ian mariner,  had  profited  by  the  attention  of  all  the  other 
guardians  of  the  place  being  occupied  by  the  ceremonies, 
to  knock  down  the  solitary  sentinel  and  to  effect  his  es- 
cape, followed  by  all  the  drunkards  who  were  able  to 
run. 

The  evasion  of  a  few  lawless  blackguards  from  their 
prison  was  not  an  event  likely  long  to  divert  the  attention 
of  the  curious  from  the  amusements  of  the  day,  especially 
as  it  was  understood  that  their  confinement  would  have 
terminated  of  itself  with  the  setting  sun.  But  when  the 
fact  was  communicated  to  Peter  Hofmeister,  the  sturdy 
bailiif  swore  fifty  harsh  oaths  at  the  impudence  of  the 
knaves,  at  the  carelessness  of  their  keepers,  and  in  honor 
of  the  good  cause  of  justice  in  general.  After  which  he 
incontinently  commanded  that  the  runaways  should  be  ap- 
prehended. This  material  part  of  the  process  achieved, 
he  moreover  ordered  that  they  should  be  brought  forth- 
with into  his  presence,  even  should  he  be  engaged  in  the 
most  serious  of  the  ceremonies  of  the  day.  The  voice  of 
Peter  speaking  in  anger  was  not  likely  to  be  unheard, 
and  the  stern  mandate  had  scarcely  issued  from  his  lips, 
when  a  dozen  of  the  common  thief-takers  of  Vaud  set 
about  the  aifair  in  good  earnest,  and  with  the  best  possible 

14 


210  THE   HEADSMAN. 

intentions  to  effect  their  object.  In  the  meantime  the 
sports  continued,  and,  as  the  day  drew  on,  and  the  hour  for 
the  banquet  approached,  the  good  people  began  to  collect 
once  more  in  the  great  square  to  witness  the  closing  scenes, 
and  to  be  present  at  the  nuptial  benediction,  which  was  to 
be  pronounced  over  Jacques  Colis  and  Christine  by  a  real 
servitor  of  the  altar,  as  the  last  and  most  important  of  the 
ceremonies  of  that  eventful  day. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

"Ay,  marry  ;  now  unmuzzle  your  wisdom." — Rosalind. 

THE  hour  of  noon  was  past,  when  the  stage  was  a  second 
time  filled  with  the  privileged.  The  multitude  was  again 
disposed  around  the  area  of  the  square,  and  the  bailiff  and 
his  friends  once  more  occupied  the  seats  of  honor  in  the 
centre  of  the  long  estrade.  Procession  after  procession 
now  began  to  reappear,  for  all  had  made  the  circuit  of  the 
city,  and  each  had  repeated  its  mummeries  so  often  that  the 
actors  grew  weary  of  their  sports.  Still,  as  the  several 
groups  came  again  into  the  high  presence  of  the  bailiff  and 
the  elite  not  only  of  their  own  country  but  of  so  many 
others,  pride  overcame  fatigue,  and  the  songs  and  dances 
were  renewed  with  the  necessary  appearance  of  good  will 
and  zeal.  Peter  Hofmeister  and  divers  others  of  the  mag- 
nates of  the  canton,  were  particularly  loud  in  their 
plaudits  on  this  repetition  of  the  games,  for,  by  a  process 
that  will  be  easily  understood,  they,  who  had  been  revel- 
ling and  taking  their  potations  in  the  marquees  and  booths 
while  the  mummers  were  absent,  were  more  than  qualified 
to  supply  the  deficiencies  of  the  actors  by  the  warmth  and 
exuberance  of  their  own  warmed  imaginations.  The  bailiff, 
in  particular,  as  became  his  high  office  and  determined 
character,  was  unusually  talkative  and  decided,  both  as  re- 
spects the  criticisms  and  encomiums  he  uttered  on  the  va- 
rious performances,  making  as  light  of  his  own  peculiar 
qualifications  to  deal  with  the  subject  as  if  he  were  a  com- 
mon hack-reviewer  of  our  own  times,  who  is  known  to 
keep  in  view  the  quantity  rather  than  the  quality  of  his 
remarks,  and  the  stipulated  price"  he  is  to  receive  per  line 
Indeed  the  parallel  would  hold  good  in  more  respects 


THE   HEADSMAN.  211 

than  that  of  knowledge,  for  his  language  was  unusually 
captious  and  supercilious,  his  tone  authoritative,  and  his 
motive  the  desire  to  exhibit  his  own  endowments  rather 
than  the  wish  he  affected  to  manifest  of  setting  forth  the 
excellences  of  others.  His  speeches  were  more  frequently 
than  ever  directed  to  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  for  whom  there 
had  suddenly  arisen  in  his  mind  a  still  stronger  gusto  than 
that  he  had  so  liberally  manifested,  and  which  had  already 
drawn  so  much  attention  to  the  deportment  of  this  pleas- 
ing but  modest  stranger.  Still,  he  never  failed  to  compel 
all,  within  reach  of  a  reasonable  exercise  of  his  voice,  to 
listen  to  his  oracles. 

"  Those  that  have  passed,  Brother  Melchior,"  said  the 
bailiff,  addressing  the  Baron  de  Willading  in  the  fraternal 
style  of  the  biirgerschaft,  while  his  eye  was  directed  to  the 
Genoese,  in  whom  in  reality  he  wished  to  excite  admira- 
tion for  his  readiness  in  Heathen  lore,  "  are  no  more  than 
shepherds  and  shepherdesses  of  our  mountains,  and  none 
of  your  gods  and  demigods,  the  former  of  which  are  to  be 
known  in  this  ceremony  from  all  others  by  the  fact  that 
they  are  carried  on  men's  shoulders,  and  the  latter  that  they 
ride  on  asses,  or  have  other  conveniences  natural  to  their 
wants.  Ah  !  here  we  have  the  higher  orders  of  the  mum- 
mers in  person — this  comely  creature  is,  in^  reality,  Mari- 
ette  Marron,  of  this  country,  as  strapping  a  wench  as  there 
is  in  Vaud,  and  as  impudent — but  no  matter!  She  is  now 
the  Priestess  of  Flora,  and  I'll  warrant  you  there  is  not  a 
horn  in  all  our  valleys  that  will  bring  a  louder  echo  out  of 
the  rocks  than  this  very  priestess  will  raise  with  her  single 
throat !  That  yonder  on  the  throne  is  Flora  herself,  rep- 
resented by  a  comely  young  woman,  the  daughter  of  a 
warm  citizen  here  in  Vevey,  and  one  able  to  give  her  all  the 
equipments  she  bears,  without  taxing  the  abbaye  a  doit. 
I  warrant  you  that  every  flower  about  her  was  culled  from 
their  own  garden  !  " 

"Thou  treatest  the  poetry  of  the  ceremonies  with  so 
little  respect,  good  Peterchen,  that  the  goddess  and  her 
train  dwindle  into  little  more  than  vine-dressers  and  milk- 
maids beneath  thy  tongue." 

"  Of  Heaven's  sake,  friend  Melchior,"  interrupted  the 
amused  Genoese,  "  do  not  rob  us  of  the  advantage  of  the 
worthy  bailiff's  graphic  remarks.  Your  Heathen  may  be 
well  enough  in  his  way,  but  surely  he  is  none  the  worse 
for  a  few  notes  and  illustrations  that  would  do  credit  to  a 


212  THE    HEADSMAN. 

Doctor  of  Padova.  I  entreat  you  to  continue,  learned 
Peter,  that  we  strangers  may  lose  none  of  the  niceties  of 
the  exhibition." 

"Thou  seest,  Baron,"  returned  the  well-warmed  bailiff, 
with  a  look  of  triumph,  "a  little  explanation  can  never  in- 
jure a  good  thing,  though  it  were  even  the  law  itself.  Ah  ! 
yon  is  Ceres  and  her  company,  and  a  goodly  train  they  ap- 
pear !  These  are  the  harvest-men  and  harvest-women,  who 
represent  the  abundance  of  our  country  of  Vaud,  Signor 
Grimaldi,  which,  truth  to  say,  is  a  fat  land,  and  worthy  of 
the  allegory.  These  knaves,  with  the  stools  strapped  to 
their  nether  parts,  and  carrying  tubs,  are  cowherds,  and 
all  the  others  are  more  or  less  concerned  with  the  dairy. 
Ceres  was  a  personage  of  importance  among  the  ancients, 
beyond  dispute,  as  may  be  seen  by  the  manner  in  which 
she  is  backed  by  the  landed  interest.  There  is  no  solid 
respectability,  Herr  von  Willading,  that  is  not  fairly  bot- 
tomed on  broad  lands.  Ye  perceive  that  the  goddess  sits 
on  a  throne  whose  ornaments  are  all  taken  from  the  earth  ; 
a  sheaf  of  wheat  tops  the  canopy  ;  rich  ears  of  generous 
grain  are  her  jewels,  and  her  sceptre  is  the  sickle.  These 
are  but  allegories,  Signor  Grimaldi,  but  they  are  illusions 
that  give  birth  to  wholesome  thoughts  in  the  prudent. 
There  is  no  science  that  may  not  catch  a  hint  from  our 
games  ;  politics,  religion,  or  law — 'tis  all  the  same  for  the 
well-disposed  and  cunning." 

"  An  ingenious  scholar  might  even  find  an  argument  for 
the  biirgerschaft  in  an  allegory  that  is  less  clear,"  returned 
the  amused  Genoese.  "  But  you  have  overlooked,  signor 
bailiff,  the  instrument  that  Ceres  carries  in  the  other  hand, 
and  which  is  full  to  overflowing  with  the  fruits  of  the 
earth  ; — that  which  so  much  resembles  a  bullock's  horn,  I 
mean." 

"  That  is,  out  of  question,  some  one  of  the  utensils  of  the 
ancients  ;  perhaps  a  milking  vessel  in  use  among  the  gods 
and  goddesses,  for  your  deities  of  old  were  no  bad  house- 
wives, and  made  a  merit  of  their  economy  ;  and  Ceres 
here,  as  is  seen,  is  not  ashamed  of  a  useful  occupation.  By 
my  faith,  but  this  affair  has  been  gotten  up  with  a  very 
creditable  attention  to  the  moral !  But  our  dairy-people 
are  about  to  give  us  some  of  their  airs." 

Peterchen  now  put  a  stop  to  his  classic  lore,  while  the 
followers  of  Ceres  arranged  themselves  in  order,  and  be- 
gan to  sing.  The  contagious  and  wild  melody  of  the  Ranz 


77/7':  HEADSMAN.  213 

des  Vaches  rose  in  the  square,  and  soon  drew  the  absorbed 
and  delighted  attention  of  all  within  hearing,  which,  to  say 
the  truth,  was  little  less  than  all  who  were  within  the  limits 
of  the  town,  for  the  crowd  chiming  in  with  the  more  regu- 
lar artists,  a  sort  of  musical  enthusiasm  seized  upon  all 
present  who  came  of  Vaud  and  her  valleys.  The  dogmati- 
cal but  well-meaning  bailiff,  though  usually  jealous  of  his 
Bernese  origin,  and  alive  on  system  to  the  necessity  of 
preserving  the  superiority  of  the  great  canton  by  all  the 
common  observances  of  dignity  and  reserve,  yielded  to 
the  general  movement,  and  shouted  with  the  rest,  under 
favor  of  a  pair  of  lungs  that  nature  had  admirably  fitted  to 
sustain  the  chorus  of  a  mountain  song.  This  condescen- 
sion in  the  deputy  of  Berne  was  often  spoken  of  afterward 
with  admiration,  the  simple-minded  and  credulous  ascrib- 
ing the  exaltation  of  Peterchen  to  a  generous  warmth  in 
their  happiness  and  interests,  while  the  more  wary  and  ob- 
servant were  apt  to  impute  the  musical  excess  to  a  previous 
excess  of  another  character,  in  which  the  wines  of  the 
neighboring  cotes  were  fairly  entitled  to  come  in  fora  full 
share  of  the  merit.  Those  who  were  nearest  the  bailiff 
were  secretly  much  diverted  with  his  awkward  attempts  at 
graciousness,  which  one  fair  and  witty  Vaudoise  likened  to 
the  antics  of  one  of  the  celebrated  animals  that  are  still  fos- 
tered in  the  city  which  ruled  so  much  of  Switzerland,  and 
from  whom,  indeed,  the  town  and  canton  are  both  vulgarly 
supposed  to  have  derived  their  common  name  ;  for,  while  the 
authority  of  Berne  weighed  so  imperiously  and  heavily  on 
its  subsidiary  countries,  as  is  usual  in  such  cases,  the  people 
of  the  latter  were  much  addicted  to  taking  an  impotent 
revenge  by  whispering  the  pleasantest  sarcasms  they  could 
invent  against  their  masters.  Notwithstanding  this  and 
many  more  criticisms  on  his  performance,  the  bailiff 
enacted  his  part  in  the  representation  to  his  own  entire 
satisfaction  ;  and  he  resumed  his  seat  with  a  consciousness 
of  having  at  least  merited  the  applause  of  the  people,  for 
having  entered  with  so  much  spirit  into  their  games,  and 
with  the  hope  that  this  act  of  grace  might  be  the  means  of 
causing  them  to  forget  some  fifty  or  a  hundred  of  his  other 
acts,  which  certainly  had  not  possessed  the  same  melodious 
and  companionable  features. 

After  this  achievement  the  bailiff  was  reasonably  quiet, 
until  Bacchus  and  his  train  again  entered  the  square.  At 
the  appearance  of  the  laughing  urchin  who  bestrode  the 


2i4  THE  HEADSMAN. 

cask,  he  resumed  his  dissertations  with  a  confidence  that 
all  are  apt  to  feel  who  are  about  to  treat  on  a  subject  with 
which  they  have  had  occasion  to  be  familiar. 

"This  is  the  god  of  good  liquor,"  said  Peterchen,  always 
speaking  to  any  one  who  would  listen,  although,  by  an 
instinct  of  respect,  he  chiefly  preferred  favoring  the  Signor 
Grimaldi  with  his  remarks,  "as  may  plainly  be  seen  by  his 
seat ;  and  these  are  dancing  attendants,  to  show  that  wine 
gladdens  the  heart  ; — yonder  is  the  press  at  work,  extract- 
ing the  juices,  and  that  huge  cluster  is  to  represent  the 
grapes  which  the  messengers  of  Joshua  brought  back  from 
Canaan  when  sent  to  spy  out  the  land,  a  history  which  I 
make  no  doubt  you,  signore,  in  Italy,  have  at  your  fingers' 
ends." 

Gaetano  Grimaldi  looked  embarrassed,  for,  although 
well  skilled  in  the  lore  of  the  heathen  mythology,  his  learn- 
ing as  a  male  Papist  and  a  laic  was  not  particularly  rich  in 
the  story  of  the  Christian  faith.  At  first  he  supposed  that 
the  bailiff  had  merely  blundered  in  his  account  of  the 
mythology,  but,  taxing  l)is  memory  a  little,  he  recovered 
some  faint  glimpses  of  the  truth,  a  redemption  of  his  char- 
acter as  a  book-man,  for  which  he  was  materially  indebted 
to  having  seen  some  celebrated  pictures  on  this  very  sub- 
ject, a  species  of  instruction  in  holy  writ  that  is  sufficiently 
common  among  those  who  inhabit  the  Catholic  countries 
of  the  other  hemisphere. 

"  Thou  surely  hast  not  overlooked  the  history  of  the  gi- 
gantic cluster  of  grapes,  signore  !  "  exclaimed  Peterchen, 
astonished  at  the  apparent  hesitation  of  the  Italian.  "  'Tis 
the  most  beautiful  of  all  the  legends  of  the  holy  book.  Ha! 
as  I  live,  there  is  the  ass  without  his  rider; — what  has  be- 
come of  the  blackguard  Antoine.  Giraud  ?  The  rogue  has 
alighted  to  swallow  a  fresh  draught  from  some  booth,  after 
draining  his  own  skin  to  the  bottom.  This  comes  of  neg- 
lect ;  a  sober  man,  or  at  least  one  of  a  harder  head,  should 
have  been  put  to  the  part  ; — for,  look  you,  'tis  a  character 
that  need  stand  at  least  a  gallon,  since  the  rehearsals  alone 
are  enough  to  take  a  common  drinker  off  his  centre." 

The  tongue  of  the  bailiff  ran  on  in  accompaniment,  dur- 
ing the  time  that  the  followers  of  Bacchus  were  going 
through  with  their  songs  and  pageants,  and  when  they  dis- 
appeared, it  gained  a  louder  key,  like  the  "rolling  river 
that  murmuring  flows  and  flows  forever,"  rising  again  on 
the  ear,  after  the  din  of  any  adventitious  noise  has  ceased. 


THE   HEADSMAN. 


2IS 


"  Now  we  may  expect  the  pretty  bride  and  her  maids," 
continued  Peterchen,  winking  at  his  companions,  as  the 
ancient  gallant  is  wont  to  make  a  parade  of  his  admiration 
of  the  fair  ;  "  the  solemn  ceremony  is  to  be  pronounced 
here,  before  the  authorities,  as  a  suitable  termination  to 
this  happy  day.  Ah  !  my  good  old  friend  Melchior,  neither 
of  us  is  the  man  he  was,  or  these  skipping  hoydens  would 
not  go  through  their  pirouettes  without  some  aid  from  our 
arms.  -Now  dispose  of  yourselves,  friends  ;  for  this  is  to 
be  no  acting,  but  a  downright  marriage,  and  it  is  meet  that 
we  keep  a  graver  air.  How  !  what  means  the  movement 
among  the  officers  ?  " 

Peterchen  had  interrupted  himself,  for  just  at  that  mo- 
ment the  thief-takers  entered  the  square, in  a  body,  inclos- 
ing in  their  centre  a  group,  who  had  the  mien  of  captives 
too  evidently  to  be  mistaken  for  honest  men.  The  bailiff 
was  peculiarly  an  executive  officer  ;  one  of  that  class  who 
believe  that  the  enactment  of  a  law  is  a  point  of  far  less 
interest  than  its  due  fulfilment.  Indeed,  so  far  did  he  push 
his  favorite  principle,  that  he  did  not  hesitate  sometimes 
to  suppose  shades  of  meaning  in  the  different  ordinances 
of  the  great  council  that  existed  only  in  his  own  brain,  but 
which  were,  to  do  him  justice,  sufficiently  convenient  to 
himself  in  carrying  out  the  constructions  which  he  saw  fit 
to  put  on  his  own  duties.  The  appearance  of  an  affair  of 
justice  was  unfortunate  for  the  progress  of  the  ceremonies, 
Peterchen  having  some  such  relish  for  the  punishment  of 
rogues,  and  more  especially  for  such  as  seemed  to  be  an 
eternal  reproach  to  the  action  of  the  Bernese  system  by 
their  incorrigible  misery  and  poverty,  as  an  old  coachman 
is  proverbially  said  to  maintain  for  the  crack  of  the  whip. 
All  his  judicial  sympathies  were  not  fully  awakened  on  the 
present  occasion,  however,  the  criminals,  though  far  from 
belonging  to  the  more  lucky  of  their  fellow  creatures,  not 
being  quite  miserable  enough  in  appearance  to  awaken  all 
these  powers  of  magisterial  reproach  and  severity  that  lay 
dormant  in  the  bailiff's  moral  temperament,  ready  at  any 
time  to  vindicate  the  right  of  the  strong  against  the  in- 
novations of  the  feeble  and  unhappy.  The  reader  will  at 
once  have  anticipated  that  the  prisoners  were  Maso  and 
his  companions,  who  had  been  more  successful  in  escaping 
from  their  keepers,  than  fortunate  in  evading  the  attempts 
to  secure  their  persons  a  second  time. 

"  Who  are  these  that  dare  affront  the  ruling  powers  on 


2i6  THE  HEADSMAN'. 

this  day  of  general  good-will  and  rejoicing  ?"  sternly 
manded  the  bailiff,  when  the  minions  of  the  law  and 
captives  stood  fairly  before  him.  "  Do  ye  not  know,  knaves, 
that  this  is  a  solemn,  almost  a  religious  ceremony  at  Vevey 
— for  so  it  would  be  considered  by  the  ancients  at  least — 
and  that  a  crime  is  doubly  a  crime  when  committed  either 
in  an  honorable  presence,  on  a  solemn  and  dignified  occa- 
sion like  this,  or  against  the  authorities  ; — this  last  being 
always  the  gravest  and  greatest  of  all  ? " 

"  We  are  but  indifferent  scholars, worshipful  bailiff,as  you 
may  easily  perceive  by  our  outward  appearance,  and  are  to 
be  judged  leniently,"  answered  Maso.  "  Our  whole  offence 
was  a  hot  but  short  quarrel  touching  a  dog,  in  which  hands 
were  made  to  play  the  part  of  reason,  and  which  would 
have  done  little  harm  to  any  but  ourselves,  had  it  been  the 
pleasure  of  the  town  authorities  to  have  left  us  to  decide 
the  dispute  in  our  own  way.  As  you  well  say,  this  is  a  joyous 
occasion,  and  we  esteem  it  hard  that  we,  of  all  Vevey, 
should  be  shut  up  on  account  of  so  light  an  affair  and  cut 
off  from  the  merriment  of  the  rest." 

"  There  is  reason  in  this  fellow,  after  all,"  said  Peterchen, 
in  a  low  voice.  "  What  is  a  dog  more  or  less  to  Berne, 
and  a  public  rejoicing  to  produce  its  end  should  go  deep 
into  the  community.  Let  the  men  go,  of  God's  name  ! 
and  look  .to  it,  that  all  the  dogs  be  beaten  out  of  the  square, 
that  we  may  have  no  more  folly." 

"  Please  you,  these  are  the  men  that  have  escaped  from 
the  authorities,  after  knocking  down  their  keeper,"  the 
officer  humbly  observed. 

"  How  is  this  !  Didst  thou  not  say,  fellow,  that  it  was 
all  about  a  dog  ?" 

"  I  spoke  of  the  reason  of  our  being  shut  up.  It  is  true 
that,  wearied  with  breathing  pent  air,  and  a  little  heated 
with  wine,  we  left  the  prison  without  permission  ;  but  we 
hope  this  little  sally  of  spirit  will  be  overlooked  on  account 
of  the  extraordinary  occasion." 

"  Rogue,  thy  plea  augments  the  offence.  A  crime  com- 
mitted on  an  extraordinary  occasion  becomes  an  extraor- 
dinary crime,  and  requires  an  extraordinary  punishment, 
which  I  intend  to  see  inflicted  forthwith.  You  have  in- 
sulted the  authorities,  and  that  is  the  unpardonable  sin  in 
all  communities.  Draw  nearer,  friends,  for  I  love  to  let 
my  reasons  be  felt  and  understood  by  those  who  are  to  be 
affected  by  my  decisions,  and  this  is  a  happy  moment  to 


THE   HEADSMAN.  217 

give  a  short  lesson  to  the  Vevaisans — -let  the  bride  and 
bridegroom  wait — draw  nearer  all,  that  ye  may  better  hear 
what  I  have  to  say." 

The  crowd  pressed  more  closely  around  the  foot  of  the 
stage,  and  Peterchen,  assuming  a  didactic  air,  resumed  his 
discourse. 

"  The  object  of  all  authority  is  to  find  the  means  of  its 
own  support,"  continued  the  bailiff  ;  "for  unless  it  can  ex- 
ist, it  must  fall  to  the  ground  ;  and  you  all  are  sufficiently 
schooled  to  know  that  when  a  thing  becomes  of  indifferent 
value,  it  loses  most  of  its  consideration.  Thus  government 
is  established  in  order  that  it  may  protect  itself  ;  since 
without  this  power  it  could  not  remain  a  government,  and 
there  is  not  a  man  existing  who  is  not  ready  to  admit  that 
even  a  bad  government  is  better  than  none.  But  ours  is 
particularly  a  good  government,  its  greatest  care  on  all  oc 
casions  being  to  make  itself  respected,  and  he  who  respects 
himself  is  certain  to  have  esteem  in  the  eyes  of  others. 
Without  this  security  we  should  become  like  the  unbridled 
steed,  or  the  victims  of  anarchy  and  confusion,  aye,  and 
damnable  heresies  in  religion.  Thus  you  see,  my  friends, 
your  choice  lies  between  the  government  of  Berne,  or  no  gov- 
ernment at  all  ;  for  when  only  two  things  exist,  by  taking 
one  away  the  number  is  reduced  half,  and  as  the  great  can- 
ton will  keep  its  own  share  of  the  institutions,  by  taking 
half  away,  Vaud  is  left  as  naked  as  my  hand.  Ask  your- 
selves if  you  have  any  government  but  this  ?  You  know 
you  have  not.  Were  you  quit  of  Berne,  therefore,  you 
clearly  would  have  none  at  all.  Officer,  you  have  a  sword 
at  your  side,  which  is  a  good  type  of  our  authority ;  draw 
it  and  hold  it  up,  that  all  may  see  it.  You  perceive,  my 
friends,  that  the  officer  hath  a  sword  ;  but  that  he  hath 
only  one  sword.  Lay  it  at  thy  feet,  officer.  You  perceive, 
friends,  that  having  but  one  sword,  and  laying  that  sword 
aside,  he  no  longer  hath  a  sword  at  all !  That  weapon 
represents  our  authority,  which  laid  aside  becomes  no  au- 
thority, leaving  us  with  an  unarmed  hand." 

This  happy  comparison  drew  a  murmur  of  applause- 
the  proposition  of  Peterchen  having  most  of  the  proper, 
ties  of  a  popular  theory,  being  deficient  in  neither  a  bold 
assertion,  a  brief  exposition,  nor  a  practical  illustration. 
The  latter  in  particular  was  long  afterward  spoken  of  in 
Vaud,  as  an  exposition  little  short  of  the  well-known  judg- 
ment of  Solomon,  who  had  resorted  to  the  same  keen- 


2i8  THE  HEADSMAN. 

edged  weapon  in  order  to  solve  a  point  almost  as  knotty 
as  this  settled  by  the  bailiff.  When  the  approbation  had 
a  little  subsided,  the  warmed  Peterchen  continued  his  dis- 
course, which  possessed  the  random  and  generalized  logic 
of  most  of  the  dissertations  that  are  uttered  in  the  inter- 
ests of  things  as  they  are,  without  paying  any  particular 
deference  to  things  as  they  should  be. 

"What  is  the  use  of  teaching  the  multitude  to  read  and 
write  ?"  he  asked.  "  Had  not  Franz  Kauffman  known  how 
to  write,  could  he  have  imitated  his  master's  hand,  and 
would  he  have  lost  his  head  for  mistaking  another  man's 
name  for  his  own  ?  a  little  reflection  shows  us  he  would 
not.  Now,  as  for  the  other  art,  could  the  people  read 
bad  books  had  they  never  learned  the  alphabet  ?  If  there 
is  a  man  present  who  can  say  to  the  contrary,  I  absolve 
him  from  his  respect,  and  invite  him  to  speak  boldly,  for 
there  is  no  Inquisition  in  Vaud,  but  we  invite  argument. 
This  is  a  free  government,  and  a  fatherly  government,  and 
a  mild  government,  as  ye  all  know  ;  but  this  is  not  a  gov- 
ernment that  likes  reading  and  writing;  reading  that 
leads  to  the  perusal  of  bad  books,  and  writing  that  causes 
faUe  signatures.  Fellow  citizens,  for  WTC  are  all  equal  with 
the  exception  of  certain  differences  that  need  not  now  be 
named,  it  is  a  government  for  your  good,  and  therefore  it 
is  a  government  that  likes  itself,  and  whose  first  duty  it  is 
to  protect  itself  and  its  officers  at  all  hazards,  even  though 
it  might  by  accident  commit  some  seeming  injustice.  Fel- 
low, canst  thou  read  ? " 

"Indifferently,  worshipful  bailiff,"  returned  Maso. 
"  There  are  those  who  get  through  a  book  with  less  trou- 
ble than  myself." 

"  I  warrant  you,  now,  he  means  a  good  book,  hut,  as  for 
a  bad  one,  I'll  engage  the  varlet  goes  through  it  like  a 
wild  boar!  This  comes  of  education  among  the  igno- 
rant !  There  is  no  more  certain  method  to  corrupt  a  com 
munity,  and  to  rivet  it  in  beastly  practices,  than  to  educate 
the  ignorant.  The  enlightened  can  bear  knowledge,  for 
rich  food  does  not  harm  the  stomach  that  is  used  to  it,  but 
it  is  hellebore  to  the  ill  fed.  Education  is  an  arm.  for 
knowledge  is  power,  and  the  ignornnt  man  is  but  an  in- 
fant, and  to  give  him  knowledge  is  like  putting  a  loaded 
blunderbuss  into  the  hands  of  a  child.  What  can  an  igno- 
rant man  do  with  knowledge  ?  He  is  as  likely  to  use  if 
wrong  end  uppermost  as  in  "any  other  manner,  Learning 


THE   HEADSMAN. 


219 


is  a  ticklish  thing  ;  it  was  said  by  Festus  to  have  maddened 
even  the  wise  and  experienced  Paul,  and  what  may  we  not 
expect  it  to  do  with  your  downright  ignoramus  ?  What  is 
thy  name,  prisoner?" 

"Tommaso  Santi  ;  sometimes  known  among  my  friends 
as  San  Tommaso  ;  called  by  my  enemies,  II  Maledetto,  and 
by  my  familiars,  Maso." 

"  Thou  hast  a  formidable  number  of  aliases,  the  certain 
sign  of  a  rogue.  Thou  hast  confessed  that  thou  canst 
read " 

"  Nay,  Signor  Bailiff,  I  would  not  be  taken  to  have 
said " 

"  By  the  faith  of  Calvin,  thou  didst  confess  it,  before  all 
this  goodly  company  !  Wilt  thou  deny  thine  own  words, 
knave,  in  the  very  face  of  justice  ?  Thou  canst  read — thou 
hast  it  in  thy  countenance,  and  I  would  go  nigh  to  swear, 
too,  that  thou  hast  some  inkling  of  the  quill,  were  the 
truth  honestly  said.  Signor  Grimaldi,  I  know  not  how 
you  find  this  affair  on  the  other  side  of  the  Alps,  but  with 
us,  our  greatest  troubles  come. from  these  well-taught 
knaves,  who,  picking  up  knowledge  fraudulently,  use  it 
with  felonious  intent,  without  thought  of  the  wants  and 
rights  of  the  public." 

"  We  have  our  difficulties,  as  is  the  fact  wherever  man 
is  found  with  his  selfishness  and  passions,  Signor  Bailiff  ; 
but  are  we  not  doing  an  ungallant  act  toward  yonder  fair 
bride,  by  giving  the  precedency  to  men  of  this  cast  ?  Would 
it  not  be  better  to  dismiss  the  modest  Christine,  happy  in 
Hymen's  chains,  before  we  enter  more  deeply  into  the 
question  of  the  manacles  of  these  prisoners  ? " 

To  the  amazement  of  all  who*  knew  the  bailiff's  natural 
obstinacy,  which  was  wont  to  increase  instead  of  becoming 
more  manageable  in  his  cups,  Peterchen  assented  to  this 
proposition  with  a  complaisance  and  apparent  good  will, 
that  he  rarely  manifested  toward  any  opinion  of  which  he 
did  not  think  himself  legitimately  the  father  ;  though,  like 
many  others  who  bear  that  honorable  title,  he  was  some- 
times made  to  yield  the  privileges  of  paternity  to  other 
men's  children.  He  had  sho\vn  an  unusual  deference  to 
the  Italian,  however,  throughout  the  whole  of  their  short 
intercourse,  and  on  no  occasion  was  it  less  equivocal,  than 
in  the  promptness  with  which  he  received  the  present 
hint.  The  prisoners  and  officers  were  commanded  to  stand 
aside,  but  so  near  as  to  remain  beneath  his  eye,  while  some 


£20  THE   HEADSMAN. 

of  the  officials  of  the  abbaye  were  ordered  to  give  notice 
to  the  train,  which  awaited  these  arrangements  in  silent 
wonder,  that  it  might  now  approach. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

"  Go,  wiser  thou  !  and  in  thy  scale  of  sense 
Weigh  thy  opinion  against  Providence  ; 
Call  imperfection  what  thou  fanciest  such  ; 
Say,  here  he  gives  too  little,  there  too  much ; 
Destroy  all  creatures  for  thy  sport  or  gust, 
And  say,  if  man's  unhappy,  God's  unjust." — POPE. 

IT  is  unnecessary  to  repeat  the  list  of  characters  that 
acted  the  different  parts  in  the  train  of  the  village  nup- 
tials. All  were  there  at  the  close  of  the  ceremonies,  as 
they  had  appeared  earlier  in  the  day,  and  as  the  last  of 
the  legal  forms  of  the  marriage  was  actually  to  take  place 
in  the  presence  of  the  bailiff,  preparatory  to  the  more  sol- 
emn rites  of  the  Church,  the  throng  yielded  to  its  curios- 
ity, breaking  through  the  line  of  those  who  were  stationed 
to  restrain  its  inroads,  and  pressing  about  the  foot  of  the 
estrade  in  the  stronger  interest  which  reality  is  known  to 
possess  over  fiction.  During  the  day  a  thousand  new  in- 
quiries had  been  made  concerning  the  bride,  whose  beauty 
and  mien  were  altogether  so  superior  to  wrhat  might  have 
been  expected  of  one  who  could  consent  to  act  the  part 
she  did  on  so  public  an  occasion,  and  whose  modest  bear- 
ing was  in  such  singular  contradiction  to  her  present  situ- 
ation. None  knew,  however,  or,  if  it  were  known,  no  one 
chose  to  reveal,  her  history  ;  and,  as  curiosity  had  been  so 
keenly  whetted  by  mystery,  the  rush  of  the  multitude  was 
merely  a  proof  of  the  power  which  expectation,  aided  by 
the  thousand  surmises  of  rumor,  can  gain  over  the  minds 
of  the  idle. 

Whatever  might  have  been  the  character  of  the  conjec- 
tures made  at  the  expense  of  poor  Christine — and  they 
were  wanting  in  neither  variety  nor  malice — most  were 
compelled  to  agree  in  commending  the  diffidence  of  her 
air,  and  the  gentle  sweetness  of  her  mild  and  peculiar 
beauty.  Some,  indeed,  affected  to  see  artifice  in  the  for- 
mer, which  was  pronounced  to  be  far  too  excellent,  or  too 


THE  HEADSMAN.  221 

much  overdone,  for  nature.  The  usual  amount  of  com- 
monplace remarks  was  made,  too,  on  the  lucky  diversity 
that  was  to  be  found  in  tastes,  and  on  the  happy  necessity 
there  existed  of  all  being  able  to  find  the  means  to  please 
themselves.  But  these  were  no  more  than  the  moral 
blotches  that  usually  disfigure  human  commendation.  The 
sentiment  and  sympathies  of  the  mass  were  powerfully 
and  irresistibly  enlisted  in  favor  of  the  unknown  maiden 
— feelings  that  were  very  unequivocally  manifested  as  she 
drew  nearer  the  estrade,  walking  timidly  through  a  dense 
lane  of  bodies,  all  of  which  were  pressing  eagerly  forward 
to  get  a  better  view  of  her  person. 

The  bailiff,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  would  have 
taken  in  dudgeon  this  violation  of  the  rules  prescribed  for 
the  government  of  the  multitude  ;  for  he  was  perfectly 
sincere  in  his  opinions,  absurd  as  so  many  of  them  were, 
and,  like  many  other  honest  men  who  defeat  the  effects 
they  would  produce  by  forced  constructions  of  their  prin- 
ciples, he  was  a  little  apt  to  run  into  excesses  of  discipline. 
But  in  the  present  instance,  he  \vas  rather  pleased  than 
otherwise  to  see  the  throng  within  the  reach  of  his  voice. 
The  occasion  was,  at  best,  but  semi-official,  and  he  was  so 
far  under  the  influence  of  the  warm  liquors  of  the  cotes 
as  to  burn  with  the  desire  of  putting  forth  still  more  liber- 
ally his  flowers  of  eloquence  and  his  stores  of  wisdom.  He 
received  the  inroad,  therefore,  with  an  air  of  perfect  good 
humor,  a  manifestation  of  assent  that  encouraged  still 
greater  innovations  on  the  limits,  until  the  space  occupied 
by  the  principal  actors  in  this  closing  scene  was  reduced 
to  the  smallest  possible  size  that  was  at  all  compatible  with 
their  movements  and  comforts.  In  this  situation  of  things 
the  ceremonies  proceeded. 

The  gentle  flow  of  hope  and  happiness  which  was 
slowly  increasing  in  the  mild  bosom  of  the  bride,  from  the 
first  moment  of  her  appearance  in  this  unusual  scene  to 
that  in  which  it  was  checked  by  the  cries  of  Pippo,  had 
been  gradually  lessening  under  a  sense  of  distrust,  and 
she  now  entered  the  square  with  a  secret  and  mysterious 
dread  at  the  heart,  which  her  inexperience  and  great  ig- 
norance of  life  served  fearfully  to  increase.  Her  imag- 
ination magnified  the  causes  of  alarm  into  some  prepared 
and  designed  insult.  Christine,  fully  aware  of  the  oblo- 
quy that  pressed  upon  her  race,  had  only  consented  to 
adopt  this  unusual  mode  of  changing  her  condition,  under 


222  THE   HEADSMAN. 

a  sensitive  apprehension  that  any  other  would  have  neces- 
sarily led  to  the  exposure  of  her  origin.  This  fear,  though 
exaggerated,  and  indeed  causeless,  was  the  result  of  too 
much  brooding  of  late  over  her  own  situation,  and  of  that 
morbid  sensibility  in  which  the  most  pure  and  innocent 
are,  unhappily,  the  most  likely  to  indulge.  The  conceal- 
ment, as  has  already  been  explained,  was  that  of  her  in- 
tended husband,  who,  with  the  subterfuge  of  an  interested 
spirit,  had  hoped  to  mislead  the  little  circle  of  his  own 
acquaintances  and  gratify  his  cupidity  at  the  cheapest 
possible  rate  to  himself.  But  there  is  a  point  of  self- 
abasement  beyond  which  the  perfect  consciousness  of 
right  rarely  permits  even  the  most  timid  to  proceed.  As 
the  bride  moved  up  the  lane  of  human  bodies,  her  eye 
grew  less  disturbed  and  her  step  firmer, — for  the  bride  of 
rectitude  overcame  the  ordinary  girlish  sensibilities  of  her 
sex,  and  made  her  the  steadiest  at  the  very  instant  that 
the  greater  portion  of  females  would  have  been  the  most 
likely  to  betray  their  weakness.  She  had  just  attained 
this  forced  but  respectable  tranquillity,  as  the  bailiff,  sign- 
ing to  the  crowd  to  hush  its  murmurs  and  to  remain  mo- 
tionless, arose,  with  a  manner  that  he  intended  to  be  dig- 
nified, and  which  passed  with  the  multitude  for  a  very 
successful  experiment  in  its  way,  to  open  the  business  in 
hand  by  a  short  address.  The  reader  is  not  to  be  sur- 
prised at  the  volubility  of  honest  Peterchen,  for  it  was 
getting  to  be  late  in  the  day,  and  his  frequent  libations 
throughout  the  ceremonies  would  have  wrought  him  up 
to  even  a  much  higher  flight  of  eloquence,  had  the  oc- 
casion and  the  company  at  all  suited  such  a  display  of  his 
powers. 

"  We  have  had  a  joyous  day,  my  friends,"  he  said  ; 
a  one  whose  excellent  ceremonies  ought  to  recall  to  every 
one  of  us  our  dependence  on  Providence,  our  frail  and 
sinful  dispositions,  and  particularly  our  duties  to  the  coun- 
cils. By  the  types  of  plenty  and  abundance,  we  see  the 
bounty  of  nature  which  is  a  gift  from  Heaven  :  by  the  dif- 
ferent little  failures  that  have  been,  perhaps,  unavoidably 
made  in  some  of  the  nicer  parts  of  the  exhibition — and  I 
would  here  particularly  mention  the  besotted  drunkenness 
of  Antoine  Giraud,  the  man  who  has  impudently  under- 
taken to  play  the  part  of  Silenus,  as  a  fit  subject  of  your 
attention,  for  it  is  full  of  profit  to  all  hard-drinking  knaves 
--we  may  see  our  own  awful  imperfections ;  while,  in  the 


THE  HEADSMAN.  223 

order  of  the  whole,  and  the  perfect  obedience  of  the  sub- 
ordinates, do  we  find  a  parallel  to  the  beauty  of  a  vigilant 
and  exact  police  and  a  well-regulated  community.  Thus 
you  see,  that  though  the  ceremony  hath  a  Heathen  ex- 
terior, it  hath  a  Christian  moral ;  God  grant  that  we  all 
forget  the  former,  and  remember  the  latter,  as  best  be- 
comes our  several  characters  and  our  common  country. 
And  now,  having  done  with  the  divinities  and  their  legends 
—with  the  exception  of  that  varlet  Silenus,  whose  miscon- 
duct, I  promise  you,  is  not  to  be  so  easily  overlooked — we 
will  give  some  attention  to  mortal  affairs.  Marriage  is 
honorable  before  God  and  man,  and  although  I  have  never 
had  leisure  to  enter  into  this  holy  state  myself,  owing  to  a 
variety  of  reasons,  but  chiefly  from  my  being  wedded,  as 
it  were,  to  the  State,  to  which  we  all  owe  quite  as  much, 
or  even  greater  duty,  than  the  most  faithful  wife  owes  to 
her  husband,  I  would  not  have  you  suppose  that  I  have 
not  a  high  veneration  for  matrimony.  So  far  from  this,  I 
have  looked  on  no  part  of  this  day's  ceremonies  with 
more  satisfaction  than  these  of  the  nuptials,  which  we 
are  now  called  upon  to  complete  in  a  manner  suitable  to 
the  importance  of  the  occasion.  Let  the  bridegroom  and 
the  bride  stand  forth,  that  all  may  the  better  see  the  happy 
pair." 

At  the  bidding  of  the  bailiff,  Jacques  Colis  led  Chris- 
tine upon  the  little  stage  prepared  for  their  reception, 
where  both  were  more  completely  in  view  of  the  specta- 
tors than  they  had  yet  been.  The  movement,  and  the  agi- 
tation consequent  on  so  public  an  exposure,  deepened  the 
bloom  on  the  soft  cheeks  of  the  bride,  and  another  and  a 
still  less  equivocal  murmur  of  applause  arose  in  the  multi- 
tude. The  spectacle  of  youth,  innocence,  and  feminine 
loveliness,  strongly  stirred  the  sympathies  of  even  the 
most  churlish  and  rude  ;  and  most  present  began  to  feel 
for  her  fears,  and  to  participate  in  her  hopes. 

"  This  is  excellent !  "  continued  the  well-pleased  Peter- 
chen,  who  was  never  half  so  happy  as  when  he  was  of- 
ficially providing  for  the  happiness  of  others  ;  "it  prom- 
ises a  happy  menage.  A  loyal,  frugal,  industrious,  and 
active  groom,  with  a  fair  and  willing  bride,  can  drive  dis- 
content up  any  man's  chimney.  That  which  is  to  be  done 
next,  being  legal  and  binding,  must  be  done  with  proper 
gravity  and  respect.  Let  the  notary  advance — not  him 
who  hath  so  aptly  played  this  character,  but  the  commend- 


224  THE    HEADSMAN. 

able  and  upright  officer  who  is  rightly  charged  with  these 
respectable  functions — and  we  will  listen  to  the  contract. 
I  recommend  a  decent  silence,  my  friends,  for  the  true 
laws  and  real  matrimony  are  at  the  bottom — a  grave  affair 
at  the  best,  and  one  never  to  be  treated  with  levity  ;  since 
a  few  words  pronounced  now  in  haste  may  be  repented  of 
for  a  whole  life  hereafter." 

Everything  was  conducted  according  to  the  wishes  of  the 
bailiff,  and  with  great  decency  of  form.  A  true  and  author- 
ized notary  read  aloud  the  marriage-contract,  the  instru- 
ment \vhich  contained  the  civic  relations  and  rights  of  the 
parties,  and  which  only  waited  for  the  signatures  to  be 
complete.  This  document  required,  of  course,  that  the 
real  names  of  the  contracting  parties,  their  ages,  births, 
parentage,  and  all  those  facts  which  are  necessary  to  es- 
tablish their  identity,  and  to  secure  the  rights  of  succes- 
sion, should  be  clearly  set  forth  in  a  way  to  render  the  in- 
strument valid  at  the  most  remote  period,  should  there 
ever  arrive  a  necessity  to  recur  to  it  in  the  way  of  testi- 
mony. The  most  eager  attention  pervaded  the  crowd  as 
they  listened  to  these  little  particulars,  and  Adelheid  trem- 
bled in  this  delicate  part  of  the  proceedings,  as  the  sup- 
pressed but  still  audible  breathing  of  Sigismund  reached 
her  ear,  lest  something  might  occur  to  give  a  rude  shock 
to  his  feelings.  But  it  would  seem  the  notary  had  his  cue. 
The  details  touching  Christine  were  so  artfully  arranged, 
that  while  they  were  perfectly  binding  in  law,  they  were 
so  dexterously  concealed  from  the  observation  of  the  un- 
suspecting, that  no  attention  was  drawn  to  the  point  most 
apprehended  by  their  exposure.  Sigismund  breathed  freer 
when  the  notary  drew  near  the  end  of  his  task,  and  Adel- 
heid heard  the  heavy  breath  he  drew  at  the  close,  with  the 
joy  one  feels  at  the  certainty  of  having  passed  an  immi- 
nent danger.  Christine  herself  seemed  relieved,  though 
her  inexperience  in  a  great  degree  prevented  her  from 
foreseeing  all  that  the  greater  practice  of  Sigismund  had 
led  him  to  anticipate. 

"  This  is  quite  in  rule,  and  naught  now  remains  but  to 
receive  the  signatures  of  the  respective  parties  and  their 
friends,"  resumed  the  bailiff.  "A  happy  menage  is  like  a 
well-ordered  state,  a  foretaste  of  the  joys  and  peace  of 
heaven  ;  while  a  discontented  household  and  a  turbulent 
community  may  be  likened  at  once  to  the  penalties  and 
the  pains  of  hell !  Let  the  friends  of  the  parties  step 


THE  HEADSMAN'.  *2$ 

forth,  in  readiness  to  sign  when  the  principals  themselves 
shall  have  discharged  this  duty." 

A  few  of  the  relatives  and  associates  of  Jacques  Colis 
moved  out  of  the  crowd  and  placed  themselves  at  the  side 
of  the  bridegroom,  who  immediately  wrote  his  own  name, 
like  a  man  impatient  to  be  happy.  A  pause  succeeded, 
for  all  were  curious  to  see  who  claimed  affinity  to  the 
trembling  girl,  on  this  the  most  solemn  and  important 
event  of  her  life.  An  interval  of  several  minutes  elapsed, 
and  no  one  appeared.  The  respiration  of  Sigismund  be- 
came more  difficult ;  he  seemed  about  to  choke,  and  then 
yielding  to  a  generous  impulse,  he  arose. 

"  For  the  love  of  God  ! — for  thine  own  sake  ! — for  mine ! 
be  not  too  hasty ! "  whispered  the  terrified  Adelheid  ;  for 
she  saw  the  hot  glow  that  almost  blazed  on  his  brow. 

"  I  cannot  desert  poor  Christine  to  the  scorn  of  the 
world,  in  a  moment  like  this  !  If  I  die  of  shame,  I  must 
go  forward  and  own  myself !  " 

The  hand  of  Mademoiselle  de  Willading  was  laid  upon 
his  arm,  and  he  yielded  to  this  silent  but  impressive  en- 
treaty, for  just  then  he  saw  that  his  sister  was  about  to  be 
relieved  from  her  distressing  solitude.  The  throng  yielded, 
and  a  decent  pair,  attired  in  the  guise  of  small  but  com- 
fortable proprietors,  moved  doubtingly  toward  the  bride. 
The  eyes  of  Christine  filled  with  tears,  for  terror  and  the 
apprehension  of  disgrace  yielded  suddenly  to  joy.  Those 
who  advanced  to  support  her  in  that  moment  of  intense 
trial  were  her  father  and  mother.  The  respectable-look- 
ing pair  moved  slowly  to  the  side  of  their  daughter,  and 
having  placed  themselves  one  on  each  side  of  her,  they 
first  ventured  to  cast  furtive  and  subdued  glances  at  the 
multitude. 

"  It  is  doubtless  painful  to  the  parents  to  part  with  so 
fair  and  so  dutiful  a  child,"  resumed  the  obtuse  Peterchen, 
who  rarely  saw  in  any  emotion  more  than  its  most  com- 
monplace and  vulgar  character.  "  Nature  pulls  them  one 
way,  while  the  terms  of  the  contract  and  the  progress  of  our 
ceremonies  pull  another.  I  have  often  weaknesses  of  this 
sort  myself,  the  most  sensitive  hearts  being  the  most  liable 
to  these  attacks.  But  my  children  are  the  public,  and  do 
not  admit  of  too  much  of  what  I  may  call  the  detail  of 
sentiment,  else,  by  the  soul  of  Calvin !  were  1  but  an  in- 
different  bailiff  for  Berne  !  Thou  art  the  father  of  thit 
fair  and  blushing  maiden,  and  thou  her  mother  ? " 


226  THE   HEADSMAN. 

*  We  are  these,"  returned  Balthazar,  mildly. 

"Thou  art  not  of  Vevey,  or  its  neighborhood,  by  th) 
speech  ? " 

"  Of  the  great  canton,  mein  Herr,"  for  the  answer  was 
in  German,  these  contracted  districts  possessing  nearly  as 
many  dialects  as  there  are  territorial  divisions.  "  We  are 
strangers  in  Vaud." 

"  Thou  hast  not  done  the  worse  for  marrying  thy  daugh- 
ter with  a  Vevaisan,  and  more  especially,  under  the  favor 
of  our  renowned  and  liberal  abbaye.  I  warrant  me  thy 
child  will  be  none  the  poorer  for  this  compliance  with  the 
wishes  of  those  who  lead  our  ceremonies  !  " 

"  She  will  not  go  portionless  to  the  house  of  her  hus- 
band," returned  the  father,  coloring  with  secret  pride  ;  for 
to  one  to  whom  the  chances  of  life  left  so  few  sources  of 
satisfaction,  those  that  were  possessed  became  doubly 
dear. 

"  This  is  well !  A  right  worthy  couple  !  And,  I  doubt 
not,  a  meet  companion  will  your  offspring  prove.  Mon- 
sieur le  Notair,  call  off  the  names  of  these  good  people 
aloud,  that  they  may  sign,  at  least,  with  a  decent  parade." 

"It  is  settled  otherwise,"  hastily  answered  the  function- 
ary of  the  quill,  who  was  necessarily  in  the  secret  of 
Christine's  origin,  and  who  had  been  well  bribed  to  ob- 
serve discretion.  "  It  would  altogether  derange  the  order 
and  regularity  of  the  proceedings." 

"  As  thou  wilt  ;  for  I  would  have  nothing  illegal,  and 
least  of  all,  nothing  disorderly.  But  o'  Heaven's  sake  ! 
let  us  get  through  with  our  penmanship,  for  I  hear  there 
are  symptoms  that  the  meats  are  likely  to  be  overbaked. 
Canst  thou  write,  good  man  ? " 

"  Indifferently,  mein  Herr ;  but  in  a  way  to  make  what 
I  will  binding  before  the  law." 

u  Give  the  quill  to  the  bride,  Mr.  Notary,  and  let  us 
protract  the  happy  event  no  longer." 

The  bailiff  here  bent  his  head  aside  and  whispered  to  an 
attendant  to  hurry  toward  the  kitchens  and  to  look  to  the 
affairs  of  the  banquet.  Christine  took  the  pen  with  a 
trembling  hand  and  pallid  cheek,  and  was  about  to  apply 
it  to  the  paper,  when  a  sudden  cry  from  the  throng  divert- 
ed the  attention  of  all  present  to  a  new  matter  of  interest. 

"  Who  dares  thus  indecently  interrupt  this  grave  scene, 
and  that,  too,  in  so  great  a  presence  ? "  sternly  demanded 
the  bailiff. 


THE   HEADSMAN.  227 

Pippo,  who  with  the  other  prisoners,  had  unavoidably 
been  inclosed  in  the  space  near  the  estrade  by  the  pressure 
of  the  multitude,  staggered  more  into  view,  and  moving 
his  cap  with  a  well-managed  respect,  presented  himself 
humbly  to  the  sight  of  Peterchen. 

"  It  is  I,  illustrious  and  excellent  governor,"  returned 
the  wily  Neapolitan,  who  retained  just  enough  of  the 
liquor  he  had  swallowed  to  render  him  audacious,  without 
weakening  his  means  of  observation.  "  It  is  I,  Pippo  ;  an 
artist  of  humble  pretensions,  but  I  hope,  a  very  honest 
man,  and  as  I  know,  a  great  reverencer  of  the  laws  and  a 
true  friend  to  order." 

"  Let  the  good  man  speak  up  boldly.  A  man  of  these 
principles  has  a  right  to  be  heard.  We  live  in  a  tune  of 
damnable  innovations,  and  of  most  atrocious  attempts  to 
overturn  the  altar,  the  State,  and  the  public  trusts,  and 
the  sentiments  of  such  a  man  are  like  dew  to  the  parchcsd 
grass." 

The  reader  is  not  to  imagine,  from  the  language  of  the 
bailiff,  that  Vaud  stood  on  the  eve  of  any  great  political 
commotion,  but  as  the  government  was  in  itself  an  usur- 
pation, and  founded  on  the  false  principle  of  exclusion,  it 
was  quite  as  usual  then  as  now,  to  cry  out  against  the 
moral  throes  of  violated  right,  since  the  same  eagerness  to 
possess,  the  same  selfishness  in  grasping,  however  unjustly 
obtained,  and  the  same  audacity  of  assertion  with  a  view 
to  mystify,  pervaded  the  Christian  world  a  century  since 
as  exist  to-day.  The  cunning  Pippo  saw  that  the  bait  had 
taken,  and  assuming  a  still  more  respectful  and  loyal  mien, 
he  continued  : — 

"  Although  a  stranger,  illustrious  governor,  I  have  had 
great  delight  in  these  joyous  and  excellent  ceremonies. 
Their  fame  will  be  spread  far  and  near,  and  men  will  talk 
of  little  else  for  the  coming  year  but  of  Vevey  and  its  fes- 
tival. But  a  great  scandal  hangs  over  your  honorable 
heads  which  it  is  in  my  power  to  turn  aside,  and  San  Gen- 
naro  forbid  that  I,  a  stranger,  that  hath  been  well  enter- 
tained in  your  town,  should  hesitate  about  raising  his 
voice  on  account  of  any  scruples  of  modesty!  No  doubt, 
great  governor,  your  Eccellenza  believes  that  this  worthy 
Vevaisan  is  about  to  wive  a  creditable  maiden,  whose  name 
could  be  honorably  metioned  with  those  of  the  ceremonies 
and  your  town,  before  the  proudest  company  in  Europe  ?" 

"  What  of  this,  fellow  ?     The   girl   is  fair,    and  modest 


228  THE  HEADSMAN. 

enough,  at  least  to  the  eye,  and  if  thou  knowest  aught 
else,  whisper  thy  secret  to  her  husband  or  her  friends,  but 
do  not  come  in  this  rude  manner  to  disturb  our  harmony 
with  thy  raven  throat,  just  as  we  are  ready  to  sing  an 
epithalamium  in  honor  of  the  happy  pair.  Your  excessive 
particularity  is  the  curse  of  wedlock,  my  friends,  and  I 
have  a  great  mind  to  send  this  knave,  in  spite  of  all  his  pro- 
fession of  order,  which  is  like  enough  to  produce  disorder, 
for  a  month  or  two  into  our  Vevey  dungeon  for  his  pains." 

Pippo  was  staggered,  for,  just  drunk  enough  to  be  au- 
dacious, he  had  not  all  his  faculties  at  his  perfect  com- 
mand, and  his  usual  acumen  was  a  little  at  fault.  Still, 
accustomed  to  brave  public  opinion,  and  to  carry  himself 
through  the  failures  of  his  exhibitions  of  heavier  drafts 
on  the  patience  and  credulity  of  his  audience,  he  deter- 
mined to  persevere  as  the  most  likely  way  of  extricating 
himself  from  the  menaced  consequences  of  his  indiscre- 
tion. 

"A  thousand  pardons,  great  bailiff,"  he  answered. 
"Naught  but  a  burning  desire  to  do  justice  to  your  high 
honor,  and  to  the  reputation  of  the  abbaye's  festival,  could 
have  led  me  so  far,  but — 

"  Speak  thy  mind  at  once,  rogue,  and  have  done  with 
circumlocution." 

"  I  have  little  to  say,  signore,  except  that  the  father  of  this 
illustrious  bride,  who  is  about  to  honor  Vevey  by  making 
her  nuptials  an  occasion  for  all  in  the  city  to  witness 
and  to  favor,  is  the  common  headsman  of  Berne — a  wretch 
who  lately  came  near  to  prove  the  destruction  of  more 
Christians  than  the  law  has  condemned,  and  who  is  suffi- 
ciently out  of  favor  with  Heaven  to  bring  the  fate  of  Go- 
morrah upon  your  town  ! " 

Pippo  tottered  to  his  station  among  the  prisoners,  with 
the  manner  of  one  who  had  delivered  himself  of  an  important 
trust,  and  was  instantly  lost  to  view.  So  rapid  and  un- 
looked-for had  been  the  interruption,  and  so  vehement  the 
utterance  of  the  Italian  while  delivering  his  facts,  that, 
though  several  present  saw  their  tendency  when  it  was  too 
late,  none  had  sufficient  presence  of  mind  to  prevent  the 
exposure.  A  murmur  arose  in  the  crowd,  which  stirred 
like  a  vast  sheet  of  fluid  on  which  a  passing  gust  had 
alighted,  and  then  became  fixed  and  calm.  Of  all  present, 
the  bailiff  manifested  the  least  surprise  or  concern,  for  to 
him  the  last  minister  of  the  law  was  an  object,  if  not  pre- 


THE   HEADSMAN.  22q 

eisely  ot  respect,  of  politic  good-will  rather  than  of  dis- 
honor 

"  What  of  this  !  "  he  answered,  in  the  way  of  one  who 
had  expected  a  far  more  important  revelation.  "  What  of 
this,  should  it  be  true  ?  Harkee,  friend — art  thou,  in 
sooth,  the  noted  Balthazar,  he  to  whose  family  the  canton 
is  indebted  for  so  much  fair  justice  ? " 

Balthazar  saw  that  his  secret  was  betrayed,  and  that  it 
were  wiser  simply  to  admit  the  facts,  than  to  have  recourse 
to  subterfuge  or  denial.  Nature,  moreover,  had  made  him 
a  man  with  strong  and  pure  propensities  for  the  truth, 
and  he  was  never  without  the  innate  consciousness  of  the 
injustice  of  which  he  had  been  made  the  victim  by  the  un- 
feeling ordinance  of  society.  Raising  his  head,  he  looked 
around  him  with  firmness,  for  he  too,  unhappily,  had  been 
accustomed  to  act  in  the  face  of  multitudes,  and  he  an- 
swered the  question  of  the  bailiff,  in  his  usual  mild  tone  oi 
voice,  but  with  composure. 

"  Herr  Bailiif,  I  am  by  inheritance  the  last  avenger  ol 
the  law." 

"  By  my  office  !  I  like  the  title  ;  it  is  a  good  one  !  The 
last  avenger  of  the  law  !  If  rogues  will  offend,  or  dis- 
satisfied spirits  plot,  there  must  be  a  hand  to  put  the 
finishing  blow  to  their  evil  works,  and  why  not  thou 
as  well  as  another!  Harkee,  officers,  shut  me  up  yonder 
Italian  knave  for  a  week  on  bread  and  water,  for  daring  to 
trifle  with  the  time  and  good  nature  of  the  public  in  this 
impudent  manner.  And  this  worthy  dame  is  thy  wife, 
honest  Balthazar  ;  and  that  fair  maiden  thy  child  ?  Hast 
thou  more  of  so  goodly  a  race  ? " 

"  God  has  blessed  me  in  my  offspring,  mein  Herr." 

"  Aye  ;  God  hath  blessed  thee  ! — and  a  great  blessing  it 
should  be,  as  I  know  by  bitter  experience — that  is,  being 
a  bachelor,  I  understand  the  misery  of  being  childless — I 
would  say  no  more.  Sign  the  contract,  honest  Balthazar, 
with  thy  wife  and  daughter,  that  we  may  have  an  end  of 
this." 

The  family  of  the  proscribed  were  about  to  obey  this 
mandate,  when  Jacques  Colis  abruptly  threw  down  the 
emblems  of  a  bridegroom,  tore  the  contract  in  fragments, 
and  publicly  announced  that  he  had  changed  his  intention, 
and  that  he  would  not  wive  a  headsman's  child.  The  pub- 
lie  mind  is  usually  caught  by  any  loud  declaration  in  favor 
of  the  ruling  prejudice,  and  after  the  first  brief  pause  of 


23o  THE  HEADSMAN-. 

surprise  was  past,  the  determination  of  the  groom  was  re- 
ceived with  a  shout  of  applause  that  was  immediately  fol- 
lowed by  general,  coarse,  and  deriding  laughter.  The 
throng  pressed  upon  the  keepers  of  the  limits  in  a  stili 
denser  mass,  opposing  an  impenetrable  wall  of  human 
bodies  to  the  passage  of  any  in  either  direction,  and  a  dead 
stillness  succeeded,  as  if  all  present  breathlessly  awaited 
the  result  of  the  singular  scene. 

So  unexpected  and  sudden  was  the  purpose  of  the  groom, 
that  they  who  were  most  affected  by  it,  did  not,  at  first, 
fully  comprehend  the  extent  of  the  disgrace  that  was  so 
publicly  heaped  upon  them.  The  innocent  and  unprac- 
tised Christine  stood  resembling  the  cold  statue  of  a  ves- 
tal, with  the  pen  raised  ready  to  affix  her  as  yet  untarnished 
name  to  the  contract,  in  an  attitude  of  suspense,  while  her 
wondering  look  followed  the  agitation  of  the  multitude,  as 
the  startled  bird,  before  it  takes  wring,  regards  a  movement 
among  the  leaves  of  the  bush.  But  there  was  no  escape 
from  the  truth.  Conviction  of  its  humiliating  nature  came 
too  scfon,  and  by  the  time  the  calm  of  intense  curiosity  had 
succeeded  to  the  momentary  excitement  of  the  spectators, 
she  was  standing  an  exquisite,  but  painful,  picture  of 
wounded  feminine  feeling  and  of  maiden  shame.  Her 
parents,  too,  were  stupified  by  the  suddenness  of  the  un- 
expected shock,  and  it  was  longer  before  their  faculties  re- 
covered the  tone  proper  to  meet  an  insult  so  unprovoked 
and  gross. 

"  This  is  unusual,"  dryly  remarked  the  bailiff,  who  was 
the  first  to  break  the  long  and  painful  silence. 

"  It  is  brutal !  "  warmly  interposed  the  Signore  Grimaldi. 
"  Unless  there  has  been  deception  practised  on  the  bride- 
groom, it  is  utterly  without  excuse." 

"  Your  experience,  signore,  has  readily  suggested  the 
true  points  in  a  very  knotty  case,  and  I  shall  proceed  with- 
out delay  to  look  into  its  merits." 

Sigismund  resumed  his  seat,  his  hand  releasing  the 
sword-hilt  that  it  had  spontaneously  grasped  when  he 
heard  this  declaration  of  the  bailiff's  intentions. 

"  For  the  sake  of  thy  poor  sister,  forbear  !  "  whispered 
the  terrified  Adelheid.  "  All  will  yet  be  well — all  must  be 
well — it  is  impossible  that  one  so  sweet  and  innocent 
should  long  remain  with  her  honor  unavenged  ! " 

The  young  man  smiled  frightfully,  at  least  so  it  seemed 
to  his  companion  :  but  he  maintained  the  appearance  o* 


THE  HEADSMAN.  231 

composure.  In  the  meantime  Peterchen,  having  secretly 
dispatched  another  messenger  to  the  cooks,  turned  his  se- 
rious attention  to  the  difficulty  that  had  just  arisen. 

"  I  have  long  been  intrusted  by  the  council  with  honor- 
able duties,"  he  said,  "but  never,  before  to-day,  have  I 
been  required  to  decide  upon  a  domestic  misunderstand- 
ing, before  the  parties  were  actually  wedded.  This  is  a 
grave  interruption  of  the  ceremonies  of  the  abbaye,  as  well 
as  a  slight  upon  the  notary  and  the  spectators,  and  needs 
be  well  looked  to.  Dost  thou  really  persist  in  putting  this 
unusual  termination  to  the  marriage  ceremony,  Herr 
Bridegroom  ? " 

Jacques  Colis  had  lost  a  little  of  the  violent  impulse 
which  led  him  to  the  precipitate  and  inconsiderate  act  of 
destroying  an  instrument  he  had  legally  executed  ;  but  this 
outbreaking  of  feeling  was  followed  by  a  sullen  and  fixed 
resolution  to  persevere  in  the  refusal  at  every  hazard  to 
himself. 

"  I  will  not  wive  the  daughter  of  a  man  hunted  of  so- 
ciety, and  avoided  by  all,"  he  doggedly  answered. 

"  No  doubt  the  respectability  of  the  parent  is  the  next 
thing  to  a  good  dowry,  in  the  choice  of  a  wife,"  returned 
the  bailiff,  "  but  one  of  thy  years  has  not  come  hither,  with- 
out having  first  inquired  into  the  parentage  of  her  thou 
wert  about  to  wed  ? " 

"  It  was  sworn  to  me  that  the  secret  should  be  kept.  The 
girl  is  well  endowed,  and  a  promise  was  solemnly  made 
that  her  parentage  should  never  be  known.  The  family  of 
Colis  is  esteemed  in  Vaud,  and  I  would  not  have  it  said 
that  the  blood  of  the  headsman  of  the  canton  hath  mixed 
in  a  stream  as  fair  as  ours." 

"  And  yet  thou  wert  not  unwilling,  so  long  as  the  circum- 
stance was  unknown?  Thy  objection  is  less  to  the  fact, 
than  to  its  public  exposure/' 

"  Without  the  aid  of  parchments  and  tongues,  Monsieur 
le  Bailli,  we  should  all  be  equal  in  birth.  Ask  the  noble 
Baron  de  Willading,  who  is  seated  there  at  your  side,  why 
he  is  better  than  another.  He  will  tell  you  that  he  is  come 
of  an  ancient  and  honorable  line  ;  but  had  he  been  taken 
from  his  castle  in  infancy,  and  concealed  under  a  feigned 
name,  and  kept  from  men's  knowledge  as  being  that  he  is, 
who  would  think  of  him  for  the  deeds  of  his  ancestors  ?  As 
the  Sire  de  Willading  would,  in  such  a  case,  have  lost  in 
the  world's  esteem,  so  did  Christine  gain  ;  but  as  opinion 


232  THE   HEADSMAN. 

would  return  to  the  Baron,  when  the  truth  should  be  puh> 
lished,  so  does  it  desert  Balthazar's  daughter,  when  she  is 
known  to  be  a  headsman's  child.  I  would  have  married  the 
maiden  as  she  was,  but,  your  pardon,  Monsieur  le  Bailli, 
if  I  say,  I  will  not  wive  her  as  she  is." 

A  murmur  of  approbation  followed  this  plausible  and 
ready  apology,  for,  when  antipathies  are  active  and  bitter, 
men  are  easily  satisfied  with  a  doubtful  morality  and  a 
weak  argument. 

"  This  honest  youth  hath  some  reason  in  him,"  observed 
the  puzzled  bailiff,  shaking  his  head.  "  I  would  he  had 
been  less  expert  in  disputation,  or  that  the  secret  had  been 
better  kept!  It  is  apparent  as  the  sun  in  the  heavens, 
friend  Melchior,  that  hadst  thou  not  been  known  as  thy 
father's  child,  thou  wouldst  not  have  succeeded  to  thy  castle 
and  lands — nay,  by  St.  Luke  !  not  even  to  the  rights  of  the 
biirgerschaft." 

"  In  Genoa  we  are  used  to  hear  both  parties,"  gravely  re- 
joined the  Signor  Grimaldi,  "  that  we  may  first  make  sure 
that  we  touch  the  true  merits  of  the  case.  Were  another 
to  claim  the  Signor  de  Willading's  honors  and  name,  thou 
wouldst  scarce  grant  his  suit,  without  questioning  our 
friend  here,  touching  his  own  rights  to  the  same." 

"  Better  and  better  !  This  is  justice,  while  that  which  fell 
from  the  bridegroom  was  only  argument.  Harkee,  Balt- 
hazar, and  thou  good  woman,  his  wife — and  thou  too,  pretty 
Christine — what  have  ye  all  to  answer  to  the  reasonable 
plea  of  Jacques  Colis  ?  " 

Balthazar,  who,  by  the  nature  of  his  office,  and  by  his 
general  masculine  duties,  had  been  so  much  accustomed  to 
meet  with  harsh  instances  of  the  public  hatred,  soon  re- 
covered his  usual  calm  exterior,  even  though  he  felt  a 
father's  pang  and  a  father's  just  resentment  at  witnessing 
this  open  injury  to  one  so  gentle  and  deserving  as  his  child. 
But  the  blow  had  been  far  heavier  on  Marguerite,  the  faith- 
ful and  long-continued  sharer  of  his  fortunes.  The  wife  of 
Balthazar  was  past  the  prime  of  her  days,  but  she  still  re- 
tained the  presence,  and  some  of  the  personal  beauty, 
which  had  rendered  her,  in  youth,  a  woman  of  extraordi- 
nary mien  and  carriage.  When  the  words  which  announced 
the  slight  to  her  daughter  first  fell  on  her  ears,  she  paled 
to  the  hue  of  the  dead.  For  several  minutes  she  stood  look- 
ing more  like  one  that  had  taken  a  final  departure  from 
the  interests  and  emotions  of  life,  than  one  that,  in  truth, 


THE   HEADSMAN.  233 

was  a  prey  to  one  of  the  strongest  passions  the  human 
breast  can  ever  entertain,  that  of  wounded  maternal  af- 
fection. Then  the  blood  stole  slowly  to  her  temples,  and, 
by  the  time  the  bailiff  put  his  question,  her  entire  face 
was  glowing  under  a  tumult  of  feeling  that  threatened 
to  defeat  its  own  wishes,  by  depriving  her  of  the  power  of 
speech. 

"  Thou  canst  ans\ver  him,  Balthazar,"  she  said  huskily, 
motioning  for  her  husband  to  arouse  his  faculties  ;  "  thou 
art  used  to  these  multitudes  and  to  their  scorn.  Thou  art 
a  man,  and  canst  do  us  justice." 

"  Herr  Bailiff,"  said  the  headsman,  who  seldom  lost  the 
mild  deportment  that  characterized  his  manner,  "  there  is 
much  truth  in  what  Jacques  hath  urged,  but  all  present 
may  have  seen  that  the  fault  did  not  come  of  us,  but  of 
yonder  heartless  vagabond.  The  wretch  sought  my  life 
on  the  lake,  in  our  late  unfortunate  passage  hither  ;  and, 
not  content  with  wishing  to  rob  my  children  of  their  father, 
he  comes  now  to  injure  me  still  more  cruelly.  I  was  born 
to  the  office  I  hold,  as  you  well  know,  Herr  Hofmeister, 
or  it  would  never  have  been  sought  by  me  ;  but  what  the 
law  \vills,  men  insist  upon  as  right.  This  girl  can  never 
be  called  upon  to  strike  a  head  from  its  shoulders,  and, 
knowing  from  childhood  up  the  scorn  that  awaits  all  who 
corne  of  my  race,  I  sought  the  means  of  releasing  her,  at 
least,  from  some  part  of  the  curse  that  hath  descended  on 
us." 

"  I  know  not  if  this  were  legal ! "  interrupted  the  bailiff, 
quickly.  "  What  is  your  opinion,  Herr  von  Willading? 
Can  any  in  Berne  escape  their  heritable  duties,  any  more 
than  hereditary  privileges  can  be  assumed  ?  This  is  a 
grave  question  ;  innovation  leads  to  innovation,  and  our 
venerable  laws  and  our  sacred  usages  must  be  preserved, 
if  we  would  avert  the  curse  of  change  !  " 

"  Balthazar  hath  well  observed  that  a  female  cannot  ex- 
ercise the  executioner's  office." 

"  True,  but  a  female  may  bring  forth  them  that  can. 
This  is  a  cunning  question  for  the  doctors-in-law,  and  it 
must  be  examined  ;  of  all  damnable  offences,  Heaven  keep 
me  from  that  of  a  wish  for  change.  If  change  is  ever  to 
follow,  why  establish  ?  Change  is  the  unpardonable  sin 
in  politics,  Signor  Grimaldi  ;  since  that  which  is  often 
changed  becomes  valueless  in  time,  even  if  it  be  coin." 

"  The  mother  hath  something  she  would  utter,"  said  the 


234  THE  HEADSMAN. 

Genoese,  whose  quick,  but  observant  eye  had  been  watch* 
ing  the  workings  of  the  countenances  of  the  repudiated 
family,  while  the  bailiff  was  digressing  in  his  usual  prolix 
manner  on  things  in  general,  and  who  detected  the  throes 
of  feeling  which  heaved  the  bosom  of  the  respectable  Mar- 
guerite, in  a  way  to  announce  a  speedy  birth  to  her 
thoughts. 

"Hast  thou  aught  to  urge,  good  woman  ?"  demanded 
Peterchen,  who  was  well  enough  disposed  to  hear  both 
sides  in  all  cases  of  controversy,  unless  they  happened  to 
touch  the  supremacy  of  the  great  canton.  "  To  speak  the 
truth,  the  reasons  of  Jacques  Colis  are  plausible  and  wit- 
ty, and  are  likely  to  weigh  heavy  against  thee." 

The  color  slowly  disappeared  from  the  brow  of  the 
mother,  and  she  turned  such  a  look  of  fondness  and  pro- 
tection on  her  child,  as  spoke  a  complete  condensation  of 
all  her  feelings  in  the  engrossing  sentiment  of  a  mother's 
love. 

"  Have  I  aught  to  urge  !  "  slowly  repeated  Marguerite, 
looking  steadily  about  her  at  the  curious  and  unfeeling 
crowd,  which,  bent  on  the  indulgence  of  its  appetite  for 
novelty,  and  excited  by  its  prejudices,  still  pressed  upon 
the  halberds  of  the  officers — "  Has  a  mother  aught  to  say 
in  defence  of  her  injured  and  insulted  child  !  What  hast 
thou  not  also  asked,  Herr  Hofmeister,  if  I  am  human  ? 
We  come  of  proscribed  races,  I  know,  Balthazar  and  I,  but 
like  thee,  proud  bailiff,  and  the  privileged  at  thy  side,  we 
come  too  of  God  !  The  judgment  and  power  of  men  have 
crushed  us  from  the  beginning,  and  we  are  used  to  the 
world's  scorn  and  to  the  world's  injustice  ! " 

"  Say  not  so,  good  woman,  for  no  more  is  required  than 
the  law  sanctions.  Thou  art  now  talking  against  thine  own 
interests,  and  I  interrupt  thee  in  pure  mercy.  'Twould  be 
scandalous  in  me  to  sit  here  and  listen  to  one  that  hath 
bespattered  the  law  with  an  evil  tongue." 

"I  know  aught  of  the  subtleties  of  thy  laws,  but  well  do 
I  know  their  cruelty  and  wrongs,  as  respects  me  and  mine) 
All  others  come  into  the  world  with  hope,  but  we  have 
been  crushed  from  the  beginning.  That  surely  cannot  be 
just  which  destroys  hope.  Even  the  sinner  need  not  de- 
spair, through  the  mercy  of  the  Son  of  God  !  but  we,  that 
have  come  into  the  world  under  thy  laws,  have  little  before 
us  in  life  but  shame  and  the  scorn  of  men  !  " 

'  Nay,  thou  quite   mistakest   the   matter,  dame ;   these 


THE  HEADSMAN.  235 

privileges  were  first  bestowed  on  thy  families  in  reward  for 
good  services,  I  make  no  doubt,  and  it  was  long  accounted 
profitable  to  be  of  this  office." 

"  I  do  not  say  that  in  a  darker  age,  when  oppression 
stalked  over  the  land,  and  the  best  were  barbarous  as  the 
worst  to-day,  some  of  those  of  whom  we  are  born  may  not 
have  been  fierce  and  cruel  enough  to  take  upon  themselves 
this  office  with  good  will ;  but  I  deny  that  any  short  of  Him 
who  holds  the  universe  in  his  hand,  and  who  controls  an 
endless  future  to  compensate  for  the  evils  of  the  present 
time,  has  the  power  to  say  to  the  son,  that  he  shall  be  the 
heritor  of  the  father's  wrongs  !  " 

"  How !  dost  question  the  doctrine  of  descents  ?  We 
shall  next  hear  thee  dispute  the  rights  of  the  btirgerschaft ! " 

"  I  know  nothing,  Herr  Bailiff,  of  the  nice  distinctions 
of  your  rights  in  the  city,  and  wish  to  utter  naught  for  or 
against.  But  an  entire  life  of  contumely  and  bitterness  is 
apt  to  become  a  life  of  thoughtfulness  and  care ;  and  I  see 
sufficient  difference  between  the  preservation  of  privileges 
fairly  earned,  though  even  these  may  and  do  bring  with 
them  abuses  hard  to  be  borne,  and  the  unmerited  oppres- 
sion of  the  offspring  for  the  ancestor's  faults.  There  is 
little  of  that  justice  which  savors  of  Heaven  in  this,  and  the 
time  will  come  when  a  fearful  return  will  be  made  for 
wrongs  so  sore  !  " 

"  Concern  for  thy  pretty  daughter,  good  Marguerite, 
causes  thee  to  speak  strongly." 

"  Is  not  the  daughter  of  a  headsman  and  a  headsman's 
wife  their  offspring,  as  much  as  the  fair  maiden  who  sits 
near  thee  is  the  child  of  the  noble  at  her  side  ?  Am  I  to 
love  her  less,  that  she  is  despised  by  a  cruel  world  ?  Had 
I  not  the  same  suffering  at  the  birth,  the  same  joy  in  the 
infant  smile,  the  same  hope  in  the  childish  promise,  and 
the  same  trembling  for  her  fate  when  I  consented  to  trust 
her  happiness  to  another,  as  she  that  bore  that  more 
fortunate  but  not  fairer  maiden  hath  had  in  her?  Hath 
God  created  two  natures — two  yearnings  for  the  mother — 
two  longings  for  our  children's  weal — those  of  the  rich  and 
honored,  and  those  of  the  crushed  and  despised  ? " 

"  Go  to,  good  Marguerite  ;  thou  puttest  the  matter  alto- 
gether in  a  manner  that  is  unusual.  Are  our  reverenced 
usages  nothing — our  solemn  edicts — our  city's  rule — and 
our  resolution  to  govern,  and  that  fairly  and  with  effect  ?" 

"  I  fear  that  these  are  stronger  than  the  right,  and  likely 


2.36  THE   HEADSMAX. 

to  endure  when  the  tears  of  the  oppressed  are  exhausted, 
when  they  and  their  fates  shall  be  forgotten  ! " 

"Thy  child  is  fair  and  modest,"  observed  the  Signor 
Grimaldi,  "and  will  yet  find  a  youth  who  will  more  than 
atone  for  this  injury.  He  that  has  rejected  her  was  not 
worthy  of  her  faith." 

Marguerite  turned  her  look,  which  had  been  glowing 
with  awakened  feeling,  on  her  pale  and  still  motionless 
daughter.  The  expression  of  her  eyes  softened,  and  she 
folded  her  child  to  her  bosom,  as  the  dove  shelters  its 
young.  All  her  aroused  feelings  appeared  to  dissolve  in 
the  sentiment  of  love. 

"My  child  is  fair,  Herr  Peter,"  she  continued,  without 
adverting  to  the  interruption  ;  "  but  better  than  fair,  she  is 
good  !  Christine  is  gentle  and  dutiful,  and  not  for  a  world 
would  she  bruise  the  spirit  of  another  as  hers  has  been  this 
day  bruised.  Humbled  as  we  are,  and  despised  of  men, 
bailiff,  we  have  our  thoughts,  and  our  wishes,  and  our 
hopes,  and  memory,  and  all  the  other  feelings  of  those 
that  are  more  fortunate  ;  and  when  I  have  racked  my  brain 
to  reason  on  the  justice  of  a  fate  which  has  condemned  all 
of  my  race  to  have  little  other  communion  with  their  kind 
but  that  of  blood,  and  when  bitterness  has  swollen  at  my 
heart,  aye,  near  to  bursting,  and  I  have  been  ready  to  curse 
Providence  and  die,  this  mild,  affectionate  girl  hath  been 
near  to  quench  the  fire  that  consumed  me,  and  to  tighten 
the  cords  of  life  until  the  love  and  innocence  have  left  me 
willing  to  live  even  under  a  heavier  load  than  this  I  bear. 
Thou  art  of  an  honored  race,  bailiff,  and  canst  little  under- 
stand most  of  our  suffering  ;  but  thou  art  a  man,  and  shouldst 
know  what  it  is  to  be  wounded  through  another,  and  that 
one  who  is  dearer  to  thee  than  thine  own  flesh." 

"Thy  words  are  strong,  good  Marguerite,"  again  inter- 
rupted the  bailiff,  who  felt  an  uneasiness  of  which  lie 
would  very  gladly  be  rid.  "  Himmel !  Who  can  like  any- 
thing better  than  his  own  flesh  ?  Besides,  thou  shouldst 
remember  that  I  am  a  bachelor,  and  bachelors  are  apt 
naturally,  to  feel  more  for  their  own  flesh  than  for  that  of 
others.  Stand  aside  and  let  the  procession  pass,  that  we 
may  go  to  the  banquet,  which  waits.  If  Jacques  Colis  will 
none  of  thy  girl,  I  have  not  the  power  to  make  him.  Double 
the  dowry,  good  woman,  and  thou  shalt  have  a  choice  ol 
husbands,  in  spite  of  the  axe  and  the  sword  that  are  in  thy 
escutcheon.  Let  the  halberdiers  make  way  for  those  hon 


THE  HEADSMAN.  237 

^st  people  there,  who,  at   least,   are  functionaries  of  the 
law,  and  are  to  be  protected  as  well  as  ourselves." 

The  crowd  obeyed,  yielding  readily  to  the  advance  of 
the  officers,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  useless  attendants 
of  the  village  nuptials,  and  the  train  of  Hymen,  slunk 
away,  sensible  of  the  ridicule  that,  in  a  double  degree,  at- 
taches itself  to  folly,  when  it  fails  of  affecting  even  its'  own 
absurdities. 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

"The  weeping  blood  in  woman's  breas* 

Was  never  known  to  thee  ; 
Nor  the  balm  that  drops  on  wounds  of  wf>« 
From  woman's  pitying  e'e." — BURNS. 

A  LA&GE  portion  of  the  curious  followed  the  disconcerted 
mummers  from  the  square,  while  others  hastened  to  break 
their  fasts  at  the  several  places  selected  for  this  important 
feature  in  the  business  of  the  day.  Most  of  those  who  had 
been  on  the  estrade  now  left  it,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  the 
living  carpet  of  heads  around  the  little  area  in  front  of  the 
bailiff  was  reduced  to  a  few  hundreds  of  those  whose  better 
feelings  were  stronger  than  their  self-indulgence.  Perhaps 
this  distribution  of  the  multitude  is  about  in  the  proportion 
that  is  usually  found  in  those  cases  in  which  selfishness 
draws  in  one  direction,  while  feeling  or  sympathy  with  the 
wronged  pulls  in  another,  among  all  masses  of  human 
beings  that  are  congregated  as  spectators  of  some  general 
and  indifferent  exhibition  of  interests  in  which  they  have 
no  near  personal  concern. 

The  bailiff  and  his  immediate  friends,  the  prisoners,  and 
the  family  of  the  headsman,  with  a  sufficient  number  of 
the  guards,  were  among  those  who  remained.  The  bust- 
ling Peterchen  had  lost  some  of  his  desire  to  take  his  place 
at  the  banquet,  in  the  difficulties  of  the  question  which 
had  arisen,  and  in  the  certainty  that  nothing  material,  in 
the  way  of  gastronomy,  would  be  attempted  until  he  ap- 
peared. We  would  do  injustice  to  his  heart,  did  we  not  add, 
also,  that  he  had  troublesome  qualms  of  conscience,  which 
intuitively  admonished  him  that  the  world  had  dealt  hardly 
with  the  family  of  Balthazar.  There  remained  the  party 
of  Maso,  too,  to  dispose  of,  and  his  character  of  an  upright 


238  THE  HEADSMAN. 

as  well  as  of  a  firm  magistrate  to  maintain.  As  the  crowd 
diminished,  however,  he  and  those  near  him,  descended 
from  their  high  places,  and  mixed  with  the  few  who  oc- 
cupied the  stul  guarded  area  in  front  of  the  stage. 

Balthazar  had  not  stirred  from  his  riveted  posture  near 
the  table  of  the  notary,  for  he  shrank  from  encountering,  in 
the  company  of  his  wife  and  daughter,  the  insults  to  which 
he  should  be  exposed  now  his  character  was  known,  by 
mingling  with  the  crowd,  and  he  waited  for  a  favorable 
moment  to  withdraw  unseen.  Marguerite  still  stood  fold- 
ing Christine  to  her  bosom,  as  if  jealous  of  further  injury 
to  her  beloved.  The  recreant  bridegoom  had  taken  the 
earliest  opportunity  to  disappear,  and  was  seen  no  more  in 
Vevey  during  the  remainder  of  the  revels. 

Peterchen  cast  a  hurried  glance  at  this  group,  as  his  foot 
reached  the  ground,  and  then  turning  toward  the  thief- 
takers,  he  made  a  sign  for  them  to  advance  with  their 
prisoners. 

"  Thy  evil  tongue  has  balked  one  of  the  most  engaging 
rites  of  the  day's  festival,  knave,"  observed  the  bailiff,  ad- 
dressing Pippo  with  a  certain  magisterial  reproof  in  his 
voice.  "  I  should  do  well  to  send  thee  to  Berne,  to  serve 
a  month  among  those  who  sweep  the  city  streets,  as  a 
punishment  for  thy  raven  throat.  What,  in  the  name  of  all 
thy  Roman  saints  and  idols,  hadst  thou  against  the  happi- 
ness of  these  honest  people,  that  thou  must  come,  in  this 
unseemly  manner,  to  destroy  it  ?  " 

"Naught  but  the  love  of  truth,  Eccellenza,  and  a  just 
horror  of  the  man  of  blood." 

"That  thou  and  all  like  thee  should  have  a  horror  of  tjie 
ministers  of  the  law,  I  can  understand  ;  and  it  is  more  than 
probable  that  thy  dislike  will  extend  to  me,  for  I  am  about 
to  pronounce  a  just  judgment  on  thee  and  thy  fellows  for 
disturbing  the  harmony  of  the  day,  and  especially  for  hav- 
ing been  guilty  of  the  enormous  crime  of  an  outrage  on 
our  agents." 

"  Couldst  thou  grant  me  a  moment's  leave  ?"  asked  the 
Genoese  in  his  ear. 

"An  hour,  noble  Gaetano,  if  thou  wilt." 

The  two  then  conversed  apart  for  a  minute  or  more. 
During  the  brief  dialogue,  the  Signer  Grimaldi  occasion- 
ally looked  at  the  quiet  and  apparently  contrite  Maso,  and 
stretched  his  arms  toward  the  Lernan,  in  a  way  to  give  the 
observers  an  inkling  of  his  subject.  The  countenance  o! 


THE.  HEADSMAN.  239 

the  Herr  Hofmeister  changed  from  official  sternness  to  an 
expression  of  decent  concern  as  he  listened,  and. ere  long  it 
took  a  decidedly  forgiving  laxity  of  muscle.  When  the 
other  had  done  speaking,  he  bowed  a  ready  assent  to  what 
he  had  just  heard,  and  returned  to  the  prisoners. 

"  As  I  have  just  observed,"  he  resumed,  "  it  is  my  duty 
now  to  pronounce  finally  on  these  men  and  their  conduct. 
Firstly,  they  are  strangers,  and  as  such  are  not  only  igno- 
rant of  our  laws,  but  entitled  to  our  hospitality  ;  next,  they 
have  been  punished  sufficiently  for  the  original  offence,  by 
being  abridged  of  the  day's  sports  ;  and  as  to  the  crime 
committed  against  ourselves,  in  the  person  of  our  agents, 
it  is  freely  forgiven,  for  forgiveness  is  a  generous  quality, 
and  becomes  a  paternal  form  of  rule.  Depart  therefore, 
of  God's  name  !  all  of  ye  to  a  man,  and  remember  hence- 
forth to  be  discreet.  Signore,  and  you,  Herr  Baron,  shall 
we  to  the  banquet?" 

The  two  old  friends  had  already  moved  onward,  in  close 
and  earnest  discourse,  and  the  bailiff  was  obliged  to  seek 
out  another  companion.  None  offered  at  the  moment,  but 
Sigismund,  who  had  stood,  since  quitting  the  stage,  in  an 
attitude  of  complete  indecision  and  helplessness,  notwith- 
standing his  great  physical  energy  and  his  usual  moral 
readiness  to  act.  Taking  the  arm  of  the  young  soldier, 
with  the  disregard  of  ceremony  that  denotes  a  sense  of 
condescension,  the  bailiff  drew  him  away  from  the  spot, 
heedless  himself  of  the  other's  reluctance,  and  without  ob- 
serving that,  in  consequence  of  the  general  desertion,  for 
few  were  disposed  to  indulge  their  compassion  unless  it 
were  in  company  with  the  honored  and  noble,  Adelheid 
was  left  absolutely  alone  with  the  family  of  Balthazar. 

"  This  office  of  a  headsman,  Herr  Sigismund,"  commenced 
the  unobservant  Peterchen,  too  full  of  his  own  opinions, 
and  much  too  sensible  of  his  right  to  be  delivered  of  them 
in  the  presence  of  his  junior  and  inferior,  to  note  the 
youth's  trouble,  "is  at  the  best  but  a  disgusting  affair; 
though,  we,  of  station  and  authority,  are  obliged  prudently 
to  appear  to  deem  it  otherwise  before  the  people,  in  our 
own  interest.  Thou  hast  had  occasion  to  remark  often,  in 
the  discipline  of  thy  military  followers,  that  a  false  color- 
ing must  be  put  upon  things,  lest  they  who  are  very  neces- 
sary to  the  state  should  not  think  the  state  quite  so  neces- 
sary to  them.  What  is  thy  opinion,  Captain  Sigismund, 
as  a  man  who  has  yet  his  hopes  and  his  views  of  the  softer 


240  THE  HEADSMAN. 

sex,  of  this  act  of  Jacques  Colis  ?  Is  it  conduct  to  be  ap- 
proved of,  or  to  be  condemned  ? " 

"  I  deem  him  a  heartless,  mercenary  miscreant !  " 

The  suppressed  energy  with  which  these  unexpected 
words  were  uttered  caused  the  bailiff  to  stop  and  to  look 
up  in  his  companion's  face,  as  if  to  ask  its  reason.  But 
there  all  was  already  calm,  for  the  young  man  had  too  long 
been  accustomed  to  drill  its  expression,  when  the  sensitive 
sore  of  his  origin  was  probed,  as  so  frequently  happened, 
to  permit  the  momentary  weakness  long  to  maintain  its 
ascendency. 

"Aye,  this  is  the  opinion  of  thy  years,"  resumed  Peter- 
chen.  "  Thou  art  at  a  time  of  life  when  we  esteem  a  pretty 
face  and  a  mellow  eye  of  more  account  even  thai!"  gold. 
But  we  put  on  our  interested  spectacles  after  thirty,  and 
seldom  see  anything  very  admirable,  that  is  not  at  the  same 
time  very  lucrative.  Here  is  Melchior  de  Willading's 
daughter,  now,  a  woman  to  set  a  city  in  a  blaze,  for  she 
hath  wit,  and  lands,  and  beauty,  besides  good  blood  ; — 
what,  for  instance,  is  thy  opinion  of  her  merit  ? " 

"  That  she  is  deserving  of  all  the  happiness  that  every 
human  excellence  ought  to  confer  !  " 

"  Hum — thou  art  nearer  to  thirty  than  I  had  thought 
thee,  Herr  Sigismund  !  But  touching  this  Balthazar,  thou 
art  not  to  believe,  on  account  of  the  few  words  of  grace 
which  fell  from  me,  that  my  aversion  for  the  wretch  is  less 
than  thine,  or  than  that  of  any  other  honest  man ;  but  it 
would  be  unseemly  and  unwise  in  a  bailiff  to  desert  the 
last  minister  of  the  law's  decrees  in  the  face  of  the  public. 
There  are  feelings  and  sentiments  that  are  natural  to  us 
all,  and  among  them  are  to  be  classed  respect  and  honor 
for  the  well  and  nobly  born  "  (the  discourse  was  in  Ger- 
man), "  and  hatred  and  contempt  for  those  who  are  con- 
deinned  of  men.  These  are  feelings  which  belong  to  human 
nature  itself,  and  God  forbid  that  I,  a  man  already  past  the 
age  of  romance,  should  really  entertain  any  sentiments 
that  are  not  strictly  human." 

"Do  they  not  rather  belong  to  abuses — to  our  preju- 
dices ?" 

"  The  difference  is  not  material,  in  a  practical  view, 
young  man.  That  which  is  fairly  bred  into  the  mind,  by 
discipline  and  habit,  gets  to  be  stronger  than  instinct,  or 
even  than  one  of  the  senses.  Let  there  be  an  unseemly 
sight,  or  a  foul  smell  near  thee,  and  thou  hast  only  to  turn 


THE  HEADSMAN.  241 

thy  eyes,  or  hold  thy  nose,  to  be  rid  of  it  ;  but  I  could 
never  find  the  means  to  lessen  a  prejudice  that  was  once 
fairly  seated  in  the  mind.  Thou  mayest  look  whither  thou 
•wilt,  and  shut  out  the  unsavory  odors  of  the  imagination 
by  all  the  means  thou  canst  invent,  but  if  a  man  is,  in 
truth,  condemned  of  opinion,  he  might  as  well  make  his 
appeal  to  God  at  once  for  justice,  as  to  any  mercy  he  is 
likely  to  receive  from  men.  This  much  have  I  learned  in 
my  experience  as  a  public  functionary." 

"  I  should  hope  that  these  are  not  the  legal  dogmas  of 
our  ancient  canton,"  returned  the  youth,  conquering  his 
feelings,  though  it  cost  him  a  severe  effort. 

"As  far  from  it  as  Basle  is  from  Coire.  We  hold  no 
such  discreditable  doctrines.  I  challenge  the  world  to 
show  a  state  that  possesses  a  fairer  set  of  maxims  than 
ourselves,  and  we  even  endeavor  to  make  our  practice 
chime  in  with  our  opinions,  whenever  it  can  be  done  in 
safety.  No,  in  these  particulars,  Berne  is  a  paragon  of 
a  community,  and  as  rarely  says  one  thing  and  does 
another,  as  any  government  you  shall  see.  What  I  now 
tell  thee,  young  man,  is  said  to  thee  in  the  familiarity  of  a 
fete,  as  thou  know'st,  in  which  there  have  been  some 
fooleries,  to  open  confidence  and  to  loosen  the  tongue. 
We  openly  and  loudly  profess  great  truth  and  equality 
before  the  law,  saving  the  city's  rights,  and  to  take  holy, 
heavenly,  upright  justice  for  our  guide  in  all  matters  of 
theory.  Himmel  !  If  thou  wouldst  have  thy  affair  de- 
cided on  principle,  go  before  the  councils,  or  the  magis- 
tracy of  the  canton,  and  thou  shalt  hear  such  wisdom,  and 
witness  such  keen-sightedness  into  chicanery,  as  would 
have  honored  Solomon  himself  ! " 

"  And  notwithstanding  this,  prejudice  is  a  general 
master." 

"  How  canst  thou  have  it  otherwise  ?  Is  not  a  man  a 
man  ?  Will  he  not  lean  as  he  has  been  weighed  upon? — 
does  not  the  tree  grow  in  the  way  the  twig  is  bent  ?  No, 
while  I  adore  justice,  Herr  Sigismund,  as  becomes  a  bailiff, 
I  confess  to  both  prejudice  and  partiality,  mentally  con- 
sidered. Now,  yonder  maiden,  the  pretty  Christine,  lost 
some  of  her  grace  in  my  eyes,  as  no  doubt  she  did  in  thine, 
when  the  truth  came  to  be  known  that  she  was  Balthazar's 
child.  The  girl  is  fair  and  modest  and  winning  in  her 
way  ;  but  there  is  something — I  cannot  tell  thee  what — 
but  a  certain  damnable  something — a  taint — a  color — 9 
16 


242  THE   HEADSMAN. 

hue — a — a — a — that  showed  her  origin  the  instant  I  heard 
who  was  her  parent — was  it  not  so  with  thee  ? " 

"When  her  origin  was  proved,  but  not  previously." 

"Aye,  of  a  certainty  ;  I  mean  not  otherwise.  But  a  thing 
is  not  seen  any  the  worse  because  it  is  seen  thor- 
oughly, although  it  may  be  seen  falsely  when  there  are 
false  covers  to  conceal  its  ugliness.  Particularity  is  nec- 
essary to  philosophy.  Ignorance  is  a  mask  to  conceal  the 
little  details  that  are  necessary  to  knowledge.  Your  Moor 
might  pass  for  a  Christian  in  a  mask,  but  strip  him  of  his 
covering  and  the  true  shade  of  the  skin  is  seen.  Didst  thou 
not  observe,  for  instance,  in  all  that  touches  feminine 
grace  and  perfection,  the  manifest  difference  between  the 
daughter  of  Melchior  de  Willading  and  the  daughter  of 
this  Balthazar  ? " 

''There  wras  the  difference  between  a  maiden  of  most 
honored  and  happy  extraction  and  a  maiden  most  misera- 
bly condemned  ! " 

"Nay,  the  Demoiselle  de  Willading  is  the  fairer." 

"  Nature  has  certainly  been  most  bountiful  to  the  heiress 
of  AVillading,  Herr  Bailiff,  who  is  scarcely  less  attractive 
for  her  female  grace  and  goodness,  than  she  is  fortunate  in 
the  accidents  of  birth  and  condition." 

"  I  knew  thou  couldst  not,  in  secret,  be  of  a  different 
mind  from  the  rest  of  men  !  "  exclaimed  Peterchen  in  tri- 
umph, for  he  took  the  warmth  of  his  companion's  manner 
to  be  a  reluctant  and  half-concealed  assent  to  his  own 
proposition.  Here  the  discourse  ended ;  for,  the  earnest 
conference  between  Melchior  and  the  Signer  Grimaldi 
having  terminated,  the  bailiff  hastened  to  join  his  more  im- 
portant guests,  and  Sigismund  was  released  from  an  ex- 
amination that  had  harrowed  every  feeling  of  his  soul, 
while  he  even  despised  the  besotted  loquacity  of  the  man 
who  had  been  the  instrument  of  his  torture. 

The  separation  of  Adelheid  from  her  father  was  antici- 
pated and  previously  provided  for  ;  since  the  men  were 
expected  to  resort  to  the  banquet  at  this  hour.  She  had 
continued  near  Christine  and  her  mother,  therefore,  with- 
out attracting  any  unusual  attention  to  her  movements, 
even  in  those  who  were  the  objects  of  her  sympathy,  a  feel- 
ing that  was  so  natural  in  one  of  her  years  and  sex.  A 
male  attendant,  in  the  livery  of  her  father's  house,  remained 
near  her  person,  a  protector  who  was  certain  to  insure  not 
only  her  safety  in  the  thronged  streets  of  the  town,  but  to 


THE   HEADSMAN.  243 

exact  from  those  whose  faculties  were  beginning  to  yield 
to  the  excesses  of  the  occasion  the  testimonials  of  respect 
that  were  due  to  her  station.  It  was  under  these  circum- 
stances, then,  that  the  more  honored,  and,  to  the  eyes  of 
the  uninstructed,  the  happier  of  these  maidens,  approached 
the  other,  when  curiosity  was  so  far  appeased  as  to  have 
left  the  family  of  Balthazar  nearly  alone  in  the  centre  of 
the  square. 

"  Is  there  no  friendly  roof  near,  to  which  thou  canst 
withdraw  ? "  asked  the  heiress  of  Willading  of  the  mother 
of  the  pallid  and  scarcely  conscious  Christine;  "thou 
wouldst  do  better  to  seek  some  shelter  and  privacy  for  thy 
unoffending  and  much  injured  child.  If  any  that  belong 
to  me  can  be  of  service,  I  pray  that  thou  wilt  command  as 
freely  as  if  they  were  followers  of  thine  own." 

Marguerite  had  never  before  spoken  with  a  female  of  a 
rank  superior  to  the  ordinary  classes.  The  ample  means 
of  both  her  father's  and  her  husband's  family,  had  fur- 
nished all  that  was  necessary  to  the  improvement  of  the 
mind  of  one  in  her  station,  and  perhaps  she  had  been  the 
gainer,  in  mere  deportment,  by  having  been  greatly  ex- 
cluded, by  their  prejudices,  from  association  with  females 
of  her  own  condition.  As  is  often  seen  among  those  who 
have  the  thoughts  without  the  conventional  usages  of  a 
better  caste  in  life,  she  was  slightly  tinctured  with  an  ex- 
hibition of  what  might  be  termed  an  exaggerated  manner, 
while  at  the  same  time  it  was  perfectly  free  from  vulgarity 
or  coarseness.  The  gentle  accents  of  Adelheid  fell  on  her 
ear  soothingly,  and  she  gazed  long  and  earnestly  at  the 
beautiful  speaker  without  a  reply. 

"  Who  and  what  art  thou  that  canst  think  a  headsman's 
child  may  receive  an  insult  that  is  unmerited,  and  who 
offerest  the  service  of  thy  menials,  as  if  the  very  vassal 
would  not  refuse  his  master's  bidding  in  our  behalf!" 

"  I  am  Adelheid  de  Willading,  the  daughter  of  the  Baron 
of  that  name,  and  one  much  disposed  to  temper  this  cruel 
blow  to  the  feelings  of  poor  Christine.  Suffer  that  my 
people  seek  the  means  to  convey  thy  child  to  some  other 
place  ! " 

Marguerite  folded  her  daughter  still  closer  to  her  bosom, 
passing  a  hand  across  her  brow,  as  if  to  recall  some  half- 
obscured  idea. 

"  I  have  heard  of  thee,  lady.  'Tis  said  that  thou  art 
kind  to  the  wronged,  and  of  excellent  dispositions  toward 


244  THE   HEADSMAN-. 

the  unhappy — that  thy  father's  castle  is  an  honored  and 
hospitable  abode,  which  those  who  enter  rarely  love  to 
quit.  But  -hast  thou  well  weighed  the  consequences  of 
this  liberality  towyard  a  race,  that  is  and  has  been  pro- 
scribed of  men,  from  generation  to  generation — from  him 
who  first  lent  himself  to  his  bloody  office  with  a  cruel 
heart  and  a  greedy  desire  for  gold,  to  him  whose  courage 
is  scarcely  equal  to  the  disgusting  duty  ?  Hast  thou  be- 
thought thee  of  this,  or  hast  thou  yielded,  heedlessly,  to  a 
sudden  and  youthful  impulse  ?" 

"  Of  all  this  have  I  thought,"  said  Adelheid,  eagerly  ; 
"whatever  may  be  the  injustice  of  others,  thou  hast  none 
to  fear  from  me." 

Marguerite  yielded  the  form  of  her  child  to  the  support 
of  her  father's  arm,  and  drew  nearer,  with  a  gaze  of  earn- 
est and  pleased  interest,  to  the  blushing  but  still  com- 
posed Adelheid.  She  took  the  hand  of  the  latter,  and, 
with  a  look  of  recognition  and  intelligence,  said  slowly,  as 
if  communing  with  herself,  rather  than  speaking  to  an- 
other— 

"  This  is  getting  to  be  intelligible  !  "  she  murmured  ; 
"  there  is  still  gratitude  and  creditable  feeling  in  the 
world.  I  can  understand  why  we  are  not  revolting  to  this 
fair  being,  she  has  a  sense  of  justice  that  is  stronger  than 
her  prejudices.  We  have  done  her  service,  and  she  is  not 
ashamed  of  the  source  whence  it  has  come  !  " 

The  heart  of  Adelheid  throbbed  quick  and  violently  ; 
and,  for  a  moment,  she  doubted  her  ability  to  command 
her  feelings.  But  the  pleasing  conviction  that  Sigismund 
had  been  honorable  and  delicate,  even  to  his  most  sacred 
and  confidential  communications  with  his  own  mother, 
came  to  relieve  her,  and  to  make  her  momentarily  happy  ; 
since  nothing  is  so  painful  to  the  pure  mind,  as  to  think 
those  they  love  have  acted  unworthily ;  or  nothing  so 
grateful,  as  the  assurance  that  they  merit  the  esteem  we 
have  been  induced  liberally  and  confidingly  to  bestow. 

"  You  do  me  no  more  than  justice,"  returned  the  pleased 
listener  of  this  flattering  and  seemingly  involuntary  opin- 
ion— "we  are  indeed — indeed,  we  are  truly  grateful  ;  but 
had  we  not  reason  for  the  sacred  obligations  of  gratitude, 
I  think  we  could  still  be  just.  Will  you  not  now  consent 
that  my  people  should  aid  you  ? " 

"This  is  not  necessary,  lady.  Send  away  thy  followers, 
for  their  presence  will  draw  unpleasant  observations  on 


THE  HEADSMAN.  245 

our  movements.  The  town  is  now  occupied  with  feasts, 
and,  as  we  have  not  blindly  overlooked  the  necessity  of  a 
retreat  for  the  hunted  and  persecuted,  we  will  take  the 
opportunity  to  withdraw  unseen.  As  for  thyself 

"  I  would  be  near  this  innocent  at  a  moment  so  trying," 
added  Adelheid,  earnestly,  and  with  that  visible  sympathy 
which  rarely  fails  to  meet  an  echo. 

"  Heaven  bless  thee  !  Heaven  bless  thee,  sweet  girl ! 
And  Heaven  will  bless  thee,  for  few  wrongs  go  unrequited 
in  this  life,  and  little  good  without  its  reward.  Send  thy 
followers  away,  or  if  thy  habits  require  their  watchfulness, 
let  them  be  near  unseen,  whilst  thou  watchest  our  move- 
ments ;  and  when  the  eyes  of  all  are  turned  on  their  own 
pleasures,  thou  canst  follow.  Heaven  bless  thee — aye,  and 
Heaven  will ! " 

Marguerite  then  led  her  daughter  toward  one  of  the 
least  frequented  streets.  She  was  accompanied  by  the 
silent  Balthazar,  and  closely  watched  by  one  of  the  me- 
nials of  Adelheid.  When  fairly  housed,  the  domestic  re- 
turned to  show  the  spot  to  his  mistress,  who  had  appeared 
to  occupy  herself  with  the  hundred  silly  devices  that  were 
invented  to  amuse  the  multitude.  Dismissing  her  attend- 
ants, with  an  order  to  remain  at  hand,  however,  the  heir- 
ess of  Willading  soon  found  means  to  enter  the  humble 
abode  in  which  the  proscribed  family  had  taken  refuge, 
and,  as  she  was  expected,  she  was  soon  introduced  into  the 
chamber  where  Christine  and  her  mother  had  taken 
refuge. 

The  sympathy  of  the  young  and  tender  Adelheid  was 
precious  to  one  of  the  character  of  Christine.  They  wept 
together,  for  the  weakness  of  her  sex  prevailed  over  the 
pride  of  the  former,  when  she  found  herself  unrestrained 
by  the  observation  of  the  world,  and  she  gave  way  to  the 
torrent  of  feeling  that  broke  through  its  bounds,  in  spite 
of  her  endeavors  to  control  it.  Marguerite  was  the  only 
spectator  of  this  silent  but  intelligible  communion  between 
these  two  young  and  pure  spirits,  and  her  soul  was  shaken 
by  the  unlooked-for  commiseration  of  one  so  honored  and 
who  was  usually  esteemed  so  happy. 

"  Thou  hast  the  consciousness  of  our  wrongs,"  she  said, 
when  the  first  burst  of  emotion  had  a  little  subsided. 
"  Thou  canst  then  believe  that  a  headsman's  child  is  like 
the  offspring  of  another,  and  is  not  to  be  hunted  of  men 
like  the  young  of  a  wolf." 


246  THE   HEADSMAN. 

"  Mother,  this  is  the  Baron  de  Willading's  heiress,"  said 
Christine  ;  "would  she  come  here,  did  she  not  pity  us?" 

"  Yes,  she  can  pity  us — and  yet  I  find  it  hard  even  to  be 
pitied  !  Sigismund  has  told  us  of  her  goodness,  and  she 
may,  in  truth,  fee]  for  the  wretched  !  " 

The  allusion  to  her  son  caused  the  temples  of  Adelheid 
to  burn  like  fire,  while  there  was  a  chill,  resembling  that  of 
death,  at  her  heart.  The  first  arose  from  the  quick  and 
uncontrollable  alarm  of  female  sensitiveness  ;  the  last  was 
owing  to  the  shock  inseparable  from  being  presented  with 
this  vivid,  palpable  picture  of  Sigismund's  close  affinity 
with  the  family  of  an  executioner.  She  could  have  better 
borne  it,  had  Marguerite  spoken  of  her  son  less  familiarly, 
or  with  more  of  that  feigned  ignorance  of  each  other, 
which,  without  stopping  to  scan  its  fitness,  she  had  been 
led  to  think  existed  between  the  young  man  and  his  family. 

"  Mother  ! "  exclaimed  Christine  reproachfully,  and  in 
surprise,  as  if  a  great  indiscretion  had  been  thoughtlessly 
committed. 

"It  matters  not,  child;  it  matters  not.  I  saw  by  the 
kindling  eye  of  Sigismund  to-day,  that  our  secret  will  not 
much  longer  be  kept.  The  noble  boy  must  show  more 
energy  than  those  who  have  gone  before  him  ;  he  must  quit 
forever  a  country  in  which  he  was  condemned,  even  before 
he  was  born/' 

"  I  shall  not  deny  that  your  connection  with  Monsieur 
Sigismund  is  known  to  me,"  said  Adelheid,  summoning  all 
her  resolution  to  make  an  avowal  which  put  her  at  once 
into  the  confidence  of  Balthazar's  family.  "  You  are  ac- 
quainted with  a  heavy  debt  of  gratitude  we  owe  your  son, 
and  it  will  explain  the  nature  of  the  interest  I  now  feel  in 
your  wrongs." 

The  keen  eye  of  Marguerite  studied  the  crimsoned  feat- 
ures of  Adelheid  till  forgetfulness  got  the  better  of  discre- 
tion. The  search  was  anxious,  rather  than  triumphant,  the 
feeling  most  dreaded  by  its  subject  ;  and,  when  her  eyes 
were  withdrawn,  the  mother  of  the  youth  became  thought- 
ful and  pensive.  This  expressive  communion  produced  a 
deep  and  embarrassing  silence,  which  each  would  gladly 
have  broken,  had  they  not  both  been  irresistibly  tongue- 
tied  by  the  rapidity  and  intensity  of  their  thoughts. 

"  We  know  that  Sigismund  hath  been  of  service  to  thee,': 
observed  Marguerite,  who  always  addressed  her  gay  com- 
panion with  the  familiaritv  that  belonged  to  her  greater 


THE   IIEAJ>SMAM  247 

age,  rather  than  with  the  respect  which  Adelheid  had  been 
accustomed  to  receive  from  those  who  were  of  a  rank  in- 
ferior to  her  own.  "  The  brave  boy  hath  spoken  of  it, 
though  he  hath  spoken  of  it  modestly." 

"  He  had  every  right  to  do  himself  justice  in  his  commu- 
nications with  those  of  his  own  family.  Without  his  aid, 
my  father  would  have  been  childless  ;  and  without  his 
brave  support,  the  child  fatherless.  Twice  has  he  stood 
between  us  and  death." 

"  I  have  heard  of  this,"  returned  Marguerite,  again  fasten- 
ing her  penetrating  eye  on  the  tell-tale  features  of  Adel- 
heid, which  never  failed  to  brighten  and  glow,  whenever 
there  was  allusion  to  the  courage  and  self-devotion  of  him 
she  secretly  loved.  "As  to  what  thou  say'st  of  the  intimacy 
of  our  poor  boy  with  those  of  his  blood,  cruel  circum- 
stances stand  between  us  and  our  wishes.  If  Sigismund 
has  told  thee  of  whom  he  comes,  he  has  also  most  proba- 
bly told  thee  of  the  manner  in  which  he  passes,  in  the 
world,  for  that  'which  he  is  not." 

"I  believe  he  has  not  withheld  anything  that  he  knew, 
and  which  it  was  proper  to  communicate  to  me,"  answered 
Adelheid,  dropping  her  eyes  before  the  attentive,  expect- 
ant look  of  Marguerite.  "  He  has  spoken  freely,  and — 

"  Thou  wouldst  have  said — 

"  Honorably,  and  as  became  a  soldier,"  continued  Adel- 
heid, firmly. 

"  He  has  done  well  !  This  lightens  my  heart  of  one  bur- 
den at  least.  No  ;  God  has  destined  us  to  this  fate,  and  it 
would  have  grieved  me  that  a  son  of  mine  should  have 
failed  of  principle  in  an  affair,  of  all  others,  in  which  it  is 
most  wanted.  You  look  amazed,  lady  !  " 

"These  sentiments,  in  one  so  situated,  surprise  as  much 
as  they  delight  me  !  If  anything  could  excuse  some  loose- 
ness in  the  manner  of  regarding  the  usual  ties  of  life,  it 
would  surely  be  to  find  one's  self  so  placed,  by  no  miscon- 
duct of  our  own,  as  to  be  a  butt  to  the  world's  dislike  and 
injustice  ;  and  yet,  here,  where  there  was  reason  to  expect 
some  resentment  against  fortune,  I  meet  with  sentiments 
that  would  honor  a  throne  !  " 

"  Thou  thinkest  as  one  more  accustomed  to  consider  thy 
fellow  creatures  through  the  means  of  what  men  fancy, 
than  through  things  as  they  are.  This  is  the  picture  of 
youth,  and  inexperience,  and  innocence  ;  but  it  is  not  the 
picture  of  life.  'Tis  misfortune,  and  not  prosperity,  that 


248  THE   HEADSMAN, 

hasteneth  by  proving  our  insufficiency  for  true  happiness, 
and  by  leading  the  soul  to  depend  on  a  power  greater  than 
any  that  is  to  be  found  on  earth.  We  fall  before  the 
temptation  of  happiness,  when  we  rise  in  adversity.  If 
thou  thinkest,  innocent  one,  that  noble  and  just  sentiments 
belong  to  the  fortunate,  thou  trustest  to  a  false  guide. 
There  are  evils  which  flesh  cannot  endure,  it  is  true  ;  but, 
removed  from  these  overwhelming  wants,  we  are  strongest 
in  the  right  when  least  tempted  by  vanity  and  ambition. 
More  starving  beggars  abstain  from  stealing  the  crust  they 
crave,  than  pampered  gluttons  deny  themselves  the  luxury 
that  kills  them.  They  that  live  under  the  rod,  see  and 
dread  the  hand  that  holds  it ;  they  who  riot  in  earth's 
glories,  come  at  last  to  think  they  deserve  the  short-lived 
distinctions  they  enjoy.  When  thou  goest  down  into  the 
depths  of  misery,  thou  hast  naught  to  fear  except  the  anger 
of  God  !  It  is  when  raised  above  others  that  thou  shouldst 
tremble  most  for  thine  own  safety." 

"  This  is  not  the  manner  in  which  the  world  is  used  to 
reason." 

"  Because  the  world  is  governed  by  those  whose  interest 
it  is  to  pervert  truth  to  their  own  objects,  and  not  by  those 
whose  duties  run  hand  in  hand  with  the  right.  But  we 
will  say  no  more  of  this,  lady  ;  there  is  one  that  feels  too 
acutely  just  now  to  admit  truth  to  be  too  freely  spoken." 

"  Dost  feel  thyself  better,  and  more  able  to  listen  to  thy 
friends,  dear  Christine  ?"  asked  Adelheid,  taking  the  hand 
of  the  repudiated  and  deserted  girl  with  the  tenderness 
of  an  affectionate  sister. 

Until  now  the  suiferer  had  only  spoken  the  few  words 
related,  in  mild  reproof  of  her  mother's  indiscretion.  That 
little  had  been  uttered  with  parched  lips  and  a  choked 
voice,  while  the  hue  of  her  features  was  deadly  pale,  and 
her  whole  countenance  betrayed  intense  mental  anguish. 
But  this  display  of  interest  in  one  of  her  own  years  and 
sex,  of  whose  excellences  she  had  been  accustomed  to 
hear  such  fervid  descriptions  from  the  warm-hearted  Sigis- 
mund,  and  of  whose  sincerity  she  was  assured  by  the  subtle 
and  quick  instinct  that  unites  the  innocent  and  young, 
caused  a  quick  and  extreme  change  in  her  sensibilities. 
The  grief  which  had  been  struggling  and  condensed,  now 
flowed  more  freely  from  her  eyes,  and  she  threw  herself 
sobbing  and  weeping,  in  a  paroxysm  of  gentle,  "but  over- 
whelming, feeling,  on  the  bosom  of  this  new-found  friend. 


THE  HEADSMAN.  249 

The  experienced  Marguerite  smiled  at  this  manifestation 
of  kindness  on  the  part  of  Adelheid,  though  even  this  ex- 
pression of  satisfaction  was  austere  and  regulated  in  one 
who  had  so  long  stood  at  bay  with  the  world.  And,  after 
a  short  pause,  she  left  the  room,  under  the  belief  that  such 
a  communion  with  a  spirit,  pure  and  inexperienced  as  her 
own,  a  communion  so  unusual  to  her  daughter,  would  be 
more  likely  to  produce  a  happy  effect,  if  left  to  themselves, 
than  when  restrained  by  her  presence. 

The  two  girls  wept  in  common  for  a  long  time  after 
Marguerite  had  disappeared.  The  intercourse,  chastened 
as  it  was  by  sorrow,  and  rendered  endearing  on  the  one  side 
by  a  confiding  ingenuousness,  and  on  the  other  by  gener- 
ous pity,  caused  both  to  live  in  that  short  period,  as  it 
were,  months  together  in  a  near  and  dear  intimacy.  Con- 
fidence is  not  always  the  growth  of  time.  There  are  minds 
that  meet  each  other  with  a  species  of  affinity  that  resem- 
bles the  cohesive  property  of  matter,  and  with  a  prompti- 
tude and  faith  that  only  belongs  to  the  purer  essence  of 
which  they  are  composed.  But  when  this  attraction  of 
the  ethereal  part  of  the  being  is  aided  by  the  feelings  that 
have  been  warmed  by  an  interest  so  tender  as  that  which 
the  hearts  of  both  the  maidens  felt  in  a  common  object, 
its  power  is  not  only  stronger,  but  quicker,  in  making  itself 
felt.  So  much  was  already  known  by  each  of  the  other's 
character,  fortunes,  and  hopes  (always  with  the  exception 
of  Adelheid's  most  sacred  secret,  which  Sigismund  cher- 
ished as  a  deposit  by  far  too  sacred  to  be  shared  even  with 
his  sister),  that  the  meeting  under  no  circumstances  could 
have  been  that  of  strangers,  and  their  mutual  knowledge 
came  as  an  assistant  to  break  down  the  barriers  of  those 
forms  which  were  so  irksome  to  their  longings  for  a  freer 
interchange  of  feeling  and  thought.  Adelheid  possessed 
too  much  intellectual  tact  to  have  recourse  to  the  every- 
day language  of  consolation.  When  she  did  speak,  which, 
as  became  her  superior  rank  and  less  embarrassed  situa- 
tion, she  was  the  first  to  do,  it  was  in  general  but  friendly 
allusions. 

"  Thou  wilt  go  with  us  to  Italy,  in  the  morning,"  she  said, 
drying  her  eyes ;  "  my  father  quits  Blonay,  in  company 
with  the  Signer  Grimaldi,  with  to-morrow's  sun,  and  thou 
wilt  be  of  our  company  ?" 

"Where  thou  wilt — anywhere  with  thee — anywhere  to 
hide  my  shame  ! " 


j>5o  THE  HEADSMAN. 

The  blood  mounted  to  the  temples  of  Adelheid,  her  air 
even  appeared  imposing  to  the  eyes  of  the  artless  and  un- 
practised Christine,  as  she  answered — 

"  Shame  is  a  word  that  applies  to  the  mean  and  merce- 
nary, to  the  vile  and  unfaithful,"  she  said,  with  womanly 
and  virtuous  indignation  ;  "but  not  to  thee,  love." 

"  Oh  !  do  not,  do  not  condemn  him,"  whispered  Chris- 
tine, covering  her  face  with  her  hands.  "  He  has  found 
himself  unequal  to  bear  the  burden  of  our  degradation, 
and  he  should  be  spoken  of  in  pity  rather  than  with 
hatred."  Adelheid  was  silent  ;  but  she  regarded  the  poor 
trembling  girl,  whose  head  now  nestled  in  her  bosom,  with 
melancholy  concern. 

"  Didst  thou  know  him  well  ?  "  she  asked,  in  a  low  tone, 
following  rather  the  chain  of  her  own  thoughts,  than  re- 
flecting on  the  nature  of  the  question  she  put.  "  I  had 
hoped  that  this  refusal  would  bring  no  other  pain  than 
the  unavoidable  mortification  which  I  fear  belongs  to  the 
weakness  of  our  sex  and  our  habits." 

"  Thou  knowest  not  how  dear  preference  is  to  the  de- 
spised ! — how  cherished  the  thought  of  being  loved  becomes 
to  those,  who,  out  of  their  own  narrow  limits  of  natural 
friends,  have  been  accustomed  to  meet  only  with  contempt 
and  aversion !  Thou  hast  always  been  known,  and  courted, 
and  happy  !  Thou  canst  not  know  how  dear  it  is  to  the 
despised  to  seem  even  to  be  preferred  ! " 

"  Nay,  say  not  this,  I  pray  thee  !  "  answered  Adelheid, 
hurriedly,  and  with  a  throb  of  anguish  at  her  heart ;  "there 
is  little  in  this  life  that  speaks  fairly  for  itself.  We  are  not 
always  what  we  seem  ;  and  if  we  were,  and  far  more 
miserable  than  anything  but  vice  can  make  us,  there  is 
another  state  of  being,  in  which  justice — pure,  unalloyed 
justice — will  be  done." 

"  I  will  go  with  thee  to  Italy,"  answered  Christine,  look- 
ing calm  and  resolved,  while  a  glow  of  holy  hope  bloomed 
on  each  cheek  ;  "  when  all  is  over,  we  will  go  together  to  a 
happier  world !  " 

Adelheid  folded  the  stricken  and  sensitive  plant  to  her 
bosom.  Again  they  wept  together,  but  it  was  with  a 
milder  and  sweeter  sorrow  than  before. 


THE  HEADSMAN.  i$\ 

CHAPTER  XX. 

"I'll  show  thee  the  best  springs;  I'll  pluck  thee  berries." — Tempest. 

THE  day  dawned  clear  and  cloudless  on  the  Leman,  the 
morning  that  succeeded  the  Abbaye  des  Vignerons.  Hun- 
dreds among  the  frugal  and  time-saving  Swiss  had  left 
the  town  before  the  appearance  of  the  light,  and  many 
strangers  were  crowding  into  the  barks  as  the  sun  came 
bright  and  cheerfully  over  the  rounded  and  smiling  sum- 
mits of  the  neighboring  cotes.  At  this  early  hour  all  in 
and  around  the  rock-seated  castle  of  Blonay  were  astir  and 
in  motion.  Menials  were  running  with  hurried  air,  from 
room  to  room,  from  court  to  terrace,  and  from  lawn  to 
tower.  The  peasants  in  the  adjoining  fields  rested  on  their 
utensils  of  husbandry,  in  gaping,  admiring  attention  to  the 
preparations  of  their  superiors.  For  though  we  are  not 
writing  of  a  strictly  feudal  age,  the  events  it  is  our  busi- 
ness to  record  took  place  long  before  the  occurrence  of 
those  great  political  events  which  have  since  so  materially 
changed  the  social  state  of  Europe.  Switzerland  was  then 
a  sealed  country  to  most  of  -those  who  dwelt  even  in  the 
adjoining  nations,  and  the  present  advanced  condition  of 
roads  and  inns  was  quite  unknown,  not  only  to  these 
mountaineers,  but  throughout  the  rest  of  what  was  then 
much  more  properly  called  the  exclusively  civilized  portion 
of  the  globe,  than  it  is  to-day.  Even  horses  were  not  often 
used  in  the  passage  of  the  Alps,  but  recourse  was  had  to 
the  surer-footed  mule  by  the  traveller,  and,  not  unfre- 
quently,  by  the  more  practised  carrier  and  smuggler  of 
those  rude  paths.  Roads  existed,  it  is  true,  as  in  other 
parts  of  Europe,  in  the  countries  of  the  plain,  if  any  por- 
tion of  the  great  undulating  surface  of  that  region  deserve 
the  name  ;  but  once  within  the  mountains,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  very  inartificial  wheel-tracks  in  the  straitened 
and  glen-like  valleys,  the  hoof  alone  was  to  be  trusted  or 
indeed  used. 

The  long  train  of  travellers,  then,  that  left  the  gates  of 
Blonay,  just  as  the  fog  began  to  stir  on  the  wide  alluvial 
meadows  of  the  Rhone,  were  all  in  the  saddle.  A  courier, 
accompanied  by  a  sumpter-mule,  had  departed  over-night 
to  prepare  the  way  for  those  who  were  to  follow,  and  ac- 


252  THE   HEADSMAN. 

tive,  young  mountaineers  had  succeeded,  from  time  to  time, 
charged  with  different  orders,  issued  in  behalf  of  their 
comforts. 

As  the  cavalcade  passed  beneath  the  arch  of  the  great 
gate,  the  lively,  spirit-stirring  horn  sounded  a  farewell  air, 
to  which  custom  had  attached  the  signification  of  good 
wishes.  It  took  the  way  toward  the  level  of  the  Leman 
by  means  of  a  winding  and  picturesque  bridle-path  that 
led,  among  alpine  meadows,  groves,  rocks,  and  hamlets, 
fairly  to  the  water  side.  Roger  de  Blonay  and  his  two 
principal  guests  rode  in  front,  the  former  seated  on  a  war- 
horse  that  he  had  ridden  years  before  as'a  soldier,  and  the 
two  latter  well  mounted  on  beasts  prepared  for,  and  ac- 
customed to,  the  mountains.  Adelheid  and  Christine  came 
next,  riding  by  themselves,  in  the  modest  reserve  of  their 
maiden  condition.  Their  discourse  was  low,  confidential, 
and  renewed  at  intervals.  A  few  menials  followed,  and 
then  came  Sigismund  at  the  side  of  the  Signor  Grimaldi's 
friend,  and  one  of  the  family  of  Blonay,  the  latter  of  whom 
was  destined  to  return  with  the  Baron,  after  doing  honor 
to  their  guests  by  seeing  them  as  far  as  Villeneuve.  The 
rear  was  brought  up  by  muleteers,  domestics,  and  those 
who  led  the  beasts  that  bore  the  baggage.  All  of  the  for- 
mer who  intended  to  cross  the  Alps  carried  the  fire-arms 
of  the  period  at  their  saddle-bows,  and  each  had  his  rapier, 
his  couteau  dc  chassc,  or  his  weapon  of  more  military 
fashion,  so  disposed  about  his  person  as  to  denote  it  was 
considered  an  arm  for  whose  use  some  occasion  might  pos- 
sibly occur. 

As  the  departure  from  Blonay  was  unaccompanied  by  any 
of  those  leave-takings  which  usually  impress  a  touch  of 
melancholy  on  the  traveller,  most  of  the  cavalcade,  as  they 
issued  into  the  pure  and  exhilarating  air  of  the  morning, 
were  sufficiently  disposed  to  enjoy  the  loveliness  of  the 
landscape,  and  to  indulge  in  the  cheerfulness  and  delight 
that  a  scene  so  glorious  is  apt  to  awaken  in  all  who  are 
alive  to  the  beauties  of  nature. 

Adelheid  gladly  pointed  out  to  her  companions  the  vari- 
ous objects  of  the  view,  as  a  means  of  recalling  the 
thoughts  of  Christine  from  her  own  particular  griefs, 
which  were  heightened  by  regret  for  the  loss  of  her 
mother,  from  whom  she  was  now  seriously  separated  for 
the  first  time  in  her  life,  since  their  communications, 
though  secret,  had  been  constant  during  the  years  she  had 


THE   HEADSMAN.  253 

dwelt  under  another  roof.  The  latter  gratefully  lent  her- 
self to  the  kind  intentions  of  her  new  friend,  and  endeav- 
ored to  be  pleased  with  all  she  beheld,  though  it  was  such 
pleasure  as  the  sad  and  mourning  admit  with  a  jealous 
reservation  of  their  own  secret  causes  of  woe. 

"Yonder  tower,  toward  which  we  advance,  is  Chate- 
lard,"  said  the  heiress  of  Willading  to  the  daughter  of 
Balthazar,  in  the  pursuit  of  her  kind  intention  ;  "  a  hold, 
nearly  as  ancient  and  honorable  as  this  we  have  just  quit- 
ted, though  not  so  constantly  the  dwelling  of  the  same 
family  ;  for  those  of  Blonay  have  been  a  thousand  years 
dwellers  on  the  same  rock,  always  favorably  known  for 
their  faith  and  courage." 

"  Surely,  if  there  is  anything  in  life  that  can  compensate 
for  its  every-day  evils,"  observed  Christine,  in  a  manner  of 
mild  regret,  and  perhaps  with  the  perversity  of  grief,  "  it 
must  be  to  have  come  from  those  who  have  always  been 
known  and  honored  among  the  great  and  happy!  Even 
virtue  and  goodness,  and  great  deeds,  scarce  give  a  respect 
like  that  we  feel  for  the  Sire  de  Blonay,  whose  family  has 
been  seated,  as  thou  hast  just  said,  a  thousand  years  on 
that  rock  above  us  !  " 

Adelheid  was  mute.  She  appreciated  the  feeling  which 
had  so  naturally  led  her  companion  to  a  reflection  like 
this,  and  she  felt  the  difficulty  of  applying  balm  to  a 
wound  as  deep  as  that  which  had  been  inflicted  on  her 
companion. 

"  We  are  not  always  to  suppose  those  the  most  happy 
that  the  world  most  honors,"  she  at  length  answered  ;  "the 
respect  to  which  we  are  accustomed  comes  in  time  to  be 
necessary,  without  being  a  source  of  pleasure  ;  and  the 
hazard  of  incurring  its  loss  is  more  than  equal  to  the  satis- 
faction of  its  possession." 

"  Thou  wilt  at  least  admit  that  to  be  despised  and 
shunned  is  a  curse  to  which  nothing  can  reconcile  us." 

"  We  will  speak  now  of  other  things,  dear.  It  may  be 
long  ere  either  of  us  again  see  this  grand  display  of  rock 
and  water,  of  brown  mountain  and  shining  glacier ;  we 
will  not  prove  ourselves  ungrateful  for  the  happiness  we 
have  by  repining  for  that  which  is  impossible." 

Christine  quietly  yielded  to  the  kind  intention  of  her 
new  friend,  and  they  rode  on  in  silence,  picking  their  way 
along  the  winding-path,  until  the  whole  party,  after  a  long 
but  pleasant  descent,  reached  the  road,  which  is  nearly 


254  THE   HEADSMAN. 

washed  by  the  waters  of  the  lake.  There  has  already  been 
allusion,  in  the  earlier  pages  of  our  work,  to  the  extraordi- 
nary beauties  of  the  route  near  this  extremity  of  the  Leman. 
After  climbing  to  the  height  of  the  mild  and  healthful 
Montreux,  the  cavalcade  again  descended  under  a  canopy 
of  nut-trees,  to  the  gate  of  Chillon,  and  sweeping  around 
the  margin  of  the  sheet,  it  reached  Villeneuve  by  the  hour 
that  had  been  named  for  an  early  morning  repast.  Here, 
all  dismounted,  and  refreshed  themselves  awhile,  when 
Roger  de  Blonay  and  his  attendants,  after  many  exchanges 
of  warm  and  sincere  good  wishes,  took  their  final  leave. 

The  sun  was  scarcely  yet  visible  in  the  deep  glens,  when 
those  who  were  destined  for  St.  Bernard  were  again  in  the 
saddle.  The  road  now  necessarily  left  the  lake,  traversing 
those  broad  alluvial  bottoms  which  have  been  deposited 
during  thirty  centuries  by  the  washings  of  the  Rhone, 
aided,  if  faith  is  to  be  given  to  geological  symptoms 
and  to  ancient  traditions,  by  certain  violent  convulsions 
of  nature.  For  several  hours  our  travellers  rode  amid 
such  a  deep  fertility,  and  such  a  luxuriance  of  vegetation, 
that  their  path  bore  more  analogy  to  an  excursion  on  the 
wide  plains  of  Lombardy,  than  to  one  amid  the  usual 
Swiss  scenery  ;  although,  unlike  the  boundless  expanse  of 
the  Italian  garden,  the  view  was  limited  on  each  side  by 
perpendicular  barriers  of  rock,  that  were  piled  for  thou- 
sands of  feet  into  the  heavens,  and  which  were  merely  sep- 
arated from  each  other  by  a  league  or  two,  a  distance  that 
dwindled  to  miles  in  its  effect  on  the  eye,  a  consequence 
of  the  grandeur  of  the  scale  on  which  nature  has  reared 
these  vast  piles.  It  was  high  noon  when  Melchior  de  Wil- 
lading  and  his  venerable  friend  led  the  way  across  the 
foaming  Rhone  at  the  celebrated  bridge  of  St.  Maurice. 
Here  the  country  of  the  Valais,  then,  like  Geneva,  an  ally, 
and  not  a  confederate  of  the  Swiss  cantons,  was  entered, 
and  all  objects,  both  animate  and  inanimate,  began  to 
assume  that  mixture  of  the  grand,  the  sterile,  the  luxuriant, 
and  the  revolting,  for  which  this  region  is  so  generally 
known.  Adelheid  gave  an  involuntary  shudder,  her  imag- 
ination having  been  prepared  by  rumor  for  even  more 
than  the  truth  would  have  given  reason  to  expect,  when 
the  gate  of  St.  Maurice  swung  back  upon  its  hinges,  liter- 
ally inclosing  the  party  in  this  wild,  desolate  and  yet  ro- 
mantic region.  As  they  proceeded  along  the  Rhone,  how- 
ever, she  and  those  of  her  companions  to  whom  the  scene 


THE  HEADSMAN.  ±$$ 

was  new,  were  constantly  wondering  at  some  unlooked- 
for  discrepancy,  that  drove  them  from  admiration  to  dis- 
gust— from  the  exclamations  of  delight  to  the  chill  of  dis- 
appointment. The  mountains  on  every  side  were  dreary, 
and  without  the  rich  relief  of  the  pastured  eminences,  but 
most  of  the  valley  was  rich  and  generous.  In  one  spot  a 
sac  d'eau,  one  of  those  reservoirs  of  water  which  form 
among  the  glaciers  on  the  summits  of  the  rocks,  had 
broken,  and  descending  like  a  water-spout,  it  had  swept  be- 
fore it  every  vestige  of  cultivation,  covering  wide  breadths 
of  the  meadows  with  a  debris  that  resembled  chaos.  A 
frightful  barrenness,  and  the  most  smiling  fertility,  were 
in  absolute  contact ;  patches  of  green,  that  had  been  acci- 
dentally favored  by  some  lucky  formation  of  the  ground, 
sometimes  appearing  like  oases  of  the  desert,  in  the  very 
centre  of  a  sterility  that  would  put  the  labor  and  the  art  of 
man  at  defiance  for  a  century.  In  the  midst  of  this  ter- 
rific picture  of  want  sat  a  cretin,  with  his  semi-human  at- 
tributes, the  lolling  tongue,  the  blunted  faculties,  and  the 
degraded  appetites,  to  complete  the  desolation.  Issuing 
from  this  belt  of  annihilated  vegetations  the  scene  became 
again  as  pleasant  as  the  fancy  could  desire,  or  the  eye 
crave.  Fountains  leaped  from  rock  to  rock  in  the  sun's 
rays  ;  the  valley  was  green  and  gentle  ;  the  mountains 
began  to  show  varied  and  pleasing  forms  ;  and  happy 
smiling  faces  appeared,  whose  freshness  and  regularity 
were  perhaps  of  a  cast  superior  to  that  of  most  of  the 
Swiss.  In  short,  the  Valais  was  then,  as  now,  a  country 
of  opposite  extremes,  but  in  which,  perhaps,  there  is  a 
predominance  of  the  repulsive  and  inhospitable. 

It  was  fairly  nightfall,  notwithstanding  the  trifling  dis- 
tance they  had  journeyed,  when  the  travellers  reached 
Martigny,  where  dispositions  had  previously  been  made 
for  their  reception  during  the  hours  of  sleep.  Here  prep- 
arations were  made  to  seek  their  rest  at  an  early  hour,  in 
order  to  be  in  readiness  for  the  fatiguing  toil  of  the  fol- 
lowing day. 

Martigny  is  situated  at  the  point  where  the  great  valley 
of  the  Rhone  changes  its  direction  from  a  north  and  south 
to  an  east  and  west  course,  and  it  is  the  spot  whence  three 
of  the  celebrated  mountain  paths  diverge,  to  make  as  many 
passages  of  the  upper  Alps.  Here  are  the  two  routes  of 
the  great  and  little  St.  Bernard,  both  of  which  lead  into 
Italy,  and  that  of  the  Col-de-Balme,  which  crosses  a  spur 


256  THE  HEADSMAN. 

of  the  Alps  into  Savoy  toward  the  celebrated  valley  of 
Chamouni.  It  was  the  intention  of  the  Baron  de  Willa- 
ding  and  his  friend  to  journey  by  the  former  of  these 
roads,  as  has  so  often  been  mentioned  in  these  pages,  their 
destination  being  the  capital  of  Piedmont.  The  passage 
of  the  great  St.  Bernard,  though  so  long  known  by  its  an- 
cient and  hospitable  convent,  the  most  elevated  habitation 
in  Europe,  and  in  these  later  times  so  famous  for  the  pas- 
sage of  a  conquering  army,  is  but  a  secondary  Alpine  pass, 
considered  in  reference  to  the  grandeur  of  its  scenery. 
The  ascent,  so  inartificial  even  to  this  hour,  is  long  and 
comparatively  without  danger,  and  in  general  it  is  suffi- 
ciently direct,  there  being  no  very  precipitous  rise  like 
those  of  the  Gemmi,  the  Grimsel,  and  various  other  passes 
in  Switzerland  and  Italy,  except  at  the  very  neck,  or  col, 
of  the  mountain,  where  the  rock  is  to  be  literally  climbed 
on  the  rude  and  broad  steps  that  so  frequently  occur 
among  the  paths  of  the  Alps  and  the  Apennines.  The 
fatigue  of  this  passage  comes,  therefore,  rather  from  its 
length,  and  the  necessity  of  unremitted  diligence,  than 
from  any  excessive  labor  demanded  by  the  ascent  ;  and 
the  reputation  acquired  by  the  great  captain  of  our  age, 
in  leading  an  army  across  its  summit,  has  been  obtained 
more  by  the  military  combinations  of  which  it  formed  the 
principal  feature,  the  boldness  of  the  conception,  and  the 
secrecy  and  promptitude  with  which  so  extensive  an  oper- 
ation was  effected  than  by  the  physical  difficulties  that  were 
overcome.  In  the  latter  particular,  the  passage  of  St.  Ber- 
nard, as  this  celebrated  coup  de  main  is  usually  called,  has 
frequently  been  outdone  in  our  own  wilds  ;  for  armies 
have  often  traversed  regions  of  broad  streams,  broken 
mountains,  and  uninterrupted  forests,  for  weeks  at  a  time, 
in  which  the  mere  bodily  labor  of  any  given  number  of 
days  would  be  found  to  be  greater  than  that  endured  on 
this  occasion  by  the  followers  of  Napoleon.  The  estimate 
we  attach  to  every  exploit  is  so  dependent  on  the  magni- 
tude of  its  results,  that  men  rarely  come  to  a  perfectly  im- 
partial judgment  on  its  merits  ;  the  victory  or  defeat,  how- 
ever simple  or  bloodless,  that  shall  shake  or  assure  the 
interests  of  civilized  society,  being  always  esteemed  by  the 
world  an  event  of  greater  importance  than  the  happiest 
combinations  of  thought  and  valor  that  affect  only  the  wel- 
fare of  some  remote  and  unknown  people.  By  the  just 
consideration  of  this  truth,  we  come  to  understand  the 


THE   HEADSMAN.  257 

value  of  a  nation's  possessing  confidence  in  itself,  exten- 
sive power,  arid  a  unity  commensurate  to  its  means  ;  since 
small  and  divided  States  waste  their  strength  in  acts  too 
insignificant  for  general  interest,  frittering  away  their  men- 
tal riches,  no  less  than  their  treasure  and  blood,  in  sup- 
porting interests  that  fail  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  any 
beyond  the  pale  of  their  own  borders.  The  nation  which, 
by  the  adverse  circumstances  of  numerical  inferiority, 
poverty  of  means,  failure  of  enterprise,  or  want  of  opinion, 
cannot  sustain  its  own  citizens  in  the  acquisition  of  a  just 
renown,  is  deficient  in  one  of  the  first  and  most  indispen- 
sable elements  of  greatness  ;  glory,  like  riches,  feeding  it- 
self, and  being  most  apt  to  be  found  where  its  fruits  have 
already  accumulated.  We  see,  in  this  fact,  among  other 
conclusions,  the  importance  of  an  acquisition  of  such  hab- 
its of  manliness  of  thought  as  will  enable  us  to  decide  on 
the  merits  and  demerits  of  what  is  done  among  ourselves, 
and  of  shaking  off  that  dependence  on  others  which  is  too 
much  the  custom  of  some  among  us  to  dignify  with  the 
pretending  title  of  deference  to  knowledge  and  taste,  but 
which,  in  truth,  possesses  some  such  share  of  true  modesty 
and  diffidence  as  the  footman  is  apt  to  exhibit  when  ex- 
ulting in  the  renown  of  his  master. 

This  little  digression  has  induced  us  momentarily  to 
overlook  the  incidents  of  the  tale.  Few  who  possess  the 
means,  venture  into  the  stormy  regions  of  the  upper  Alps, 
at  the  late  season  in  which  the  present  party  reached  the 
hamlet  of  Martigny,  without  seeking  the  care  of  one  or 
more  suitable  guides.  The  services  of  those  men  are  use- 
ful in  a  variety  of  ways,  but  in  none  more  than  in  offering 
the  advice  which  long  familiarity  with  the  signs  of  the 
heavens,  the  temperature  of  the  air,  and  the  direction  of 
the  winds,  enables  them  to  give.  The  Baron  de  Willading, 
and  his  friend,  immediately  dispatched  a  messenger  for  a 
mountaineer,  of  the  name  of  Pierre  Dumont,  who  enjoyed 
a  fair  name  for  fidelity,  and  who  was  believed  to  be  better 
acquainted  with  all  the  difficulties  of  the  ascent  and  de- 
scent, than  any  other  who  journeyed  among  the  glens  of 
that  part  of  the  Alps.  At  the  present  day,  when  hundreds 
ascend  to  the  convent  from  curiosity  alone,  every  peasant 
of  sufficient  strength  and  intelligence  becomes  a  guide,  and 
the  little  community  of  the  Lower  Valais  finds  me  transit 
of  the  idle  and  rich  such  a  fruitful  source  of  revenue,  that 
it  has  been  induced  to  regulate  the  whole  by  very  useful 

17 


258  THE   HEADSMAN-. 

and  just  ordinances  ;  but  at  the  period  of  the  tale,  this 
Pierre  was  the  only  individual,  who,  by  fortunate  concur- 
rences, had  obtained  a  name  among  affluent  foreigners,  and 
who  was  at  all  in  demand  with  that  class  of  travellers.  He 
was  not  long  in  presenting  himself  in  the  public-room  of 
the  inn — a  hale,  florid,  muscular  man  of  sixty,  with  every 
appearance  of  permanent  health  and  vigor,  but  with  a 
slight  and  nearly  imperceptible  difficulty  of  breathing. 

"  Thou  art  Pierre  Dumont  ? "  observed  the  Baron,  study- 
ing the  open  physiognomy  and  well-set  frame  of  the  Val- 
aisan,  with  satisfaction.  "  Thou  hast  been  mentioned  by 
more  than  one  traveller  in  his  book." 

The  stout  mountaineer  raised  himself  in  pride,  and  en- 
deavored to  acknowledge  the  compliment  in  the  manner 
of  his  well-meant  but  rude  courtesy  ;  for  refinement  did 
not  then  extend  its  finesse  and  its  deceit  among  the  glens 
of  Switzerland. 

"  They  have  done  me  honor,  monsieur,"  he  said  :  "  it  has 
been  my  good  fortune  to  cross  the  Col  with  many  brave 
gentlemen  and  fair  ladies — and  in  two  instances  with 
princes."  (Though  a  sturdy  republican,  Pierre  was  not  in- 
sensible to  worldly  rank.)  "  The  pious  monks  know  me 
well  ;  and  they  who  enter  the  convent  are  not  the  worse 
received  for  being  my  companions.  I  shall  be  glad  to  lead 
so  fair  a  party  from  our  cold  valley  into  the  sunny  glens  of 
Italy,  for,  if  the  truth  must  be  spoken,  nature  has  placed 
us  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  mountain  for  our  comfort, 
though  we  have  our  advantage  over  those  who  live 
even  in  Turin  and  Milan,  in  matters  of  greater  impor- 
tance." 

"  What  can  be  the  superiority  of  a  Valaisan  over  the 
Lombard  or  the  Piedmontese  ? "  demanded  the  Signer 
Grimaldi  quickly,  like  a  man  who  was  curious  to  hear  the 
reply.  "  A  traveller  should  seek  all  kinds  of  knowledge, 
and  I  take  this  to  be  a  newly  discovered  fact." 

"  Liberty,  signore  !  We  are  our  own  masters  ;  we  have 
been  so  since  the  day  when  our  fathers  sacked  the  castles, 
of  the  barons,  and  compelled  their  tyrants  to  become  their 
equals.  I  think  of  this  each  time  I  reach  the  warm  plains 
of  Italy,  and  return  to  my  cottage  a  more  contented  man, 
for  the  reflection." 

"  Spoken  like  a  Swiss,  though  it  is  uttered  by  an  ally 
of  the  cantons  ! "  cried  Melchior  de  Willading,  heartily. 
"  This  is  the  spirit,  Gaetano,  which  sustains  our  mountain- 


THE  HEADSMAN.  250 

eers,  and  renders  them  more  happy  amid  their  frosts  and 
rocks,  than  thy  Genoese  on  his  warm  and  glowing  bay." 

"  The  word  liberty,  Melchior,  is  more  used  than  under- 
stood, and  as  much  abused  as  used,"  returned  the  Signor 
Grimaldi  gravely.  "  A  country  on  which  God  hath  laid 
his  finger  in  displeasure  as  on  this,  needs  have  some  such 
consolation  as  the  phantom  with  which  the  honest  Pierre 
appears  to  be  so  well  satisfied.  But,  signer  guide,  have 
many  travellers  tried  the  passage  of  late,  and  what  dost 
thou  think  of  our  prospects  in  making  the  attempt  ?  We 
hear  gloomy  tales,  sometimes,  of  thy  alpine  paths  in  that 
Italy  thou  hold'st  so  cheap." 

"  Your  pardon,  noble  signore,  if  the  frankness  of  a 
mountaineer  has  carried  me  too  far.  I  do  not  undervalue 
your  Piedmont,  because  I  love  our  Valais  more.  A  country 
may  be  excellent,  even  though  another  should  be  better. 
As  for  the  travellers,  none  of  note  have  gone  up  the  Col 
of  late,  though  there  have  been  the  usual  number  of  vaga- 
bonds and  adventurers.  The  savor  of  the  convent  kitchen 
will  reach  the  noses  of  these  knaves  here  in  the  valley, 
though  we  have  along  twelve  leagues  to  journey  in  getting 
from  one  to  the  other." 

The  Signer  Grimaldi  waited  until  Adelheid  and  Chris- 
tine, who  were  preparing  to  retire  for  the  night,  were  out 
of  hearing,  and  he  resumed  his  questions. 

"  Thou  has  not  spoken  of  the  weather  ?  " 

"  We  are  in  one  of  the  most  uncertain  and  treacherous 
months  of  the  good  season,  messieurs.  The  winter  is 
gathering  among  the  upper  Alps,  and  in  a  month  in  which 
the  frosts  are  flying  about  like  uneasy  birds  that  do  not 
know  where  to  alight,  one  can  hardly  say  whether  he  hath 
need  of  his  cloak  or  not." 

"  San  Francesco  !  Dost  think  I  am  dallying  with  thee, 
friend,  about  a  thickness  more  or  less  of  cloth  !  I  am  hint- 
ing at  avalanches  and  falling  rocks — at  whirlwinds  and 
tempests  !  " 

Pierre  laughed  and  shook  his  head,  though  he  answered 
vaguely  as  became  his  business. 

"  These  are  Italian  opinions  of  our  hills,  signore,"  he 
said  ;  "  they  savor  of  the  imagination.  Our  pass  is  not  as 
often  troubled  with  the  avalanche  as  some  that  are  known, 
even  in  the  melting  snows.  Had  you  looked  at  the  peaks 
from  the  lake,  you  would  have  seen  that,  the  hoary  glaciers, 
excepted,  they  are  still  all  brown  and  naked.  The  snow 


260  THE  HEADSMAN. 

must  fall  from  the  heavens  before  it  can  fall  in  the  ava 
lanche,  and  we  are  yet,  I  think,  a  few  days  from  the  true 
winter." 

"Thy  calculations  are  made  with  nicety,  friend,"  re- 
turned the  Genoese,  not  sorry,  however,  to  hear  the  guide 
speak  with  so  much  apparent  confidence  of  the  weather, 
"and  we  are  obliged  to  thee  in  proportion.  What  of  the 
travellers  thou  hast  named  ?  Are  there  brigands  on  our 
path  ? " 

"  Such  rogues  have  been  known  to  infest  the  place,  but 
in  general,  there  is  too  little  to  be  gained  for  the  risk. 
Your  rich  traveller  is  not  an  every-day  sight  among  our 
rocks  ;  and  you  well  know,  signore,  that  there  may  be  too 
few,  as  well  as  too  many,  on  a  path,  for  your  freebooter." 

The  Italian  was  distrustful  by  habit  on  all  such  subjects, 
and  he  threw  a  quick  suspicious  glance  at  the  guide.  But 
the  frank  open  countenance  of  Pierre  removed  all  doubt  of 
his  honesty,  to  say  nothing  of  the  effect  of  a  well-estab- 
lished reputation. 

"  But  thou  hast  spoken  of  certain  vagabonds  who  have 
preceded  us  ?  " 

"In  that  particular,  matters  might  be  better,"  answered 
the  plain-minded  mountaineer,  dropping  his  head  in  an 
attitude  of  meditation  so  naturally  expressed  as  to  give  ad- 
ditional weight  to  his  words.  "  Many  of  bad  appearance 
have  certainly  gone  up  to-day ;  such  as  a  Neapolitan 
named  Pippo,  who  is  anything  but  a  saint — a  certain  pil- 
grim, who  will  be  nearer  heaven  at  the  convent  than  he 
will  be  at  the  death — St.  Pierre  pray  for  me  if  I  do  the  man 
injustice  ! — and  one  or  two  more  of  the  same  brood.  There 
is  another  that  hath  gone  up  also,  post  haste,  and  with  good 
reason  as  they  say,  for  he  hath  made  himself  the  butt  of 
all  the  jokers  in  Vevey  on  account  of  some  foolery  in  the 
games  of  the  abbaye — a  certain  Jacques  Col  is." 

The  name  was  repeated  by  several  near  the  speaker. 

"  The  same,  messieurs.  It  would  seem  that  the  Sieur 
Colis  would  fain  take  a  maiden  to  wife  in  the  public  sports, 
and  when  her  birth  came  to  be  known,  that  his  bride  was 
no  other  than  the  child  of  Balthazar,  the  common  heads- 
man of  Berne  !  " 

A  general  silence  betrayed  the  embarrassment  of  most 
of  the  listeners. 

"And  that  tale  hath  already  reached  this  glen,"  said 
Sigismund,  in  a  tone  so  deep  and  firm  as  to  cause  Pierre 


THE   HEADSMAN.  t6i 

to  start,  while  the  two  old  nobles  looked  in  another  direc- 
tion feigning  not  to  observe  what  was  passing. 

"  Rumor  hath  a  nimbler  foot  than  a  mule,  young  officer," 
answered  the  honest  guide.  "  The  tale,  as  you  call  it,  will 
have  travelled  across  the  mountains  sooner  than  they  who 
bore  it — though  I  never  knew  how  such  a  miracle  could 
pass — but  so  it  is  ;  report  goes  faster  than  the  tongue  that 
spreads  it,  and  if  there  be  a  little  untruth  to  help  it  along, 
the  wind  itself  is  scarcely  swifter.  Honest  Jacques  Colis 
has  bethought  him  to  get  the  start  of  his  story,  but,  my 
life  on  it,  though  he  is  active  enough  in  getting  away 
from  his  mockers,  that  he  finds  it,  with  all  the  additions, 
safely  housed  in  the  inn  at  Turin  when  he  reaches  that 
city  himself." 

"  These,  then,  are  all  ? "  interrupted  the  Signor  Grimaldi, 
who  saw,  by  the  heaving  bosom  of  Sigismund,  that  it  was 
time  in  mercy  to  interpose. 

"  Not  so,  signore — there  is  still  another,  and  one  I  like 
less  than  any.  A  countryman  of  your  own,  who,  impu- 
dently enough,  calls  himself  II  Maledetto." 

"  Maso ! "* 

"The  very  same." 

"  Honest,  courageous  Maso,  and  his  noble  dog?" 

"  Signore,  you  describe  the  man  so  well  in  some  things, 
that  I  wonder  that  you  know  so  little  of  him  in  others. 
Maso  hath  not  his  equal  on  the  road  for  activity  and  cour- 
age, and  the  beast  is  second  only  to  our  mastiffs  of  the 
convent  for  the  same  qualities  ;  but  when  you  speak  of 
the  master's  honesty,  you  speak  of  that  for  which  the 
world  gives  him  little  credit,  and  do  great  disparagement 
to  the  brute,  which  is  much  the  best  of  the  two,  in  this 
respect." 

"This  may  be  true  enough,"  rejoined  the  Signore  Gri- 
maldi, turning  anxiously  toward  his  companions  : — "  man  is 
a  strange  compound  of  good  and  evil ;  his  acts  when  left 
to  natural  impulses  are  so  different  from  what  they  become 
on  calculation  that  one  can  scarcely  answer  for  a  man  of 
Maso's  temperament.  We  know  him  to  be  a  most  efficient 
friend,  and  such  a  man  would  be  apt  to  make  a  very  dan- 
gerous enemy  !  His  qualities  were  not  given  to  him  by 
halves.  And  yet  we  have  a  strong  circumstance  in  our 
favor  ;  for  he  who  hath  once  done  the  least  service  to  a 
fellow  creature  feels  a  sort  of  paternity  in  him  he  hath 
saved,  and  would  be  little  likely  to  rob  himself  of  the 


262  THE  HEADSMAN. 

pleasure  of  knowing,  that  there  are  some  of  his  kind  who 
owe  him  a  grateful  recollection." 

This  remark  was  answered  by  Melchior  de  Willading, 
in  the  same  spirit,  and  the  guide,  perceiving  that  he  was 
no  longer  wanted,  withdrew. 

Soon  after  the  travellers  retired  to  rest. 


CHAPTER  XXL 

"As  yet  the  trembling  year  is  unconfirmed. 
And  winter  oft,  at  eve,  resumes  the  breeze, 
Chills  the  pale  morn,  and  bids  his  driving  sleets 
Deform  the  day  delightful; "  THOMSON. 

THE  horn  of  Pierre  Dumont  was  blowing  beneath  the 
windows  of  the  inn  of  Martigny,  with  the  peep  of  dawn. 
Then  followed  the  appearance  of  drowsy  domestics,  the 
saddling  of  unwilling  mules,  and  the  loading  of  baggage. 
A  few  minutes  later  the  little  caravan  was  assembled,  for 
the  cavalcade  almost  deserved  this  name,  and  the  whole 
were  in  motion  for  the  summits  of  the  Alps. 

The  travellers  now  left  the  valley  of  the  Rhone,  td  bury 
themselves  amid  those  piles  of  misty  and  confused 
mountains,  which  formed  the  background  of  the  picture 
they  had  studied  from  the  Castle  of  Blonay  and  the  sheet 
of  the  Leman.  They  soon  plunged  into  a  glen,  and  fol- 
lowing the  windings  of  a  brawling  torrent,  were  led  grad- 
ually, and  by  many  turnings,  into  a  country  of  bleak  up- 
land pasturage,  where  the  inhabitants  gained  a  scanty 
livelihood,  principally  by  means  of  their  dairies. 

A  few  leagues  above  Martigny,  the  paths  again  sepa- 
rated, one  inclining  to  the  left  toward  the  elevated  valley 
that  has  since  become  so  celebrated  in  the  legends  of  this 
wild  region,  by  the  formation  of  a  little  lake  in  its  glacier, 
which  becoming  too  heavy  for  its  foundation,  broke  through 
its  barrier  of  ice,  and  descended  in  a  mountain  of  water  to 
the  Rhone,  a  distance  of  many  leagues,  sweeping  before 
it  every  vestige  of  civilization  that  crossed  its  course,  and 
even  changing  in  many  places  the  face  of  nature  itself. 
Here  the  glittering  peak  of  Velan  became  visible,  and 
though  so  much  nearer  to  the  eye  than  when  viewed  from 
Vevey,  it  was  still  a  distant  shining  pile,  grand  in  its  soli' 


THE  HEADSMAN".  263 

tude  and  mystery,  on  which  the  sight  loved  to  dwell,  as  it 
studies  the  pure  and  spotless  edges  of  some  sleepy  cloud. 

It  has  already  been  said,  that  the  ascent  of  the  great  St. 
Bernard,  with  the  exception  of  occasional  hills  and  hollows, 
is  nowhere  very  precipitous  but  at  the  point  at  which  the 
last  rampart  of  rock  is  to  be  overcome.  On  the  contrary,  the 
path,  for  leagues  at  a  time,  passes  along  tolerably  even 
valleys,  though  of  necessity  the  general  direction  is  up- 
ward, and  for  most  of  the  distance  through  a  country  that 
admits  of  cultivation,  though  the  meagreness  of  the  soil, 
and  the  shortness  of  the  seasons,  render  but  an  indifferent 
return  to  the  toil  of  the  husbandman.  In  this  respect  it 
differs  from  most  of  the  other  Alpine  passes  ;  but  if  it 
want  the  variety,  wildness,  and  sublimity  of  the  Splugen, 
the  St.  Gothard,  the  Gemmi,  and  the  Simplon,  it  is  still  an 
ascent  on  a  magnificent  scale,  and  he  who  journeys  on  its 
path  is  raised  as  it  were  by  insensible  degrees,  to  an  eleva- 
tion that  gradually  changes  all  his  customary  associations 
with  the  things  of  the  lower  world. 

From  the  moment  of  quitting  the  inn  to  that  of  the  first 
halt,  Melchior  cle  Willading  and  the  Signor  Grimaldi  rode 
in  company,  as  on  the  previous  day.  These  old  friends 
had  much  to  communicate  in  confidential  discourse  which 
the  presence  of  Roger  de  Blonay,  and  the  importunities 
of  the  bailiff,  had  hitherto  prevented  them  from  freely  say- 
ing. Both  had  thought  maturely,  too,  on  the  situation  of 
Adelheid,  of  her  hopes,  and  of  her  future  fortunes,  and 
both  had  reasoned  much  as  two  old  nobles  of  that  day,  who 
were  not  without  strong  sympathies  for  their  kind  while 
they  were  too  practised  to  overlook  the  world  and  its  ties, 
would  be  likely  to  reason  on  an  affair  of  this  delicate  nat- 
ure. 

"  There  came  a  feeling  of  regret,  perhaps  I  might  fairly 
call  it  by  its  proper  name,  of  envy,"  observed  the  Genoese, 
in  pursuance  of  the  subject  which  engrossed  most  of  their 
time  and  thoughts,  as  they  rode  slowly  along,  the  bridles 
dangling  from  the  necks  of  their  mules, — "  there  came  a 
feeling  of  regret,  when  I  first  saw  the  fair  creature  that 
calls  thee  father,  Melchior.  God  has  dealt  mercifully  by 
me,  in  respect  to  many  things  that  make  men  happy  ;  but 
he  rendered  my  marriage  accursed,  not  only  in  its  bud, 
but  in  its  fruit.  Thy  child  is  dutiful  and  loving,  all  that  a 
father  can  wish  ;  and  yet  here  is  this  unusual  attachment 
come  to  embarrass,  if  not  to  defeat,  thy  fair  and  just  hopes 


264  THE   HEADSMAN. 

for  her  welfare  !  This  is  no  common  affair,  that  a  few- 
threats  of  bolts  and  a  change  of  scene  will  cure,  but  a 
rooted  affection  that  is  but  too  firmly  based  on  esteem. 
By  San  Francesco,  but  I  think,  at  times,  thou  wouldst  do 
well  to  permit  the  ceremony  !  " 

"  Should  it  be  our  fortune  to  meet  with  the  absconding 
Jacques  Colis  at  Turin,  he  might  give  us  different  coun- 
sel," answered  the  old  Baron  dryly. 

"That  is  a  dreadful  barrier  to  our  wishes  !  Were  the 
boy  anything  but  a  headsman's  child  !  I  do  not  think  thou 
couidst  object,  Melchior,  had  he  merely  come  of  a  hind, 
or  of  some  common  follower  of  thy  family  ? " 

"  It  were  far  better  that  he  should  have  come  of  one 
like  ourselves,  Gaetano.  I  reason  but  little  on  the  dogmas 
of  this  or  that  sect  in  politics  ;  but  I  feel  and  think,  in 
this  affair,  as  the  parent  of  an  only  child.  All  those  usages 
and  opinions  in  which  we  are  trained,  my  friend,  are  so 
many  ingredients  in  our  happiness,  let  them  be  silly  or  wise, 
just  or  oppressive  ;  and  though  I  would  fain  do  that  which 
is  right  to  the  rest  of  mankind,  I  could  wish  to  begin  to 
practise  innovation  with  any  other  than  my  own  daughter. 
.Let  them  who  like  philosophy  and  justice,  and  natural 
rights  so  well,  commence  by  setting  us  the  example." 

"  Thou  hast  hit  the  stumbling  block  that  causes  a  thou- 
sand well-digested  plans  for  the  improvement  of  the  world 
to  fail,  honest  Melchior.  Could  we  toil  with  others'  limbs, 
sacrifice  with  others'  groans,  and  pay  with  others'  means, 
there  would  be  no  end  to  our  industry,  our  disinterested- 
ness, or  our  liberality — and  yet  it  were  a  thousand  pities 
that  so  sweet  a  girl  and  so  noble  a  youth  should  not  yoke  !  " 

"  'Twould  be  a  yoke  indeed,  for  a  daughter  of  the  house 
of  Willading,"  returned  the  graver  father,  with  emphasis. 
"  I  have  looked  at  this  matter  in  every  face  that  becomes 
me,  Gaetano,  and  though  I  would  not  rudely  repulse  one 
that  hath  saved  my  life,  by  driving  him  from  my  company, 
at  a  moment  when  even  strangers  consort  for  mutual  aid 
and  protection,  at  Turin  we  must  part  forever !  " 

"  I  know  not  how  to  approve,  nor  yet  how  to  blame 
thee,  poor  Melchior  !  'Twas  a  sad  scene,  that  of  the  re- 
fusal to  wed  Balthazar's  daughter,  in  the  presence  of  so 
many  thousands  !  " 

"  I  take  it  as  a  happy  and  kind  warning  of  the  precipice 
to  which  a  foolish  tenderness  was  leading  us  both,  my 
friend." 


THE  HEADSMAN.  265 

"Thou  may'st  have  reason;  and  yet  I  wish  thou  wert 
more  in  error  than  ever  Christian  was  !  These  are  rugged 
mountains,  Melchior,  and  fairly  passed,  it  might  be  so  ar- 
ranged that  the  boy  should  forget  Switzerland  forever. 
He  might  become  a  Genoese,  in  which  event,  dost  thou 
not  see  the  means  of  overcoming  some  of  the  present 
difficulty?" 

"  Is  the  heiress  of  my  house  a  vagrant,  Signor  Grimaldi, 
to  forget  her  country  and  birth  ? " 

"  I  am  childless,  in  effect,  if  not  in  fact ;  and  where  there 
are  the  will  and  the  means,  the  end  should  not  be  want- 
ing. We  will  speak  of  this  under  the  warmer  sun  of  Italy, 
which  they  say  is  apt  to  render  hearts  tender." 

"  The  hearts  of  the  young  and  amorous,  good  Gaetano, 
but,  unless  much  changed  of  late,  it  is  as  apt  to  harden 
those  of  the  old,  as  any  sun  I  know  of,"  returned  the 
Baron,  shaking  his  head,  though  it  much  exceeded  his 
power  to  smile  at  his  own  pleasantry  when  speaking  on 
this  painful  subject.  "  Thou  knowest  that  in  this  matter 
I  act  only  for  the  welfare  of  Adelheid,  without  thought 
of  myself  ;  and  it  would  little  comport  with  the  honor  of 
a  Baron  of  an  ancient  house,  to  be  the  grandfather  of  chil- 
dren who  come  of  a  race  of  executioners." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  succeeded  better  than  his  friend 
in  raising  a  smile,  for,  more  accustomed  to  dive  into  the 
depths  of  human  feeling,  he  was  not  slow  in  detecting  the 
mixture  of  motives  that  were  silently  exercising  their  long- 
established  influence  over  the  heart  of  his  really  well-in- 
tentioned companion. 

"  So  long  as  thou  speakcst  of  the  wisdom  of  respecting 
men's  opinions,  and  the  danger  of  wrecking  thy  daugh- 
ter's happiness  by  running  counter  to  their  current,  I  agree 
with  thee  to  the  letter  ;  but,  to  me,  it  seems  possible  so  to 
place  the  affair,  that  the  world  shall  imagine  all  is  in  rule, 
and,  by  consequence,  all  proper.  If  we  can  overcome 
ourselves,  Melchior,  I  apprehend  no  great  difficulty  in 
blinding  others." 

The  head  of  the  Bernois  dropped  upon  his  breast,  and 
he  rode  a  long  distance  in  that  attitude,  reflecting  on  the 
course  it  most  became  him  to  pursue,  and  struggling  with 
the  conflicting  sentiments  which  troubled  his  upright  but 
prejudiced  mind.  As  his  friend  understood  the  nature  of 
this  inward  strife,  he  ceased  to  speak,  and  a  long  silence 
succeeded  the  discourse. 


266  THE  HEADSMAN; 

'  It  was  different  with  those  who  followed.  Though  long 
accustomed  to  gaze  at  their  native  mountains  from  a  dis- 
tance, this  was  the  first  occasion  on  which  Adelheid  and 
her  companion  had  ever  actually  penetrated  into  their 
glens,  or  journeyed  on  their  broken  and  changing  faces. 
The  path  of  St.  Bernard,  therefore,  had  all  the  charm  of 
novelty,  and  their  youthful  and  ardent  minds  were  soon 
won  from  meditating  on  their  own  causes  of  unhappiness, 
to  admiration  of  the  sublime  works  of  nature.  The  culti- 
vated taste  of  Adelheid,  in  particular,  was  quick  in  detect- 
ing those  beauties  of  a  more  subtle  kind  which  the  less  in- 
structed are  apt  to  overlook,  and  she  found  additional 
pleasure  in  pointing  them  out  to  the  ingenuous  and  wron- 
dering  Christine,  who  received  these  her  first  lessons  in 
that  grand  communion  with  nature  which  is  pregnant 
with  so  much  unalloyed  delight,  with  gratitude  and  a  readi- 
ness of  comprehension,  that  amply  repaid  her  instructress. 
Sigismund  was  an  attentive  and  pleased  listener  to  what 
was  passing,  though  one  who  had  so -often  passed  the 
mountains,  and  who  had  seen  them  familiarly  on  their 
warmer  and  more  sunny  side,  had  little  to  learn,  himself, 
even  from  so  skilful  and  alluring  a  teacher.  As  they 
ascended,  the  air  became  purer  and  less  impregnated  with 
the  humidity  of  its  lower  currents  ;  changing,  by  a  pro- 
cess as  fine  as  that  wrought  by  a  chemical  application,  the 
hues  and  aspect  of  every  object  in  the  view.  A  vast  hill- 
side lay  basking  in  the  sun,which  illuminated  on  its  rounded 
swells  a  hundred  long  stripes  of  grain  in  every  stage 
of  verdure,  resembling  so  much  delicate  velvet  that  was 
thrown  in  a  variety  of  accidental  faces  to  the  light,  while 
the  shadows  ran  away,  to  speak  technically,  from  this/iyw 
de  lumiere  of  the  picture,  in  gradations  of  dusky  russet  and 
brown,  until  the  colonne  de  vtgeurvrsLS  obtained  in  the  deep 
black  cast  from  the  overhanging  branches  of  a  wood  of 
larch  in  the  depths  of  some  ravine,  into  which  the  sight 
with  difficulty  penetrated.  These  were  the  beauties  on 
which  Adelheid  most  loved  to  dwell,  for  they  are  always 
the  charms  that  soonest  strike  the  true  admirer  of  nature, 
when  he  finds  himself  raised  above  the  lower  and  less 
purified  strata  of  the  atmosphere,  into  the  regions  of  more 
radiant  light  and  brightness.  It  is  thus  that  the  physical, 
no  less  than  the  moral,  vision  becomes  elevated  above  the 
impurities  that  cling  to  this  nether  world,  attaining  a  por- 
tion of  that  spotless  and  sublime  perception  as  we  ascend, 


THE  HEADSMAN,  .      267 

by  which  we  are  early  assimilated  to  the  truths  of  crea- 
tion ;  a  poetical  type  of  the  greater  and  purer  enjoyment 
we  feel,  as  morally  receding  from  earth,  we  draw  nearer  to 
heaven. 

The  party  rested  for  several  hours,  as  usual,  at  the  little 
mountain  hamlet  of  Liddes.  At  the  present  time  it  is  not 
uncommon  for  the  traveller,  favored  by  a  wheel-track 
along  this  portion  of  the  route,  to  ascend  the  mountain 
and  to  return  to  Martigny  in  the  same  day.  The  descent 
in  particular,  after  reaching  the  village  just  named,  is  soon 
made  ;  but  at  the  period  of  our  tale,  such  an  exploit,  if 
ever  made,  was  of  very  rare  occurrence.  The  fatigue  of 
being  in  the  saddle  so  many  hours  compelled  our  party  to 
remain  at  the  inn  much  longer  than  is  now  practised,  and 
their  utmost  hope  was  to  be  able  to  reach  the  convent  be- 
fore the  last  rays  of  the  sun  had  ceased  to  light  the  glitter- 
ing peak  of  Velan. 

There  occurred  here,  too,  some  unexpected  detention  on 
the  part  of  Christine,  who  had  retired  with  Sigismund 
soon  after  reaching  the  inn,  and  who  did  not  rejoin  the 
party  until  the  impatience  of  the  guide  had  more  than 
once  manifested  itself  in  such  complaints  as  one  in  his 
situation  is  apt  to  hazard.  Adelheid  saw  with  pain,  when 
her  friend  did  at  length  rejoin  them,  that  she  had  been 
weeping  bitterly  ;  but,  too  delicate  to  press  her  for  an  ex- 
planation on  a  subject  in  which  it  was  evident  the  brother 
and  sister  did  not  desire  to  bestow  their  confidence,  she 
communicated  her  readiness  to  depart  to  the  domestics, 
without  the  slightest  allusion  to  the  change  in  Christine's 
appearance,  or  to  the  unexpected  delay  of  which  she  had 
been  the  cause. 

Pierre  muttered  an  ave  in  thankfulness  that  the  long  halt 
was  ended.  He  then  crossed  himself  with  one  hand,  while 
with  the  other  he  flourished  his  whip,  among  a  crowd  of 
gaping  urchins  and  slavering  cretins,  to  clear  the  way  for 
those  he  guided.  His  followers  were,  in  the  main,  of  a 
different  mood.  If  the  traveller  too  often  reaches  the  inn 
hungry  and  disposed  to  find  fault,  he  usually  quits  it 
good-humored  and  happy.  The  restoration,  as  it  is  well 
called  in  France,  effected  by  means  of  the  larder  and  the 
resting  of  wearied  limbs,  is  usually  communicated  to  the 
spirits  ;  and  it  must  be  a  crusty  humor  indeed,  or  singu- 
larly bad  fare,  that  prevents  a  return  to  a  placid  state  of 
mind.  The  party  under  the  direction  of  Pierre,  formed  no 


268     .  THE   HEADSMAN. 

exception  to  the  general  rule.  The  two  old  nobles  had  so 
far  forgotten  the  subject  of  their  morning  dialogue,  as  to 
be  facetious  ;  and,  ere  long,  even  their  gentle  companions 
were  disposed  to  laugh  at  some  of  their  sallies,  in  spite  of 
the  load  of  care  that  weighed  so  constantly  and  so  heavily 
on  both.  In  short,  such  is  the  waywardness  of  our  feel- 
ings, and  so  difficult  is  it  to  be  always  sorrowful  as  well  as 
always  happy,  that  the  well-satisfied  landlady,  who  had,  in 
truth,  received  the  full  value  of  a  very  indifferent  fare,  was 
ready  to  affirm,  as  she  courtesied  her  thanks  on  the  dirty 
threshold,  that  a  merrier  party  had  never  left  her  door. 

"  We  shall  take  our  revenge  out  of  the  casks  of  the  good 
Augustines  to-night  for  the  sour  liquor  of  this  inn.  Is  it 
not  so,  honest  Pierre  ?"  demanded  the  Signor  Grimaldi, 
adjusting  himself  in  the  saddle,  as  they  got  clear  of  the 
stones,  sinuosities,  projecting  roofs,  and  filth  of  the 
village,  into  the  more  agreeable  windings  of  the  ordinary 
path  again.  "Our  friend,  the  clavier,  is  apprised  of  the 
visit,  and  as  we  have  already  gone  through  fair  and  foul 
in  company,  I  look  to  his  fellowship  for  some  com- 
pensation for  the  frugal  meal  of  which  we  have  just  par- 
taken." 

"  Father  Xavier  is  a  hospitable  and  happy-minded 
priest,  signore;  and  that  the  saints  will  long  leave  him  keeper 
of  the  convent-keys,  is  the  prayer  of  every  muleteer,  guide, 
or  pilgrim,  who  crosses  the  Col.  I  wish  we  were  going  up 
the  rough  steps  by  which  we  are  to  climb  the  last  rock  of 
the  mountain,  at  this  very  moment,  Messieurs,  and  that 
all  the  rest  of  the  way  were  as  fairly  done  as  this  we  have 
so  happily  passed." 

"  Dost  thou  anticipate  difficulty,  friend  ? "  demanded 
the  Italian,  leaning  forward  on  his  saddle-bow,  for  his 
quick  observation  had  caught  the  examining  glance  that 
the  guide  threw  around  at  the  heavens. 

"  Difficulty  is  a  meaning  not  easily  admitted  by  a 
mountaineer,  signore,  and  I  am  one  of  the  last  to  think  of 
it,  or  feel  its  dread.  Still,  we  are  near  the  end  of  the  sea- 
son, and  these  hills  are  high  and  bleak,  and  those  that  fol- 
low are  delicate  flowers  for  a  stormy  heath.  Toil  is  always 
sweeter  in  the  remembrance  than  in  the  expectation.  I 
mean  no  more,  if  I  mean  that." 

Pierre  stopped  his  march  as  he  ceased  speaking.  He 
stood  on  a  little  eminence  of  the  path,  whence,  by  looking 
back,  he  commanded  a  view  of  the  opening  among  the 


THE  HEADSMAN.  269 

mountains  which  indicates  the  site  of  the  valley  of  the 
Rhone.  The  look  was  long  and  understanding  ;  but, 
when  it  was  ended,  he  turned  and  resumed  his  march  with 
the  business-like  air  of  one  more  disposed  to  act  than  to 
speculate  on  the  future.  But  for  the  few  words  which  had 
just  escaped  him,  this  natural  movement  would  have  at 
tracted  no  attention  ;  and,  as  it  was,  it  was  observed  by 
none  but  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  who  would  himself  have 
attached  little  importance  to  the  whole,  had  the  guide 
maintained  his  usual  pace. 

As  is  common  in  the  Alps,  the  conductor  of  the  travellers 
went  on  foot,  leading  the  whole  party  at  such  a  gait  as  he 
thought  most  expedient  for  man  and  beast.  Hitherto,  Pierre 
had  proceeded  with  sufficient  leisure,  rendering  it  necessary 
for  those  who  followed  to  observe  the  same  moderation  ;  but 
he  now  walked  sensibly  faster,  and  frequently  so  fast  as  to 
make  it  necessary  for  the  mules  to  break  into  easy  trots, 
in  order  to  maintain  their  proper  stations.  All  this,  how- 
ever, was  ascribed  by  most  of  the  party  to  the  formation  of 
the  ground,  for,  after  leaving  Liddes,  there  is  a  long  reach 
of  what,  among  the  upper  valleys  of  the  Alps,  may  by 
comparison  be  called  a  level  road.  This  industry,  too, 
was  thought  to  be  doubly  necessary,  in  order  to  repair  the 
time  lost  at  the  inn,  for  the  sun  was.  already  dipping  to- 
ward the  western  boundary  of  their  narrow  view  of  the 
heavens,  and  the  temperature  announced,  if  not  a  sudden 
change  in  the  weather,  at  least  the  near  approach  of  the 
periodical  turn  of  the  day. 

"  We  travel  by  a  very  ancient  path,"  observed  the  Sig- 
nor Grimaldi,  when  his  thoughts  had  reverted  from  their 
reflections  on  the  movements  of  the  guide  to  the  circum- 
stance of  their  present  situation.  u  A  very  reverend  path, 
it  might  be  termed,  in  compliment  to  the  worthy  monks 
who  do  so  much  to  lessen  its  dangers,  and  to  its  great 
antiquity.  History  speaks  often  of  its  use  by  different 
leaders  of  armies,  for  it  has  long  been  a  thoroughfare  for 
those  who  journey  between  the  north  and  the  south, 
whether  it  be  in  strife  or  in  amity.  In  the  time  of  Augustus 
it  was  the  route  commonly  used  by  the  Roman  legions  in 
their  passages  to  and  from  Helvetia  and  Gaul  ;  the  fol- 
lowers of  Caecina  went  by  these  gorges  to  their  attack 
upon  Otho,  and  the  Lombards  made  the  same  use  of  it,  five 
hundred  years  later.  It  was  often  trod  by  armed  bands,  in 
the  wars  of  Charles  of  Burgundy,  those  of  Milan,  and  in 


*70  THE  HEADSMAN'. 

the  conquests  of  Charlemagne.  I  remember  a  tale,  in 
which  it  is  said  that  a  horde  of  infidel  Corsairs  from  the 
Mediterranean  penetrated  by  this  road,  and  seized  upon 
the  bridge  at  St.  Maurice  with  a  view  to  plunder.  As  we 
are  not  the  first,  so  it  is  probable  we  are  not  to  be  the  last 
who  have  trusted  themselves  in  these  regions,  bent  on  our 
objects,  whether  of  love  or  of  strife." 

"  Signore."  observed  Pierre,  respectfully,  when  the 
Genoese  ceased  speaking,  "  if  your  eccellenza  would  make 
your  discourse  less  learned,  and  more  in  those  familiar 
words  which  can  be  said  under  a  brisk  movement,  it  might 
better  suit  the  time  and  the  great  necessity  there  is  to  be 
diligent." 

"  Dost  thou  apprehend  danger  ?  Are  we  behind  our 
time  ?  Speak  ;  for  I  dislike  concealment." 

"  Danger  has  a  strong  meaning  in  the  mouth  of  a  moun- 
taineer, signore  ;  for  what  is  security  on  this  path,  might 
be  thought  alarming  lower  down  in  the  valleys  ;  I  say  it 
not.  But  the  sun  is  touching  the  rocks,  as  you  see,  and  we 
are  drawing  near  to  places  where  a  misstep  of  a  mule  in 
the  dark  might  cost  us  dear.  I  would  that  all  diligently 
improve  the  daylight  while  they  can." 

The  Genoese  did  not  answer,  but  he  urged  his  mule 
again  to  a  gait  that  was  more  in  accordance  with  the 
wishes  of  Pierre.  The  movement  was  followed,  as  a  matter 
of  course,  by  the  rest,  and  the  whole  party  was  once  more 
in  a  gentle  trot,  which  was  scarcely  sufficient,  however,  to 
keep  even  pace  with  the  long,  impatient,  and  rapid  strides 
of  Pierre,  who,  notwithstanding  his  years,  appeared  to  get 
over  the  ground  with  a  facility  that  cost  him  no  effort. 
Hitherto  the  heat  had  not  been  small,  and,  in  that  pure 
atmosphere,  all  its  powers  were  felt  during  the  time  the 
sun's  rays  fell  into  the  valley  ;  but,  the  instant  they  were 
intercepted  by  a  brown  and  envious  peak  of  the  mountains, 
their  genial  influence  was  succeeded  by  a  chill  that  suffi- 
ciently proved  how  necessary  was  the  presence  of  the 
luminary  to  the  comfort  of  those  who  dwelt  at  that  great 
elevation.  The  females  sought  their  mantles  the  moment 
the  bright  light  was  followed  by  the  usual  shadow  ;  nor 
was  it  long  before  even  the  more  aged  of  the  gentlemen 
were  seen  unstrapping  their  cloaks,  and  taking  the  cus- 
tomary precautions  against  the  effects  of  the  evening  air. 

The  reader  is  not  to  suppose,  however,  that  all  these 
little  incidents  of  the  way  occurred  in  a  time  as  brief  as 


TITE   HEADSMAN.  271 

that  which  has  been  consumed  in  the  narration.  A  long  line 
of  path  was  travelled  over,  before  the  Signor  Grimaldi  and 
his  friend  were  cloaked,  and  divers  hamlets  and  cabins  were 
successively  passed.  The  alteration  from  the  warmth  of  day 
to  the  chill  of  evening  also  was  accompanied  by  a  cor- 
responding change  in  the  appearance  of  the  objects  they 
passed.  St.  Pierre,  a  cluster  of  stone-roofed  cottages, 
which  bore  all  the  characteristics  of  the  inhospitable  re- 
gion for  which  they  had  been  constructed,  was  the  last  vil- 
lage ;  though  there  was  a  hamlet,  at  the  bridge  of  Hudri, 
composed  of  a  few  dreary  abodes,  which,  by  their  aspect, 
seemed  the  connecting  link  between  the  dwellings  of  men 
and  the  caverns  of  beasts.  Vegetation  had  long  been 
growing  more  and  more  meagre,  and  it  was  now  fast  melt- 
ing away  into  still  deeper  and  irretrievable  traces  of  ster- 
ility, like  the  shadows  of  a  picture  passing  through  their 
several  transitions  of  color  to  the  depth  of  the  background. 
The  larches  and  cedars  diminished  gradually  in  size  and 
numbers,  until  the  straggling  and  stinted  tree  became  a 
bush,  and  the  latter  finally  disappeared  in  the  shape  of  a 
tuft  of  pale  green,  that  adhered  to  some  crevice  in  the 
rocks  like  so  much  moss.  Even  the  mountain  grasses,  for 
which  Switzerland  is  so  justly  celebrated,  grew  thin  and 
wiry  ;  rnd  by  the  time  the  travellers  reached  the  circular 
basin  at  the  foot  of  the  peak  of  Velan,  which  is  called  La 
Plaine  de  Prou,  there  only  remained,  in  the  most  genial 
season  of  the  year,  and  then  in  isolated  spots  between  the 
rocks,  a  sufficiency  of  nourishment  for  the  support  of  a 
small  flock  of  adventurous,  nibbling,  and  hungry  goats. 

The  basin  just  alluded  to  is  in  an  opening  among  high 
pinnacles,  and  is  nearly  surrounded  by  naked  and  rugged 
rocks.  The  path  led  through  its  centre,  always  ascending 
on  an  inclined  plane,  and  disappeared  through  a  narrow 
gorge  around  the  brow  of  a  beetling  cliff.  Pierre  pointed 
out  the  latter  as  the  pass  by  far  the  most  dangerous  on 
this  side  the  Col,  in  the  season  of  the  melting  snows,  ava- 
lanches frequently  rolling  from  its  crags.  There  was  no  cause 
for  apprehending  this  well-known  Alpine  danger,  however, 
in  the  present  moment  ;  for,  with  the  exception  of  Mont- 
Velan,  all  above  and  around  them  lay  the  same  dreary 
dress  of  sterility.  Indeed,  it  would  not  be  easy  for  the  im- 
agination to  conceive  a  more  eloquent  picture  of  desolation 
than  that  which  met  the  eyes  of  the  travellers,  as,  follow- 
ing the  course  of  the  run  of  water  that  trickled  through 


272  THE   HEADSMAN. 

the  middle  of  the  inhospitable  valley,  the  certain  indica- 
tion of  the  general  direction  of  their  course,  they  reached 
its  centre. 

The  time  was  getting  to  be  that  of  early  twilight,  but  the 
sombre  color  of  the  rocks,  streaked  and  venerable  by  the 
ferruginous  hue  with  which  time  had  coated  their  sides, 
and  the  depth  of  the  basin,  gave  to  their  situation  a  mel- 
ancholy gloom  passing  the  duskiness  of  the  hour.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  light  rested  bright  and  gloriously  on  the 
snowy  peak  of  Velan,  still  many  thousand  feet  above  them, 
though  in  plain,  and  apparently  near  view  ;  while  rich 
touches  of  the  setting  sun  were  gleaming  on  several  of  the 
brown,  natural  battlements  of  the  Alps,  which,  worn  with 
eternal  exposure  to  the  storms,  still  lay  in  sublime  confu- 
sion at  a  most  painful  elevation  in  their  front.  The  azure 
vault  that  canopied  all,  had  that  look  of  distant  glory  and 
of  grand  repose,  which  so  often  meets  the  eyes,  and  so 
forcibly  strikes  the  mind,  of  him  who  travels  in  the  deep 
valleys  and  imbedded  lakes  of  Switzerland.  The  glacier 
of  Valsorey  descended  from  the  upper  region  nearly  to 
the  edge  of  the  valley,  bright  and  shining,  its  lower  margin 
streaked  and  dirty  with  the  rfe&ris  of  the  overhanging  rocks, 
as  if  doomed  to  the  fate  of  all  that  came  upon  the  earth, 
that  of  sharing  its  impurities. 

There  no  longer  existed  any  human  habitation  between 
the  point  which  the  travellers  had  now  attained  and  the 
convent,  though  more  modern  speculation,  in  this  age  of 
curiosity  and  restlessness,  has  been  induced  to  rear  a  sub- 
stitute for  an  inn  in  the  spot  just  described,  with  the  hope 
of  gleaning  a  scanty  tribute  from  those  who  fail  of  arriving 
in  season  to  share  the  hospitality  of  the  monks.  The  chilli- 
ness of  the  air  increased  faster  even  than  the  natural  change 
of  the  hour  would  seem  to  justify,  and  there  were  moments 
when  the  dull  sound  of  the  wind  descended  to  their  ears, 
though  not  a  breath  was  stirring  a  withered  and  nearly 
solitary  blade  of  grass  at  their  feet.  Once  or  twice,  large 
black  clouds  drove  across  the  opening  above  them,  resem- 
bling heavy-winged  vultures  sailing  in  the  void,  prepara* 
tory  to  a  swoop  upon  their  prey. 


THE   HEADSMAN. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

"  Through  this  gap 

On  and  say  nothing,  lest  a  word,  a  breath, 
Bring  down  a  winter's  snow,  enough  to  whelm 
The  armed  files  that,  night  and  day,  were  seen 
Winding  from  cliff  to  cliff  in  loose  array, 
To  conquer  at  Marengo. — Italy. 

PIERRE  DUMONT  halted  in  the  middle  of  the  sterile  little, 
plain,  while  he  signed  for  those  he  conducted  to  continue 
their  ascent.  As  each  mule  passed,  it  received  a  blow  or  a 
kick  from  the  impatient  guide,  who  did  not  seem  to  think 
it  necessary  to  be  very  ceremonious  with  the  poor  beasts, 
and  had  taken  this  simple  method  to  give  a  general  and  a 
brisker  impulsion  to  the  party.  The  expedient  was  so 
natural,  and  so  much  in  accordance  with  the  practice  of 
the  muleteers  and  others  of  their  class,  that  it  excited  no 
suspicion  in  most  of  the  travellers,  who  pursued  their 
way,  either  meditating  on  and  enjoying  the  novel  and  pro- 
found emotions  that  their  present  situation  so  naturally 
awakened,  or  discoursing  lightly,  in  the  manner  of  the 
thoughtless  and  unconcerned.  The  Signer  Grimaldi  alone, 
whose  watchfulness  had  already  been  quickened  by  previ- 
ous distrust,  took  heed  of  the  movement.  When  all  had 
passed,  the  Genoese  turned  in  his  saddle,  and  cast  an  ap- 
parently careless  look  behind.  But  the  glance  in  truth 
was  anxious  and  keen.  Pierre  stood  looking  steadily  at 
the  heavens,  one  hand  holding  his  hat,  and  the  other  ex- 
tended with  an  open  palm.  A  glittering  particle  descend- 
ed to  the  latter,  when  the  guide  instantly  resumed  his  place 
in  advance.  As  he  passed  the  Italian,  however,  meeting 
an  inquiring  look,  he  permitted  the  other  to  see  a  snow- 
drop so  thoroughly  congealed,  as  to  have  not  yet  melted 
with  the  natural  heat  of  his  skin.  The  eye  of  Pierre  ap- 
peared to  impose  discretion  on  his  confidant,  and  the  silent 
communion  escaped  the  observation  of  the  rest  of  the  trav- 
ellers. Just  at  this  moment,  too,  the  attention  of  the  others 
was  luckily  called  to  a  different  object,  by  a  cry  from  one 
of  the  muleteers,  of  whom  there  were  three  as  assistants  to 
the  guide.  He  pointed  out  a  party  which,  like  themselves, 
was  holding  the  direction  of  the  Col.  There  was  a  solitary 
individual  mounted  on  a  mule,  and  a  single  pedestrian, 
18 


274 


THE   HEADSMAN. 


without  any  guide,  or  other  traveller,  in  their  company. 
Their  movements  were  swift,  and  they  had  not  been  more 
than  a  minute  in  view,  before  they  disappeared  behind  an 
angle  of  the  crags  which  nearly  closed  the  valley  on  the 
side  of  the  convent,  and  which  was  the  precise  spot  already 
mentioned  as  being  so  dangerous  in  the  season  of  the  melt- 
ing snows. 

"  Dost  thou  know  the  quality  and  object  of  the  travel- 
lers before  us  ? "  demanded  the  Baron  de  Willading,  of 
Pierre. 

The  latter  mused.  It  was  evident  he  did  not  expect 
to  meet  with  strangers  in  that  particular  part  of  the  pas- 
sage. 

"  We  can  know  little  of  those  who  come  from  the  con- 
vent, though  few  would  be  apt  to  leave  so  safe  a  roof  at 
this  late  hour,"  he  answered;  "but,  until  I  saw  yonder 
travellers  with  my  own  eyes,  I  could  have  sworn  there 
were  none  on  this  side  of  the  Col  going  the  same  way  as 
ourselves  !  It  is  time  that  all  the  others  were  already  ar- 
rived." 

"  They  are  villagers  of  St.  Pierre,  going  up  with  sup- 
plies," observed  one  of  the  muleteers.  "  None  bound  to 
Italy  have  passed  Liddes  since  the  party  of  Pippo,  and 
they  by  this  time  should  be  well  housed  at  the  hospice. 
Didst  not  see  a  dog  among  them  ? — 'twas  one  of  the 
Augustines'  mastiffs." 

"  'Twas  the  dog  I  noted,  and  it  was  on  account  of  his 
appearance  that  I  spoke,"  returned  the  Baron.  "  The  ani- 
mal had  the  air  of  an  old  acquaintance,  Gaetano,  for  to 
me  it  seemed  to  resemble  our  tried  friend  Nettuno  ;  and 
he  at  whose  heels  he  kept  so  close  wore  much  the  air 
of  our  acquaintance  of  the  Leman,  the  bold  and  ready 
Maso." 

"  Who  has  gone  unrequited  for  his  eminent  services  !  " 
answered  the  Genoese,  thoughtfully.  "  The  extraordinary 
refusal  of  that  man  to  receive  our  money  is  quite  as  won- 
derful as  any  other  part  of  his  unusual  and  inexplicable 
conduct.  I  would  he  had  been  less  obstinate  or  less 
proud,  for  the  unrequited  obligation  rests  like  a  load  upon 
my  spirits." 

"  Thou  art  wrong.  I  employed  our  young  friend  Sigis- 
mund  secretly  on  this  duty,  while  we  were  receiving  the 
greetings  of  Roger  de  Blonay  and  the  good  bailiff,  but 
thy  countryman  treated  the  escape  lightly,  as  the  mariner 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  275 

is  apt  to  consider  past  danger,  and  he  would  listen  to  no 
offer  of  protection  or  gold.  I  was,  therefore,  more  dis- 
pleased than  surprised  by  what  thou  hast  well  enough 
termed  obstinacy." 

"  *  Tell  your  employers,'  he  said,"  added  Sigismund, 
**  '  that  they  may  thank  the  saints,  Our  Lady,  or  Brother 
Luther,  as  best  suits  their  habits,  but  that  they  had  better 
forget  that  such  a  man  as  Maso  lives.  His  acquaintance 
can  bring  them  neither  honor  nor  advantage.  Tell  this 
especially  to  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  when  you  are  on  your 
journey  to  Italy,  and  we  have  parted  forever,  as  on  my 
suggestion.'  This  was  said  to  me  in  the  interview  I  held 
with  the  brave  fellow  after  his  liberation  from  prison." 

"  The  answer  was  remarkable  for  a  man  of  his  condi- 
tion, and  the  especial  message  to  myself  of  singular  ex- 
ception. I  observed  that  his  eye  was  often  on  me  with 
peculiar  meaning,  during  the  passage  of  the  lake,  and  to 
this  hour  I  have  not  been  able  to  explain  the  motive ! " 

"Is  the  Signore  of  Genoa?" — asked  the  guide:  "or  is 
he,  by  chance,  in  any  way  connected  with  her  authorities !  " 

"  Of  that  republic  and  city,  and  certainly  of  some  little 
interest  with  the  authorities,"  answered  the  Italian,  a 
slight  smile  curling  his  lip,  as  he  glanced  a  look  at  his 
friend. 

"  It  is  not  necessary  to  look  further  for  Maso's  acquaint- 
ance with  your  features,"  returned  Pierre,  laughing  ;  "for 
of  all  who  live  in  Italy,  there  is  not  a  man  who  has  more 
frequent  occasions  to  know  the  authorities  ;  but  we  linger 
in  this  gossip.  Urge  the  beasts  upward,  Etienne — presto  ! 
presto  ! " 

The  muleteers  answered  this  appeal  by  one  of  their  long 
cries,  which  has  a  resemblance  to  the  rattling  that  is  the 
well-known  signal  of  the  venomous  serpent  of  this  coun- 
try, when  he  would  admonish  the  traveller  to  move  quick- 
ly, and  which  certainly  produces  the  same  startling  effect 
on  the  nerves  of  the  mule  as  the  signal  of  the  snake  is  very 
apt  to  excite  in  man.  This  interruption  caused  the  dia- 
logue to  be  dropped,  all  riding  onward,  musing  in  their 
several  fashions  on  what  had  just  passed.  In  a  few  min- 
utes the  party  turned  the  crag  in  question,  and,  quitting 
the  valley,  or  sterile  basin,  in  which  they  had  been  journey- 
ing for  the  last  half  hour,  they  entered  by  a  narrow  gorge 
into  a  scene  that  resembled  a  crude  collection  of  the  ma- 
terials of  which  the  foundations  of  the  world  had  been 


276  THE  If E  ADS  At  AN. 

originally  foimed.  There  was  no  longer  any  vegetation 
at  all,  or  if  here  and  there  a  blade  of  grass  had  put  forth 
under  the  shelter  of  some  stone,  it  was  so  meagre,  and  of 
so  rare  occurrence,  as  to  be  unnoticed  in  that  sublime 
scene  of  chaotic  confusion.  Ferruginous,  streaked,  naked, 
and  cheerless  rocks  arose  around  them,  and  even  that 
snowy  beacon,  the  glowing  summit  of  Velan,  which  had 
so  long  lain  bright  and  cheering  on  their  path,  was  now 
hid  entirely  from  view.  Pierre  Dumont  soon  after  pointed 
out  a  place  on  the  visible  summit  of  the  mountain,  where 
a  gorge  between  the  neighboring  peaks  admitted  a  view 
of  the  heavens  beyond.  This  he  informed  those  he  guided 
was  the  Col,  through  whose  opening  the  pile  of  the  Alps 
was  to  be  finally  surmounted.  The  light  that  still  tran- 
quilly reigned  in  this  part  of  the  heavens  was  in  sublime 
contrast  to  the  gathering  gloom  of  the  passes  below,  and 
all  hailed  this  first  glimpse  of  the  end  of  their  day's  toil  as 
a  harbinger  of  rest,  and  we  might  add  of  security  ;  for,  al- 
though none  but  the  Signor  Grimaldi  had  detected  the 
secret  uneasiness  of  Pierre,  it  was  not  possible  to  be,  at 
that  late  hour,  amid  so  wild  and  dreary  a  display  of  deso- 
lation, and,  as  it  were,  cut  off  from  communion  with  their 
kind,  without  experiencing  an  humbling  sense  of  the  de- 
pendence of  man  upon  the  grand  and  ceaseless  Providence 
of  God. 

The  mules  were  again  urged  to  increase  their  pace,  and 
images  of  the  refreshment  and  repose  that  were  expected 
from  the  convent's  hospitality,  became  general  and  grate- 
ful among  the  travellers.  The  day  was  fast  disappearing 
from  the  glens  and  ravines  through  which  they  rode,  and 
all  discourse  ceased  in  the  desire  to  get  on.  The  exceed- 
ing purity  of  the  atmosphere,  which,  at  that  great  eleva- 
tion, resembled  a  medium  of  thought  rather  than  of  mat- 
ter, rendered  objects  defined,  just,  and  clear  ;  and  none 
but  the  mountaineers  and  Sigismund,  who  were  used  to 
the  deception  (for  in  effect  truth  obtains  this  character 
with  those  who  have  been  accustomed  to  the  false),  and 
who  understood  the  grandeur  of  the  scale  on  which  nature 
has  displayed  her  power  among  the  Alps,  knew  how  to 
calculate  the  distance  which  still  separated  them  from  their 
goal.  More  than  a  league  of  painful  and  stony  ascent  was 
to  be  surmounted,  and  yet  Adelheid  and  Christine  had  both 
permitted  slight  exclamations  of  pleasure  to  escape  them, 
when  Pierre  pointed  to  the  speck  of  blue  sky  between  the 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  277 

hoary  pinnacles  above,  and  first  gave  them  to  understand 
that  it  denoted  the  position  of  the  convent.  Here  and 
there,  too,  small  patches  of  the  last  year's  snow  were  dis- 
covered, lying  under  the  shadows  of  overhanging  rocks, 
and  which  were  likely  to  resist  the  powers  of  the  sun  till 
winter  came  again  ;  another  certain  sign  that  they  had 
reached  a  height  greatly  exceeding  that  of  the  usual  habi- 
tations of  men.  The  keenness  of  the  air  was  another  proof 
of  their  situation,  for  all  the  travellers  had  heard  that  the 
Augustines  dwelt  among  eternal  frosts,  a  report  which  is 
nearly  literally  true. 

At  no  time  during  the  day  had  the  industry  of  the  party 
been  as  great  as  it  now  became.  In  this  respect,  the  or- 
dinary traveller  is  apt  to  resemble  him  who  journeys  on 
the  great  highway  of  life,  and  who  finds  himself  obliged, 
by  a  tardy  and  ill-requited  diligence  in  age,  to  repair  those 
omissions  and  negligences  of  youth  which  would  have 
rendered  the  end  of  his  toil  easy  and  profitable.  Improved 
as  their  speed  had  become,  it  continued  to  increase  rather 
than  to  diminish,  for  Pierre  Dumont  kept  his  eye  riveted 
on  the  heavens,  and  each  moment  of  time  seemed  to  bring 
new  incentives  to  exertion.  The  wearied  beasts  mani- 
fested less  zeal  than  the  guide,  and  they  who  rode  them 
were  beginning  to  murmur  at  the  unreasonableness  of  the 
rate  at  which  they  were  compelled  to  proceed  on  the  nar- 
row, uneven,  stony  path,  where  footing  for  the  animals 
was  not  always  obtained  with  the  necessary  quickness, 
when  a  gloom  deeper  than  that  cast  by  the  shadows  of  the 
rocks  fell  upon  their  track,  and  the  air  filled  with  snow  as 
suddenly  as  if  all  its  particles  had  been  formed  and  con- 
densed by  the  application  of  some  prompt  chemical  pro- 
cess. 

The  change  was  so  unexpected,  and  yet  so  complete, 
that  the  whole  party  checked  their  mules,  and  sat  looking 
up  at  the  millions  of  flakes  that  were  descending  on  their 
heads,  with  more  wonder  and  admiration  than  fear.  A 
shout  from  Pierre  first  aroused  them  from  this  trance,  and 
recalled  them  to  a  sense  of  the  real  state  of  things.  He 
was  standing  on  a  knoll,  already  separated  from  the  party 
by  some  fifty  yards,  white  with  snow,  and  gesticulating 
violently  for  the  travellers  to  come  on. 

"  For  the  sake  of  the  blessed  Maria  !  quicken  the  beasts," 
he  cried  ;  for  Pierre,  like  most  who  dwelt  in  Valais,  was  a 
Catholic,  and  one  accustomed  to  bethink  him  most  of 


278  THE   HEADSMAN". 

his  heavenly  mediator  when  most  oppressed  with  pres. 
ent  dangers  ;  "quicken  their  speed,  if  you  value  your 
lives !  This  is  no  moment  to  gaze  at  the  mountains, 
which  are  well  enough  in  their  way,  and  no  doubt  both  the 
finest  and  largest  known  "(no  Swiss  ever  seriously  vituper- 
ates or  loses  his  profound  veneration  for  his  beloved  nat- 
ure), "but  which  had  better  be  the  humblest  plain  on 
earth  for  our  occasions  than  what  they  truly  are.  Quicken 
the  mules,  then,  for  the  love  of  the  Blessed  Virgin'!" 

"  Thou  betrayest  unnecessary,  and,  for  one  that  had 
needs  be  cool,  indiscreet  alarm,  at  the  appearance  of  a 
little  snow,  friend  Pierre,"  observed  the  Signer  Grimaldi, 
as  the  mules  drew  near  the  guide,  and  speaking  with  a  lit- 
tle of  the  irony  of  a  soldier  who  had  steeled  his  nerves  by 
familiarity  with  danger.  "  Even  we  Italians,  though  less 
used  to  the  frosts  than  you  of  the  mountains,  are  not  so 
muc'h  disturbed  by  the  change  as  thou,  a  trained  guide  of 
St.  Bernard  ! " 

"  Reproach  me  as  you  will,  signore,"  said  Pierre,  turn- 
ing and  pursuing  his  way  with  increased  diligence,  though 
he  did  not  entirely  succeed  in  concealing  his  resentment 
at  an  accusation  which  he  knew  to  be  unmerited,  "  but 
quicken  your  pace,  until  you  are  better  acquainted  with 
the  country  in  which  you  journey— your  words  pass  for 
empty  breath  in  my  ears.  This  is  no  .trifle  of  a  cloak 
doubled  about  the  person,  or  of  balls  rolled  into  piles  by 
the  sport  of  children  ;  but  an  affair  of  life  or  death.  You 
are  a  half  league  in  the  air,  Signer  Genoese,  in  the  region 
of  storms,  where  the  winds  work  their  will,  at  times,  as  if 
infernal  devils  were  rioting  to  cool  themselves,  and  where 
the  stoutest  limbs  and  the  firmest  hearts  are  brought  but 
too  often  to  see  and  confess  their  feebleness  ! " 

The  old  man  had  uncovered  his  blanched  locks  in  re- 
spect to  the  Italian,  as  he  uttered  this  energetic  remon- 
strance, and  when  he  ended,  he  walked  on  in  professional 
pride,  as  if  disdaining  to  protect  a  brow  that  had  already 
weathered  so  many  tempests  among  the  mountains. 

"  Cover  thyself,  good  Pierre,  I  pray  thee,"  urged  the 
Genoese  in  a  tone  of  repentance.  "  I  have  shown  the  in- 
temperance of  a  boy,  and  intemperance  of  a  quality  that 
little  becomes  my  years.  Thou  art  the  best  judge  of  the 
circumstances  in  which  we  are  placed,  and  thou  alone  shalt 
lead  us." 

Pierre  accepted  the  apology  with  a  manly  but  respect- 


279 

ful  reverence,  continuing  always  to  ascend  with  unremit- 
ted  industry. 

Ten  gloomy  and  anxious  minutes  succeeded.  During  this 
time,  the  falling  snows  came  faster  and  faster  and  in  finer 
flakes,  while,  occasionally,  there  were  fearful  intimations 
that  the  winds  were  about  to  rise.  At  the  elevation  in 
which  the  travellers  now  found  themselves,  phenomena, 
that  would  ordinarily  be  of  little  account,  become  the 
arbiters  of  fate.  The  escape  of  the  caloric  from  the  human 
system,  at  the  height  of  six  or  seven  thousand  feet  above 
the  sea,  and  in  the  latitude  of  forty-six,  is,  under  the  most 
favorable  circumstances,  frequently  of  itself  the  source  of 
inconvenience  ;  but  here  were  grave  additional  reasons  to 
heighten  the  danger.  The  absence  of  the  sun's  rays  alone 
left  a  sense  of  chilling  cold,  and  a  few  hours  of  night 
were  certain  to  bring  frost,  even  at  midsummer.  Thus 
it  is  that  storms  of  trifling  import  in  themselves,  gain 
power  over  the  human  frame  by  its  reduced  means  of  re- 
sistance, and  when  to  this  fact  is  added  the  knowledge  that 
the  elements  are  far  fiercer  in  their  workings  in  the  upper 
than  in  the  nether  regions  of  the  earth,  the  motives  of 
Pierre's  concern  will  be  better  understood  by  the  reader 
than  they  probably  were  by  himself,  though  the  honest 
guide  had  a  long  and  severe  experience  to  supply  the  place 
of  theory. 

Men  are  rarely  loquacious  in  danger.  The  timid  recoil 
into  themselves,  yielding  most  of  their  faculties  to  a  tor- 
menting imagination,  that  augments  the  causes  of  alarm 
and  diminishes  the  means  of  security,  while  the  firm  of 
mind  rally  and  condense  their  powers  to  the  point  neces- 
sary to  exertion.  Such  were  the  effects  in  the  present  in- 
stance on  those  who  followed  Pierre.  A  general  and  deep 
silence  pervaded  the  party,  each  one  seeing  their  situation 
in  the  colors  most  suited  to  his  particular  habits  and  char- 
acter. The  men,  without  an  exception,  were  grave  and 
earnest  in  their  efforts  to  force  the  mules  forward  ;  Adel- 
heid  became  pale,  but  she  preserved  her  calmness  by  the 
sheer  force  of  character ;  Christine  was  trembling  and  de- 
pendent, though  cheered  by  the  presence  of,  and  her 
confidence  in  Sigismund  ;  while  the  attendants  of  the  heir- 
ess of  Willading  covered  their  heads,  and  followed  their 
mistress  with  the  blind  faith  in  their  superiors  that  is  apt 
to  sustain  people  of  their  class  in  serious  emergencies. 

Ten  minutes  sufficed  entirely  to  change  the  aspect  of  the 


280  THE   HEADSMAN. 

view.  The  frozen  element  could  not  adhere  to  the  iron- 
like  and  perpendicular  faces  of  the  mountains,  but  the 
glens,  and  ravines,  and  valleys  became  as  white  as  the  peak 
of  Velan.  Still  Pierre  continued  his  silent  and  upward 
march,  in  a  way  to  keep  alive  a  species  of  trembling  hope 
among  those  who  depended  so  helplessly  upon  his  intelli- 
gence and  faith.  They  wished  to  believe  that  the  snow 
was  merely  one  of  those  common  occurrences  that  were 
to  be  expected  on  the  summits  of  the  Alps  at  this  late 
season  of  the  year,  and  which  were  no  more  than  so  many 
symptoms  of  the  known  rigor  of  the  approaching  winter. 
The  guide  himself  was  evidently  disposed  to  lose  no  time 
in  explanation,  and  as  the  secret  excitement  stole  over  all 
his  followers  he  no  longer  had  cause  to  complain  of  the 
tardiness  of  their  movements.  Sigismund  kept  near  his 
sister  and  Adelheid,  having  a  care  that  their  mules  did  not 
lag,  while  the  other  males  performed  the  same  necessary 
office  for  the  beasts  ridden  by  the  female  domestics.  In 
this  manner  passed  the  few  sombre  minutes  which  imme- 
diately preceded  the  disappearance  of  day.  The  heavens 
were  no  longer  visible.  In  that  direction  the  eye  saw 
only  an  endless  succession  of  falling  flakes,  and  it  was 
getting  to  be  difficult  to  distinguish  even  the  ramparts 
of  rock  that  bounded  the  irregular  ravine  in  which 
they  rode.  They  were  known  to  be,  however,  at  no  great 
distance  from  the  path,  which  indeed  occasionally  brushed 
their  sides.  At  other  moments  they  crossed  rude,  stony, 
mountain  heaths,  if  such  a  word  can  be  applied  to  spots 
without  the  symbol  or  hope  of  vegetation.  The  traces 
of  the  beasts  that  had  preceded  them  became  less  and  less 
apparent,  though  the  trickling  stream  that  came  down  from 
the  glaciers,  and  along  which  they  had  now  journeyed  for 
hours,  was  occasionally  seen,  as  it  was  crossed  in  pursuing 
their  winding  way.  Pierre,  though  still  confident  that  he 
held  the  true  direction,  alone  knew  that  this  guide  was  not 
long  to  be  relied  on  ;  for,  as  they  drew  nearer  to  the  top 
of  the  mountains,  the  torrent  gradually  lessened  both  in 
its  force  and  in  the  volume  of  its  water,  separating  into 
twenty  small  rills,  which  came  rippling  from  the  vast 
bodies  of  snow  that  lay  among  the  different  peaks  above. 
As  yet  there  had  been  no  wind.  The  guide,  as  minute 
after  minute  passed  without  bringing  any  change  in  this 
respect,  ventured  at  last  to  advert  to  the  fact,  cheering  his 
companions  by  giving  them  reason  to  hope  that  they 


THE  HEADSMAN:  281 

should  yet  reach  the  convent  without  any  serious  calamity. 
As  if  in  mockery  of  this  opinion,  the  flakes  of  snow  began 
to  whirl  in  the  air  while  the  words  were  on  his  lips,  and  a 
blast  came  through  the  ravine,  that  set  the  protection  of 
cloaks  and  mantles  at  defiance.  Notwithstanding  his  reso- 
lution and  experience,  the  stout-hearted  Pierre  suffered  an 
exclamation  of  despair  to  escape  him,  and  he  instantly 
stopped,  in  the  manner  of  a  man  who  could  no  longer 
conceal  the  dread  that  had  been  collecting  in  his  bosom 
for  the  last  interminable  and  weary  hour.  Sigismund,  as 
well  as  most  of  the  men  of  the  party,  had  dismounted  a 
little  previously,  with  a  view  to  excite  warmth  by  exercise. 
The  youth  had  often  traversed  the  mountains,  and  the  cry 
no  sooner  reached  his  ear,  than  he  was  at  the  side  of  him 
who  uttered  it. 

"  At  what  distance  are  we  still  from  the  convent  ? "  he 
demanded  eagerly. 

"  There  is  more  than  a  league  of  steep  and  stony  path 
to  mount,  Monsieur  le  Capitaine,"  returned  the  discon- 
solate Pierre,  in  a  tone  that  perhaps  said  more  than  his 
words. 

"This  is  not  a  moment  for  indecision.  Remem- 
ber that  thou  art  not  the  leader  of  a  party  of  carriers 
with  their  beasts  of  burden,  but  that  there  are  those 
with  us  who  are  unused  to  exposure,  and  are  feeble  of 
body.  What  is  the  distance  from  the  last  hamlet  we 
passed  ? " 

"  Double  that  to  the  convent !  " 

Sigismund  turned,  and  with  the  eye  he  made  a  silent 
appeal  to  the  two  old  nobles,  as  if  to  ask  for  advice  or 
orders. 

"  It  might  indeed  be  better  to  return,"  observed  the  Sig- 
nor  Grimaldi,  in  the  way  one  utters  a  half-formed  resolu- 
tion. "  This  wind  is  getting  to  be  piercingly  cutting,  and 
the  night  is  hard  upon  us.  What  thinkest  thou,  Melchior  ; 
for,  with  Monsieur  Sigismund,  I  am  of  opinion  that  there 
is  little  time  to  lose." 

"  Signore,  your  pardon,"  hastily  interrupted  the  guide. 
"  I  would  not  undertake  to  cross  the  plain  of  the  Velan, 
an  hour  later,  for  all  the  treasures  of  Einsiedeln  and  Lo- 
retto  !  The  wind  will  have  an  infernal  sweep  in  that  basin, 
which  will  soon  be  boiling  like  a  pot,  while  here  we  shall 
get,  from  time  to  time,  the  shelter  of  the  rocks.  The 
slightest  mishap  on  the  open  ground  might  lead  us  astray 


282  THE  HEADSMAN. 

a  league  or  more,  and  it  would  need  an  hour  to  regain  the 
course.  The  beasts  too  mount  faster  than  they  descend, 
and  with  far  more  surety  in  the  dark  ;  and  even  when  at 
the  village  there  is  nothing  fit  for  nobles,  while  the  brave 
monks  have  all  that  a  king  can  need." 

"  Those  who  escape  from  these  wild  rocks  need  not  be 
critical  about  their  fare,  honest  Pierre,  when  fairly  housed. 
Wilt  thou  answer  for  our  arrival  at  the  convent  unharmed, 
and  in  reasonable  time  ?" 

"  Signore,  we  are  in  the  hands  of  God.  The  pious 
Augustines,  I  make  no  doubt,  are  praying  for  all  who  are 
on  the  mountain  at  this  moment  ;  but  there  is  not  a  min- 
ute to  lose.  I  ask  no  more  than  that  none  lose  sight  of 
their  companions,  and  that  each  exert  his  force  to  the  ut- 
most. We  are  not  far  from  the  House  of  Refuge,  and 
should  the  storm  increase  to  a  tempest,  as,  to  conceal  the 
danger  no  longer,  well  may  happen  in  this  late  month,  we 
will  seek  its  shelter  for  a  few  hours." 

This  intelligence  was  happily  communicated,  for  the 
certainty  that  there  was  a  place  of  safety  within  an  attain- 
able distance,  had  some  such  cheering  effect  on  the  trav- 
ellers as  is  produced  on  the  mariner  who  finds  that  the 
hazards  of  the  gale  are  lessened  by  the  accidental  position 
of  a  secure  harbor  under  his  lee.  Repeating  his  admoni- 
tions for  the  party  to  keep  as  close  together  as  possible, 
and  advising  all  who  felt  the  sinister  effects  of  the  cold  on 
their  limbs  to  dismount,  and  to  endeavor  to  restore  the 
circulation  by  exercise,  Pierre  resumed  his  route. 

But  even  the  time  consumed  in  this  short  conference 
had  sensibly  altered  the  condition  of  things  for  the  worse. 
The  wind,  which  had  no  fixed  direction,  being  a  furious 
current  of  the  upper  air  diverted  from  its  true  course  by 
encountering  the  ragged  peaks  and  ravines  of  the  Alps, 
was  now  whirling  around  them  in  eddies,  now  aiding  their 
ascent  by  seeming  to  push  against  their  backs,  and  then 
returning  in  their  faces  with  a  violence  that  actually  ren- 
dered advance  impossible.  The  temperature  fell  rapidly 
several  degrees,  and  the  most  vigorous  of  the  party  began 
to  perceive  the  benumbing  influence  of  the  chilling  cur- 
rents, at  their  lower  extremities  especially,  in  a  manner  to 
excite  serious  alarm.  Every  precaution  was  used  to  pro- 
tect the  females  that  tenderness  could  suggest ;  but  though 
Adelheid,  who  alone  retained  sufficient  self-command  to 
give  an  account  of  their  feelings,  diminished  the  danger  of 


THE  HEADSMAN.  283 

their  situation  with  the  wish  not  to  alarm  any  of  their 
companions  uselessly,  she  could  not  conceal  from  herself 
the  horrible  truth  that  the  vital  heat  was  escaping  from 
her  own  body  with  a  rapidity  that  rendered  it  impossible 
for  her  much  longer  to  retain  the  use  of  her  faculties. 
Conscious  of  her  own  mental  superiority  over  that  of  all 
her  female  companions,  a  superiority  which  in  such  mo- 
ments is  even  of  more  account  than  bodily  force,  after  a 
few  minutes  of  silent  endurance,  she  checked  her  mule,  and 
called  upon  Sigismund  to  examine  the  condition  of  his  sis- 
ter and  her  maids,  neither  of  whom  had  now  spoken  for 
some  time. 

This  startling  request  was  made  at  a  moment  when  the 
storm  appeared  to  gather  new  force,  and  when  it  had  be- 
come absolutely  impossible  to  distinguish  even  the  whit- 
ened earth  at  twenty  paces  from  the  spot  where  the  party 
stood  collected  in  a  shivering  group.  The  young  soldier 
threw  open  the  cloaks  and  mantles  in  which  Christine  was 
enveloped,  and  the  half  unconscious  girl  sank  on  his 
shoulder,  like  a  drowsy  infant  that  was  willing  to  seek  its 
slumbers  in  the  arms  of  one  it  loved. 

"  Christine  ! — my  sister,  my  poor,  my  much-abused,  an- 
gelic sister  !  "  murmured  Sigismund,  happily  for  his  secret 
in  a  voice  that  only  reached  the  ears  of  Adelheid.  "  Awake ! 
Christine  !  for  the  love  of  our  excellent  and  affectionate 
mother,  exert  thyself.  Awake,  Christine  !  in  the  name  of 
God,  awake  ! " 

"Awake,  dearest  Christine!"  exclaimed  Adelheid, 
throwing  herself  from  the  saddle,  and  folding  the  smiling 
but  benumbed  girl  to  her  bosom.  "  God  protect  me  from 
the  pang  of  feeling  that  thy  loss  should  be  owing  to  my 
wish  to  lead  thee  amid  these  cruel  and  inhospitable  rocks ! 
Christine,  if  thou  hast  love  or  pity  for  me,  awake  !  " 

"  Look  to  the  maids  !  "  hurriedly  said  Pierre,  who  found 
that  he  was  fast  touching  on  one  of  those  mountain  catas- 
trophes, of  which,  in  the  course  of  his  life,  he  had  been 
the  witness  of  a  few  of  fearful  consequences.  "  Look  to 
all  the  females,  for  he  who  now  sleeps,  dies  ! " 

The  muleteers  soon  stripped  the  two  domestics  of  their 
outer  coverings,  and  it  was  immediately  proclaimed  that  both 
were  in  imminent  danger,  one  having  already  lost  all  con- 
sciousness. A  timely  application  of  the  flask  of  Pierre,  and 
the  efforts  of  the  muleteers,  succeeded  in  so  far  restoring 
life  as  to  remove  the  grounds  of  immediate  apprehension  ; 


284  THE  HEADSMAN. 

though  it  was  apparent  to  the  least  instructed  of  them  all, 
that  half  an  hour  more  of  exposure  would  probably  com- 
plete the  fatal  work  that  had  so  actively  and  vigorously 
commenced.  To  add  to  the  horror  of  his  conviction,  each 
member  of  the  party,  not  excepting  the  muleteers,  was 
painfully  conscious  of  the  escape  of  that  vital  warmth 
whose  total  flight  was  death. 

In  this  strait  all  dismounted.  They  felt  that  the  occasion 
was  one  of  extreme  jeopardy,  that  nothing  could  save 
them  but  resolution,  and  that  every  minute  of  time  was 
getting  to  be  of  the  last  importance.  Each  female,  Adel- 
heid  included,  was  placed  between  two  of  the  other  sex, 
and,  supported  in  this  manner,  Pierre  called  loudly  and  in 
a  manful  voice  for  the  whole  to  proceed.  The  beasts  were 
driven  after  them  by  one  of  the  muleteers.  The  progress 
of  travellers,  feeble  as  Adelheid  and  her  companions,  on  a 
stony  path  of  very  uneven  surface,  and  of  a  steep  ascent, 
the  snow  covering  the  feet,  and  the  tempest  cutting  their 
faces,  was  necessarily  slow,  and  to  the  last  degree  toilsome. 
Still,  the  exertions  increased  the  quickness  of  the  blood, 
and,  for  a  short  time,  there  was  an  appearance  of  recalling 
those  who  most  suffered  to  life.  Pierre,  who  still  kept  his 
post  with  the  hardihood  of  a  mountaineer  and  the  fidelity 
of  a  Swiss,  cheered  them  on  with  his  voice,  continuing  to 
raise  the  hope  that  the  place  of  refuge  was  at  hand. 

At  this  instant,  when  exertion  was  most  needed,  and 
when,  apparently,  all  were  sensible  of  its  importance  and 
most  disposed  to  make  it,  the  muleteer  charged  with  the 
duty  of  urging  on  the  line  of  beasts  deserted  his  trust,  pre- 
ferring to  take  his  chance  of  regaining  the  village  by  de- 
scending the  mountain,  to  struggle  uselessly,  and  at  apace 
so  slow,  to  reach  the  convent.  The  man  was  a  stranger  in 
the  country,  who  had  been  adventitiously  employed  for 
this  expedition,  and  was  uhconnected  with  Pierre,  by  any 
of  those  ties  which  are  the  best  pledges  of  unconquerable 
faith,  when  the  interests  of  self  press  hard  upon  our  weak- 
nesses. The  wearied  beasts,  no  longer  driven,  and  indis- 
posed to  toil,  first  stopped,  then  turned  aside  to  avoid  the 
cutting  air  and  the  ascent,  and  were  soon  wandering  from 
the  path  it  was  so  vitally  necessary  to  keep. 

As  soon  as  Pierre  was  informed  of  the  circumstances,  he 
eagerly  issued  an  order  to  collect  the  stragglers  without 
delay,  and  at  every  hazard.  Benumbed,  bewildered,  and 
unable  to  see  beyond  a  few  yards,  this  embarrassing  duty 


THE  HEADSMAN".  285 

was  not  easily  performed.  One  after  another  of  the  party 
joined  in  the  pursuit,  for  all  the  effects  of  the  travellers 
were  on  the  beasts  ;  and  after  some  ten  minutes  of  delay, 
blended  with  an  excitement  which  helped  to  quicken  the 
blood  and  awaken  the  faculties  of  even  the  females,  the 
mules  were  all  happily  regained.  They  were  secured  to 
each  other  head  and  tail,  in  the  manner  so  usual  in  the 
droves  of  these  animals,  and  Pierre  turned  to  resume  the 
order  of  the  march.  But  on  seeking  the  path,  it  was  not 
to  be  found !  Search  was  made  on  every  side,  and  yet 
none  could  meet  with  the  smallest  of  its  traces.  Broken, 
rough  fragments  of  rock,  were  all  that  rewarded  the  most 
anxious  investigation  ;  and  after  a  few  precious  minutes 
uselessly  wasted,  they  all  assembled  around  the  guide,  as 
if  by  common  consent,  to  seek  his  counsel.  The  truth  was 
no  longer  to  be  concealed — the  party  was  lost. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

"  Let  no  presuming  railer  tax 
Creative  wisdom,  as  if  aught  was  formed 
In  vain,  or  not  for  admirable  ends." — THOMSON. 

So  long  as  we  possess  the  power  to  struggle,  hope  is 
the  last  feeling  to  desert  the  human  mind.  Men  are  en- 
dowed with  every  gradation  of  courage,  from  the  calm  en- 
ergy of  reflection,  which  is  rendered  still  more  effective 
by  physical  firmness,  to  the  headlong  precipitation  of  reck- 
less spirit  ;  from  the  resolution  that  grows  more  imposing 
and  more  respectable,  as  there  is  greater  occasion  for  its 
exercise,  to  the  fearful  and  ill-directed  energies  of  despair. 
But  no  description  with  the  pen  can  give  the  reader  a  just 
idea  of  the  chill  that  comes  over  the  heart  when  accidental 
causes  rob  us,  suddenly  and  without  notice,  of  those  re- 
sources on  which  we  have  been  habitually  accustomed  to 
rely.  The  mariner,  without  his  course  or  compass,  loses 
his  audacity  and  coolness,  though  the  momentary  danger 
be  the  same  ;  the  soldier  will  fly,  if  you  deprive  him  of  his 
arms  ;  and  the  hunter  of  our  own  forests  who  has  lost  his 
own  landmarks,  is  transformed  from  the  bold  and  deter- 
mined foe  of  its  tenants,  into  an  anxious  and  dependent 
fugitive,  timidly  seeking  the  means  of  retreat.  In  short, 


286  THE  HEADSMAN. 

the  customary  associations  of  the  mind  being  rudely  and 
suddenly  destroyed,  we  are  made  to  feel  that  reason,  while 
it  elevates  us  so  far  above  the  brutes  to  make  man  their 
lord  and  governor,  becomes  a  quality  less  valuable  than 
instinct,  when  the  connecting  link  in  its  train  of  causes 
and  effects  is  severed. 

It  was  no  more  than  a  natural  consequence  of  his  great- 
er experience,  that  Pierre  Dumont  understood  the  hor- 
rors of  their  present  situation  far  better  than  any  with  him. 
It  is  true,  there  yet  remained  enough  light  to  enable  him 
to  pick  his  way  over  the  rocks  and  stones,  but  he  had  suf- 
ficient experience  to  understand  that  there  was  less  risk  in 
remaining  stationary  than  in  moving  ;  for,  while  there  was 
only  one  direction  that  led  toward  the  Refuge,  all  the  rest 
would  conduct  them  to  a  greater  distance  from  the  shel- 
ter, which  was  now  the  only  hope.  On  the  other  hand, 
a  very  few  minutes  of  the  intense  cold,  and  of  the  search- 
ing wind  to  which  they  were  exposed,  would  most  proba- 
bly freeze  the  currents  of  life  in  the  feebler  of  those  in- 
trusted to  his  care. 

"  Hast  thou  aught  to  advise  ? "  asked  Melchior  de  Wil- 
lading,  folding  Adelheid  to  his  bosom  beneath  his  ample 
cloak,  and  communicating,  with  a  father's  love,  a  small 
portion  of  the  meagre  warmth  that  still  remained  in  his 
own  aged  frame  to  that  of  his  drooping  daughter — "canst 
thou  bethink  thee  of  nothing  that  may  be  done  in  this 
awful  strait  ? " 

"  If  the  good  monks  have  been  active "  returned  the 

wavering  Pierre.  "  I  fear  me  that  the  dogs  have  not  yet 
been  exercised  on  the  paths  this  season  ! " 

"  Has  it  then  come  to  this  !  Are  our  lives  indeed  depend- 
ent on  the  uncertain  sagacity  of  brutes  ! " 

"  Mein  Herr,  I  would  bless  the  Virgin  and  her  holy 
Son,  if  it  were  so !  But  I  fear  this  storm  has  been  so 
sudden  and  unexpected,  that  we  may  not  even  hope  for 
their  succor." 

Melchior  groaned.  He  folded  his  child  still  nearer  to 
his  heart,  while  the  athletic  Sigismund  shielded  his  droop- 
ing sister,  as  the  fowl  shelters  its  young  beneath  the 
wing. 

"  Delay  is  death,"  rejoined  the  Signor  Grimaldi.  "I 
have  heard  of  muleteers  that  have  been  driven  to  kill  their 
beasts,  that  shelter  and  warmth  might  be  found  in  their 
entrails." 


THE  HEADSMAN'.  287 

"  The  alternative  is  horrible  !  "  interrupted  Sigismund. 
"  Is  return  impossible  ?  By  always  descending,  we  must,  in 
time,  reach  the  village  below." 

"  That  time  would  be  fatal,"  answered  Pierre.  "  I  know 
of  only  one  resource  that  remains.  If  the  party  will  keep 
together,  and  answer  my  shouts,  I  will  make  another  effort 
to  find  the  path." 

This  proposal  was  gladly  accepted,  for  energy  and  hope 
go  hand  in  hand,  and  the  guide  was  about  to  quit  the 
group,  when  he  felt  the  strong'grasp  of  Sigismund  on  his 
arm. 

"  I  will  be  thy  companion,"  said  the  soldier  firmly. 

"Thou  hast  not  done  me  justice,  young  man,"  answered 
Pierre,  with  severe  reproach  in  his  manner.  "  Had  I  been 
base  enough  to  desert  my  trust,  these  limbs  and  this 
strength  are  yet  sufficient  to  carry  me  safely  down  the 
mountain  ;  but  though  a  guide  of  the  Alps  may  freeze  like 
another  man,  the  last  throb  of  his  heart  will  be  in  behalf 
of  those  he  serves." 

"  A  thousand  pardons,  brave  old  man — a  thousand  par- 
dons !  still  will  I  be  thy  companion.  The  search  that  is  con- 
ducted by  two  will  be  more  likely  to  succeed  than  that  on 
which  thou  goest  alone." 

The  offended  Pierre,  who  liked  the  spirit  of  the  youth  as 
much  as  he  disliked  his  previous  suspicions,  met  the  apol- 
ogy frankly.  He  extended  his  hand  and  forgot  the  feelings 
that,  even  amid  the  tempests  of  those  wild  mountains,  were 
excited  by  a  distrust  of  his  honesty.  After  this  short  con- 
cession to  the  ever-burning  though  smothered  volcano  of 
human  passion  they  left  the  group  together,  in  order  to 
make  a  last  search  for  their  course. 

The  snow  by  this  time  was  many  inches  deep,  and  as  the 
road  was  at  best  but  a  faint  bridle-path  that  could  scarcely 
be  distinguished  by  day-light  from  the  debris  which  strewed 
the  ravines,  the  undertaking  would  have  been  utterly  hope- 
less, had  not  Pierre  known  that  there  was  the  chance  of 
still  meeting  with  some  signs  of  the  many  mules  that  daily 
went  up  and  down  the  mountain.  The  guide  called  to  the 
muleteers,  who  answered  his  cries  every  minute  ;  for  so 
long  as  they  kept  within  the  sound  of  each  other's  voices, 
there  was  no  danger  of  their  becoming  entirely  separated. 
But,  amid  the  hollow  roaring  of  the  wind,  and  the  inces- 
sant pelting  of  the  storm,  it  was  neither  safe  nor  practicable 
to  venture  far  asunder.  Several  little  stony  knolls  were 


288  THE  HEADSMAN. 

ascended  and  descended,  and  a  rippling  rill  was  found,  but 
without  bringing  with  it  any  traces  of  the  path.  The  heart 
of  Pierre  began  to  chill  with  the  decreasing  warmth  of  his 
body,  and  the  firm  old  man,  overwhelmed  with  his  respon- 
sibility, while  his  truant  thoughts  would  unbidden  recur  to 
those  whom  he  had  left  in  his  cottage  at  the  foot  of  the 
mountain,  gave  way  at  last  to  his  emotions  in  a  paroxysm 
of  grief,  wringing  his  hands,  weeping  and  calling  loudly 
on  God  for  succor.  This  fearful  evidence  of  their  extrem- 
ity worked  upon  the  feelings  of  Sigismund  until  they  were 
wrought  up  nearly  to  frenzy.  His  great  physical  force 
still  sustained  him,  and  in  an  excess  of  energy  that  was 
fearfully  allied  to  madness  he  rushed  forward  into  the  vor- 
tex of  snow  and  hail,  as  if  determined  to  leave  all  to  the 
Providence  of  God,  disappearing  from  the  eyes  of  his  com- 
panion. This  incident  recalled  the  guide  to  his  senses.  He 
called  earnestly  on  the  thoughtless  youth  to  return.  No 
answer  was  given,  and  Pierre  hastened  back  to  the  motion- 
less and  shivering  party,  in  order  to  unite  all  their  voices 
in  a  last  effort  to  be  heard.  Cry  upon  cry  was  raised,  but 
each  shout  was  answered  merely  by  the  hoarse  rushing  of 
the  winds. 

"  Sigismund  !  Sigismund ! "  called  one  after  another  in 
hurried  and  alarmed  succession. 

"The  noble  boy  will  be  irretrievably  lost!"  exclaimed 
the  Signer  Grimaldi  in  despair,  the  services  already  ren- 
dered by  the  youth,  together  with  his  manly  qualities, 
having  insensibly  and  closely  wound  themselves  around 
his  heart.  "  He  will  die  a  miserable  death,  and  without 
the  consolation  of  meeting  his  fate  in  communion  with  his 
fellow-sufferers  !" 

A  shout  from  Sigismund  came  whirling  past,  as  if  the 
sound  were  embodied  in  the  gale. 

"  Blessed  Ruler  of  the  Earth,  this  is  alone  thy  mercy  !  " 
exclaimed  Melchior  de  Willading — "  he  has  found  'the 
path  ! " 

"  And  honor  to  thee,  Maria — thou  mother  of  God  ! " 
murmured  the  Italian. 

At  that  moment  a  dog  came  leaping  and  barking  through 
the  snow.  It  immediately  was  scenting  and  whining 
among  the  frozen  travellers.  The  exclamations  of  joy  and 
surprise  were  scarcely  uttered  before  Sigismund,  accom- 
panied by  another,  joined  the  party. 

"  Honor  and  thanks  to  the  good  Augustines  ! "  cried  the 


THE   HEADSMAN.  289 

delighted  guide  ;  "  this  is  the  third  good  office  of  the  kind 
for  which  I  am  their  debtor !  " 

"  I  would  it  were  true,  honest  Pierre,"  answered  the 
stranger.  "  But  Maso  and  Nettuno  are  poor  substitutes  in 
a  tempest  like  this,  for  the  servants  and  beasts  of  St. 
Bernard.  I  am  a  wanderer,  and  lost  like  yourselves,  and 
my  presence  brings  little  other  relief  than  that  which  is 
known  to  be  the  fruit  of  companionship  in  misery.  The 
saints  have  brought  me  a  second  time  into  your  company 
when  matters  were  hanging  between  life  and  death  !  " 

Maso  made  this  last  remark  when,  by  drawing  nearer  the 
group,  he  had  been  able  to  ascertain,  bythe  remains  of  the 
light,  of  whom  the  party  was  composed. 

"  If  it  is  to  be  as  useful  now  as  thou  hast  already  been," 
answered  the  Genoese,  "  it  will  be  happier  for  us  all, 
thyself  included.  Bethink  thee  quickly  of  thy  expedients, 
and  I  will  make  thee  an  equal  sharer  of  all  that  a  generous 
Providence  hath  bestowed." 

II  Maledetto  rarely  listened  to  the  voice  of  the  Signer 
Grimaldi  without  a  manner  of  interest  and  curiosity  which, 
as  already  mentioned,  had  more  than  once  struck  the  latter 
himself,  but  which  he  quite  naturally  attributed  to  the  cir- 
cumstance of  his  person  being  known  to  one  who  had 
declared  himself  to  be  a  native  of  Genoa.  Even  at  this 
terrible  moment,  the  same  manner  was  evident,  and  the 
noble,  thinking  it  a  favorable  symptom,  renewed  the  al- 
ready neglected  offer  of  fortune,  with  a  view  to  quicken 
the  zeal  which  he  reasonably  enough  supposed  would  be 
most  likely  to  be  awakened  by  the  hopes  of  a  substantial 
reward. 

"  Were  there  question  here,  illustrious  Signore,"  an- 
swered Maso,  "of  steering  a  barge,  of  shortening  sail,  or 
of  handling  a  craft  of  any  rig  or  construction,  in  gale, 
squall,  hurricane,  or  a  calm  among  breakers,  my  skill  and 
experience  might  be  turned  to  good  account  ;  but  setting 
aside  the  difference  in  our  strength  and  hardihood,  even 
that  lily  which  is  in  so  much  danger  of  being  nipped  by  the 
frosts  is  not  more  helpless  than  I  am  myself  at  this 
moment.  I  am  no  better  than  yourselves,  signori,  and, 
though  a  better  mountaineer,  perhaps,  I  rely  on  the  favor 
of  the  saints  to  be  succored,  or  my  time  must  finish  among 
the  snows  instead  of  in  the  surf  of  a  seashore,  as,  until  now, 
I  had  always  believed  would  be  my  fate." 

"  But  the  dog — thy  admirable  dog  ?  " 


290  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"Ah,  Eccellenza,  Nettuno  is  but  a  useless  beast,  here! 
God  has  given  him  a  thicker  mantle,  and  a  warmer  dress 
than  to  us  Christians,  but  even  this  advantage  will  soon 
prove  a  curse  to  my  poor  friend.  The  long  hair  he  car- 
ries will  quickly  be  covered  with  icicles,  and,  as  the  snow 
deepens,  it  will  retard  his  movements.  The  dogs  of  St. 
Bernard  are  smoother,  have  longer  limbs,  and  a  truer 
scent,  and  possess  the  advantage  of  being  trained  to  the 
paths." 

A  tremendous  shout  of  Sigismund's  interrupted  Maso  ; 
the  youth,  on  finding  that  the  accidental  meeting' with  the 
mariner  was  not  likely  to  lead  to  any  immediate  advan- 
tages, having  instantly,  accompanied  by  Pierre  and  one  of 
his  assistants,  renewed  the  search.  The  cry  was  echoed 
from  the  guide  and  the  muleteer,  and  then  all  three  were 
seen  flying  through  the  snow,  preceded  by  a  powerful 
mastiff.  Nettuno,  who  had  been  crouching  with  his  bushy 
tail  between  his  legs,  barked,  seemed  to  arouse  with  new 
courage,  and  then  leaped  \vith  evident  joy  and  good-will 
upon  the  back  of  his  old  antagonist  Uberto. 

The  dog  of  St.  Bernard  was  alone.  But  his  air  and  all 
his  actions  were  those  of  an  animal  whose  consciousness 
was  wrought  up  to  the  highest  pitch  permitted  by  the 
limits  nature  had  set  to  the  intelligence  of  a  brute.  He 
ran  from  one  to  another,  rubbed  his  glossy  and  solid  side 
against  the  limbs  of  all,  wagged  his  tail,  and  betrayed  the 
usual  signs  that  creatures  of  his  species  manifest,  when 
their  instinct  is  most  alive.  Luckily  he  had  a  good  inter- 
preter of  his  meaning  in  the  guide,  who,  knowing  the 
habits,  and,  if  it  may  be  so  expressed,  the  intentions  of 
the  mastiff,  feeling  there  was  not  a  moment  to  lose  if  they 
would  still  preserve  the  feebler  members  of  their  party, 
begged  the  others  to  hasten  the  necessary  dispositions  to 
profit  by  this  happy  meeting.  The  females  were  support- 
ed as  before,  the  mules  fastened  together,  and  Pierre, 
placing  himself  in  front,  called  cheerfully  to  the  dog,  en- 
couraging him  to  lead  the  way. 

"  Is  it  quite  prudent  to  confide  so  implicitly  to  the  guid- 
ance of  this  brute  ? "  asked  the  Signer  Grimaldi,  a  little 
doubtingly,  when  he  saw  the  arrangement  on  which,  by 
the  increasing  gloom  and  the  growing  intensity  of  the 
cold,  it  \vas  but  too  apparent,  even  to  one  as  little  accus- 
tomed to  the  mountains  as  himself,  that  the  lives  of  the 
whole  party  depended. 


THE   HEADSMAN.  291 

"  Fear  not  to  trust  to  old  Uberto,  signore,"  answered 
Pierre,  moving  onward  as  he  spoke,  for  to  think  of  further 
delay  was  out  of  the  question  ;  "fear nothing  for  the  faith 
or  the  knowledge  of  the  dog.  These  animals  are  trained 
by  the  servants  of  the  convent  to  know  and  keep  the 
paths,  even  when  the  snows  lie  on  them  fathoms  deep. 
God  has  given  them  stout  hearts,  long  limbs,  and  short 
hair,  expressly,  as  it  has  often  seemed  to  me,  for  this  end  ; 
and  nobly  do  they  use  the  gifts  !  I  am  acquainted  with  all 
their  ways,  for  we  guides  commonly  learn  the  ravines  of 
St.  Bernard  by  first  serving  the  claviers  of  the  convent, 
and  many  a  day  have  I  gone  up  and  down  these  rocks  with 
a  couple  of  these  animals  in  training  for  this  very  pur- 
pose. The  father  and  mother  of  Uberto  were  my  favorite 
companions,  and  their  son  will  hardly  play  an  old  friend  of 
the  family  false." 

The  travellers  followed  their  leader  with  more  confi- 
dence, though  blindly.  Uberto  appeared  to  perform  his 
c'-ity  with  the  sobriety  and  steadiness  that  became  his  years, 
and  ~hich,  indeed,  were  very  necessary  for  the  circum- 
stances j*»  which  they  were  placed.  Instead  of  bounding 
ahead  and.  ^  ecoming  lost  to  view,  as  most  probably  would 
have  happened  with  a  younger  animal,  the  noble  and  half- 
reasoning  brute  maintained  a  pace  that  was  suited  to  the 
slow  march  of  those  who  supported  the  females,  occasion- 
ally stopping  to  look  back,  as  if  to  make  sure  that  none 
were  left. 

The  dogs, of  St.  Bernard  are,  or  it  might  perhaps  be  bet- 
ter to  say  were, — for  it  is  affirmed  that  the  ancient  race  is 
lost, — chosen  for  their  size,  their  limbs,  and  the  shortness 
of  their  coats,  as  has  just  been  stated  by  Pierre  ;  the 
former  being  necessary  to  convey  the  succor  with  which 
they  were  often  charged,  as  well  as  to  overcome  the  diffi- 
culties of  the  mountains,  and  the  two  latter  that  they  might 
the  better  wade  through,  and  resist  the  influence  of,  the 
snows.  Their  training  consisted  in  rendering  them  famil- 
iar with,  and  attached  to,  the  human  race  ;  in  teaching 
them  to  know  and  to  keep  the  paths  on  all  occasions,  ex- 
cept such  as  called  for  a  higher  exercise  of  their  instinct, 
and  to  discover  the  position  of  those  who  had  been  over- 
whelmed by  the  avalanches,  and  to  assist  in  disinterring  their 
bodies.  In  all  these  duties  Uberto  had  been  so  long  exer- 
cised, that  he  was  universally  known  to  be  the  most  saga- 
cious and  the  most  trusty  animal  on  the  mountain.  Pierre 


292  THE  HEADSMAN. 

followed  his  steps  with  so  much  greater  reliance  on  his  in- 
telligence, from  being  perfectly  acquainted  with  the  char- 
acter of  the  dog.  When,  therefore,  he  saw  the  mastiff  turn 
at  right  angles  to  the  course  he  had  just  been  taking,  the 
guide,  on  reaching  the  spot,  imitated  his  example,  and 
first  removing  the  snow  to  make  sure  of  the  fact,  he  joy- 
fully proclaimed  to  those  who  came  after  him  that  the  lost 
path  was  found.  This  intelligence  sounded  like  a  reprieve 
from  death,  though  the  mountaineers  well  knew  that  more 
than  an  hour  of  painful  and  increasing  toil  was  still  neces- 
sary to  reach  the  hospice.  The  chilled  blood  of  the  tender 
beings  who  were  fast  dropping  into  the  terrible  sleep 
which  is  the  forerunner  of  death,  was  quickened  in  their 
veins,  however,  when  they  heard  the  shout  of  delight  that 
spontaneously  broke  from  all  their  male  companions,  on 
learning  the  glad  tidings. 

The  movement  was  now  faster,  though  embarrassed  and 
difficult  on  account  of  the  incessant  pelting  of  the  storm 
and  the  influence  of  the  biting  cold,  which  were  difficult  to 
be  withstood  by  even  the  strongest  of  the  party.  Sigis- 
mund  groaned  inwardly,  as  he  thought  of  Adelheid  and  his 
sister's  being  exposed  to  a  tempest  which  shook  the  stout- 
est frame  and  the  most  manly  heart  among  them.  He  en- 
circled the  latter  with  an  arm,  rather  carrying  than  lead- 
ing her  along,  for  the  young  soldier  had  sufficient  knowl- 
edge of  the  localities  of  the  mountain  to  understand  that 
they  were  still  at  a  fearful  distance  from  the  Col  and  that 
the  strength  of  Christine  was  absolutely  unequal  to  the 
task  of  reaching  it  unsupported. 

Occasionally  Pierre  spoke  to  the  dogs,  Nettuno  keeping 
close  to  the  side  of  Uberto  in  order  to  prevent  separation, 
since  the  path  was  no  longer  discernible  without  constant 
examination,  the  darkness  having  so  far  increased  as  to 
reduce  the  sight  to  very  narrow  limits.  Each  time  the 
name  of  the  latter  was  pronounced,  the  animal  would  stop, 
wag  his  tail  or  give  some  other  sign  of  recognition,  as  if  to 
reassure  his  followers  of  his  intelligence  and  fidelity.  After 
one  of  these  short  halts,  old  Uberto  and  his  companion  un- 
expectedly refused  to  proceed.  The  guide,  the  two  old 
nobles,  and  at  length  the  whole  party,  were  around  them, 
and  no  cry  or  encouragement  of  the  mountaineers  could 
induce  the  dogs  to  quit  their  tracks. 

"  Are  we  again  lost  ?  "  asked  the  Baron  de  Willading, 
pressing  Adelheid  closer  to  his  beating  heart,  nearly  ready 


THE  HEADSMAN.  293 

to  submit  to  their  common  fate  in  despair.  "  Has  God  at 
length  forsaken  us  ? — my  daughter — my  beloved  child  !  " 

This  touching  appeal  was  answered  by  a  howl  from 
Uberto,  who  leaped  madly  away  and  disappeared.  Nettuno 
followed,  barking  wildly  and  with  a  deep  throat.  Pierre 
did  not  hesitate  about  following,  and  Sigismund,  believing 
that  the  movement  of  the  guide  was  to  arrest  the  flight  of 
the  dogs,  was  quickly  on  his  heels.  Maso  moved  with 
greater  deliberation. 

"Nettuno  is  not  apt  to  raise  that  bark  with  nothing  but 
hail,  and  snow,  and  wind  in  his  nostrils,"  said  the  calculat- 
ing Italian.  "  We  are  either  near  another  party  of  travel- 
lers, for  such  are  on  the  mountains  as  I  know— 

"  God  forbid  !  Art  sure  of  this  ? "  demanded  the  Signor 
Grimaldi,  observing  that  the  other  had  suddenly  checked 
himself. 

"Sure  that  others  were,  signore,"  returned  the  mariner 
deliberately,  as  if  he  measured  well  the  meaning  of  each 
word.  "  Ah,  here  comes  the  trusty  beast,  and  Pierre,  and 
the  captain,  with  their  tidings,  be  they  good  or  be  they 
evil." 

The  two  just  named  rejoined  their  friends  as  Maso  ceased 
speaking.  They  hurriedly  informed  the  shivering  travel- 
lers that  the  much-desired  Refuge  was  near,  and  that  noth- 
ing but  the  darkness  and  the  driving  snow  prevented  it 
from  being  seen. 

"  It  was  a  blessed  thought,  and  one  that  came  from  St. 
Augustine  himself,  which  led  the  holy  monks  to  raise  this 
shelter ! "  exclaimed  the  delighted  Pierre,  no  longer  con- 
sidering it  necessary  to  conceal  the  extent  of  the  danger 
they  had  run.  "  I  would  not  answer  even  for  my  own 
power  to  reach  the  hospice  in  a  time  like  this.  You  are  of 
Mother  Church,  signore,  being  of  Italy  ?" 

"  I  am  one  of  her  unworthy  children,"  returned  the 
Genoese. 

"  This  unmerited  favor  must  have  come  from  the  prayers 
of  St.  Augustine,  and  a  vow  I  made  to  send  a  fair  offering 
to  our  Lady  of  Einsiedeln  ;  for  never  before  have  I  known 
a  dog  of  St.  Bernard  lead  the  traveller  to  the  Refuge  ! 
Their  business  is  to  find  the  frozen,  and  to  guide  the  trav- 
eller along  the  paths  to  the  hospice.  Even  Uberto  had 
his  doubts,  as  you  saw,  but  the  vow  prevailed  ;  or,  I  know 
not — it  might,  indeed,  have  been  the  prayer." 

The   Signor  Grimaldi  was  too  eager  to  get   Adelheid 


294 


THE  HEADSMAN. 


under  cover,  and,  in  good  sooth,  to  be  there  himself,  to 
waste  the  time  in  discussing  the  knotty  point  of  which  of 
two  means,  that  were  equally  orthodox,  had  been  the  most 
efficacious  in  bringing  about  their  rescue.  In  common 
with  the  others,  he  followed  the  pious  and  confiding  Pierre 
in  silence,  making  the  best  of  his  way  after  the  credulous 
guide.  The  latter  had  not  yet  seen  the  Refuge  himself, 
for  so  these  places  are  well  termed  on  the  Alpine  passes, 
but  the  formation  of  the  ground  had  satisfied  him  of  its 
proximity.  Once  reassured  as  to  his  precise  position,  all 
the  surrounding  localities  presented  themselves  to  his 
mind  with  the  familiarity  the  seaman  manifests  with  every 
cord  in  the  intricate  maze  of  his  rigging,  and  in  the  dark- 
est night,  or,  -to  produce  a  parallel  of  more  common  use, 
with  the  readiness  which  all  manifest  in  the  intricacies  of 
their  own  habitations.  The  broken  chain  of  association 
being  repaired  and  joined,  everything  became  clear  again 
to  his  apprehension,  and,  in  diverging  from  the  path  on 
this  occasion,  the  old  man  held  his  way  as  directly  toward 
the  spot  he  sought,  as  if  he  were  journeying  under  a  bright 
sun.  There  was  a  rough  but  short  descent,  a  similar  rise, 
and  the  long-desired  goal  was  reached. 

We  shall  not  stop  to  dwell  upon  the  emotions  with 
which  the  travellers  first  touched  this  place  of  compara- 
tive security.  Humility,  and  dependence  on  the  provi- 
dence of  God,  were  the  predominant  sensations  even  with 
the  rude  muleteers,  while  the  nearly  exhausted  -females 
were  just  able  to  express  in  murmurs  their  fervent  grati- 
tude to  the  omnipotent  power  that  had  permitted  its  agents 
so  unexpectedly  to  interpose  between  them  and  death. 
The  Refuge  was  not  seen  until  Pierre  laid  his  hand  on  the 
roof,  now  white  with  snow,  and  proclaimed  its  character 
with  a  loud,  warm,  and  devout  thanksgiving. 

"  Enter,  and  thank  God  !  "  he  said.  "  Another  hopeless 
half  hour  would  have  brought  down  from  his  pride  the 
stoutest  among  us— enter,  and  thank  God  !  " 

As  is  the  fact  with  all  the  edifices  of  that  region,  the  build- 
ing was  entirely  of  stone,  even  to  the  roof,  having  the  form 
of  those  vaulted  cellars  which  in  this  country  are  used  for  the 
preservation  of  vegetables.  It  was  quite  free  from  humidity, 
however,  the  clearness  of  the  atmosphere  and  the  entire 
absence  of  soil  preventing  the  accumulation  of  moisture, 
and  it  offered  no  more  than  the  naked  protection  of  its 
walls  to  those  who  sought  its  cover.  But  shelter  on  such 


THE  HEADSMAN.  295 

a  night  was  everything,  and  this  it  effectually  afforded. 
The  place  had  only  one  outlet,  being  simply  formed  of 
four  walls  and  the  roof  ;  but  it  was  sufficiently  large  to 
shelter  a  party  twice  as  numerous  as  that  which  had  now 
reached  it. 

The  transition  from  the  biting  cold  and  piercing  winds 
of  the  mountain  to  the  shelter  of  this  inartificial  building, 
was  so  great  as  to  produce  something  like  a  general  sensa- 
tion of  warmth.  The  advantage  gained  in  this  change  of 
feeling  was  judiciously  improved  by  the  application  of 
friction  and  of  restoratives  under  the  direction  of  Pierre. 
Uberto  carried  a  small  supply  of  the  latter  attached  to  his 
collar,  and  before  half  an  hour  had  passed,  Adelheid  and 
Christine  were  sleeping  sweetly,  side  by  side,  muffled  in 
plenty  of  spare  garments,  and  pillowed  on  the  saddles  and 
housings  of  the  mules.  The  brutes  were  brought  within 
the  Refuge,  and  as  no  party  mounted  the  St.  Bernard  with- 
out carrying  the  provender  necessary  for  its  beasts  of  bur- 
den, that  sterile  region  affording  none  of  its  own,  the  very 
fuel  being  transported  leagues  on  the  backs  of  mules,  the 
patient  and  hardy  animals,  too,  found  their  solace,  after 
the  fatigues  and  exposure  of  the  day.  The  presence  of  so 
many  living  bodies  in  lodgings  so  confined  aided  in  pro- 
ducing warmth,  and,  after  all  had  eaten  of  the  scanty  fare 
furnished  by  the  foresight  of  the  guide,  drowsiness  came 
over  the  whole  party. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

"  Side  by  side, 
Within  they  lie,  a  mournful  company." — ROGERS. 

THE  sleep  of  the  weary  is  sweet.  In  after-life,  Adelheid, 
when  dwelling  in  a  palace,  reposing  on  down,  and  cano- 
pied by  the  rich  stuffs  of  a  more  generous  climate,  was 
often  heard  to  say  that  she  had  never  taken  rest  grateful 
as  that  she  found  in  the  Refuge  of  St.  Bernard.  So  easy, 
natural,  and  refreshing  had  been  her  slumbers,  unalloyed 
even  by  those  dreams  of  prejudices  and  avalanches  which 
long  afterward  haunted  her  slumbers,  that  she  was  the  first 
to  open  her  eyes  on  the  following  morning,  awakening 
like  an  infant  that  had  enjoyed  a  quiet  and  healthful  re- 


296  THE  HEADSMAN. 

pose.  Her  movements  aroused  Christine.  They  threvt 
aside  the  cloaks  and  coats  that  covered  them,  and  sat  gaz- 
ing about  the  place  in  the  confusion  that  the  novelty  of 
their  situation  would  be  likely  to  produce.  All  the  rest  of 
the  travellers  still  slumbered  ;  and,  arising  without  noise, 
they  passed  the  silent  and  insensible  sleepers,  the  quiet 
mules  which  had  stretched  themselves  near  the  entrance 
of  the  place,  and  quitted  the  hut. 

Without,  the  scene  was  wintry  ;  but,  as  is  usual  in  the 
Alps,  let  what  may  be  the  season,  its  features  of  grand 
and  imposing  sublimity  were  prominent.  The  day  was 
:among  the  peaks  above  them,  while  the  shades  of  night 
•still  lay  upon  the  valleys,  forming  a  landscape  like  that 
•exquisite  and  poetical  picture  of  the  lower  world,  which 
'Guido  has  given  in  the  celebrated  al-fresco  painting  of 
Aurora.  The  ravines  and  glens  were  covered  with  snow, 
but  the  sides  of  the  rugged  rocks  were  bare  in  their 
eternal  hue  of  ferruginous  brown.  The  little  knoll  on 
which  the  Refuge  stood  was  also  nearly  naked,  the  wind 
having  driven  the  light  particles  of  the  snow  into  the 
ravine  of  the  path.  The  air  of  the  morning  is  keen  at 
that  great  height  even  in  midsummer,  and  the  shivering 
girls  drew  their  mantles  about  them,  though  they  breathed 
the  clear,  elastic,  inspiring  element  with  pleasure.  The 
storm  was  entirely  past,  and  the  pure  sapphire-colored  sky 
was  in  lovely  contrast  with  the  shadows  beneath,  raising 
their  thoughts  naturally  to  that  heaven  which  shone  in  a 
peace  and  glory  so  much  in  harmony  with  the  ordinary 
images  we  shadow  forth  of  the  abode  of  the  blessed. 
Adelheid  pressed  the  hand  of  Christine,  and  they  knelt 
together,  bowing  their  heads  to  a  rock.  As  fervent,  pure, 
and  sincere  orisons  ascended  to  God,  from  these  pious 
and  innocent  spirits,  as  it  belongs  to  poor  mortality  to 
offer. 

This  general,  and  in  their  peculiar  situation  especial, 
duty  performed,  the  gentle  girls  felt  more  assured.  Re- 
lieved of  a  heavy  and  imperative  obligation,  they  ventured 
to  look  about  them  with  greater  confidence.  Another 
building,  similar  in  form  and  material  to  that  in  which 
their  companions  were  still  sleeping,  stood  on  the  same 
swell  of  rock,  and  their  first  inquiries  naturally  took  that 
direction.  The  entrance,  or  outlet  to  this  hut,  was  an  ori- 
fice that  resembled  a  window  rather  than  a  door.  They 
moved  cautiously  to  the  spot,  looking  into  the  gloomy, 


THE  HEADSMAN.  29; 

cavern-like  room,  as  timidly  as  the  hare  throws  his  regards 
about  him  before  he  ventures  from  his  cover.  Four  human 
forms  were  reposing  deep  in  the  vault,  with  their  backs 
sustained  against  the  walls.  They  slept  profoundly,  too, 
for  the  curious  but  startled  girls  gazed  at  them  long,  and 
retired  without  causing  them  to  awake. 

"  We  have  not  been  alone  on  the  mountain  in  this  terri- 
ble night,"  whispered  Adelheid,  gently  urging  the  trem- 
bling Christine  away  from  the  spot;  "thou  seest  that  oth- 
er travellers  have  been  taking  their  rest  near  us  ;  most 
probably  after  perils  and  fatigues  like  our  own." 

Christine  drew  closer  to  the  side  of  her  more  experi- 
enced friend,  like  the  young  of  the  dove  hovering  near  the 
mother-bird  when  first  venturing  from  the  nest,  and  they 
returned  to  the  refuge  they  had  quitted,  for  the  cold  was 
still  so  intense  as  to  render  its  protection  grateful.  At  the 
door  they  were  met  by  Pierre,  the  vigilant  old  man  having 
awakened  as  soon  as  the  light  crossed  his  eyes. 

"  We  are  not  alone  here,"  said  Adelheid,  pointing  to  the 
other  stone-covered  roof — "  there  are  travellers  sleeping  in 
yonder  building,  too." 

"Their  sleep  will  be  long,  lady,"  answered  the  guide, 
shaking  his  head  solemnly.  "  With  two  of  them  it  has 
already  lasted  a  twelvemonth,  and  the  third  has  slept  where 
you  saw  him  since  the  fall  of  the  avalanche  in  the  last  days 
of  April." 

Adelheid  recoiled  a  step,  for  his  meaning  was  too  plain 
to  be  misunderstood.  After  looking  at  her  gentle  com- 
panion, she  demanded  if  those  they  had  seen  were  in  truth 
the  bodies  of  travellers  who  had  perished  on  the  moun- 
tain. 

"  Of  no  other,  lady,"  returned  Pierre.  "  This  hut  is 
for  the  living — that  for  the  dead.  So  near  are  the  two 
to  each  other,  when  men  journey  on  these  wild  rocks  in 
winter.  I  have  known  him  who  passed  a  short  and  troub- 
led night  here,  begin  a  sleep  in  the  other  before  the  turn 
of  the  day  that  is  not  only  deep  enough,  but  which  will 
last  forever.  One  of  the  three  that  thou  hast  just  seen 
was  a  guide  like  myself ;  he  was  buried  in  the  falling  snow 
at  the  spot  where  the  path  leaves  the  plain  of  Velan  be- 
low us.  Another  is  a  pilgrim  that  perished  in  as  clear  a 
night  as  ever  shone  on  St.  Bernard,  and  merely  for  having 
taken  a  cup  too  much  to  cheer  his  way.  The  third  is  a 
poor  vine-dresser  that  was  coming  from  Piedmont  into  our 


298  THE  HEADSMAN. 

Swiss  valleys  to  follow  his  calling,  when  death  overtook 
him  in  an  ill-advised  slumber,  in  which  he  was  so  unwise 
as  to  indulge  at  nightfall.  I  found  his  body  myself  on 
that  naked  rock,  the  day  after  we  had  drunk  together  in 
friendship  at  Aoste,  and  with  my  own  hands  was  he  placed 
among  the  others." 

"  And  such  is  the  burial  a  Christian  gets  in  this  inhos- 
pitable country  !  " 

"What  would  you,  lady! — 'tis  the  chance  of  the  poor 
and  the  unknown.  Those  that  have  friends  are  sought 
and  found  ;  but  those  that  die  without  leaving  traces  of 
their  origin  fare  as  you  see.  The  spade  is  useless  among 
these  rocks  ;  and  then  it  is  better  that  the  body  should  re- 
main where  it  may  be  seen  and  claimed,  than  that  it  should 
be  put  out  of  sight.  The  good  fathers,  and  all  of  note, 
are  taken  down  into  the  valleys,  where  there  is  earth,  and 
are  decently  buried  ;  while  the  poor  and  the  stranger  are 
housed  in  this  vault,  which  is  a  better  cover  than  many  of 
them  knew  while  living.  Aye,  there  are  three  Christians 
there,  who  were  all  lately  walking  the  earth  in  the  flesh, 
gay  and  active  as  any." 

"  The  bodies  are  four  in  number !" 

Pierre  looked  surprised  ;  he  mused  a  little,  and  contin- 
ued his  employment. 

"  Then  another  has  perished.  The  time  may  come  when 
my  own  blood  shall  freeze.  This  is  a  fate  the  guide  must 
ever  keep  in  mind,  for  he  is  exposed  to  it  at  an  hour  and  a 
season  that  he  knows  not  !  " 

Adelheid  pursued  the  subject  no  further.  She  remem- 
bered to  have  heard  that  the  pure  amosphere  of  the  moun- 
tain prevented  that  offensive  decay  which  is  usually  as- 
sociated with  the  idea  of  death,  and  the  usage  lost  some 
of  its  horror  in  the  recollection. 

In  the  meantime  the  remainder  of  the  party  awoke,  and 
were  collecting  before  the  Refuge.  The  mules  were  led 
forth  and  saddled,  the  baggage  was  loaded,  and  Pierre 
was  calling  upon  the  travellers  to  mount,  when  Uberto 
and  Nettuno  came  leaping  down  the  path  in  company, 
running  side  by  side  in  excellent  fellowship.  The  move- 
ments of  the  dogs  were  of  a  nature  to  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  Pierre  and  the  muleteers,  who  predicted  that  they 
should  soon  see  some  of  the  servants  of  the  Hospice.  The 
result  showed  the  familiarity  of  the  guide  with  his  dutyr 
for  he  had  scarce  ventured  this  opinion,  when  a  party  from 


THE  HEADSMAN.  29$ 

the  gorge  on  the  summit  of  the  mountain  was  seen  wading 
through  the  snow,  along  the  path  that  led  toward  the  Ref- 
uge, with  Father  Xavier  at  its  head. 

The  explanations  were  brief  and  natural.  After  con- 
ducting the  travellers  to  the  shelter,  and  passing  most  of 
the  night  in  their  company,  at  the  approach  of  dawn 
Uberto  had  returned  to  the  convent,  always  attended  by 
his  friend  Nettuno.  Here  he  communicated  to  the  monks, 
by  signs  which  they  who  were  accustomed  to  the  habits  of 
the  animal  were  not  slow  in  interpreting,  that  travellers 
were  on  the  mountain.  The  good  clavier  knew  that  the 
party  of  the  Baron  de  Willading  was  about  to  cross  the 
Col,  for  he  had  hurried  home  to  be  in  readiness  to  receive 
them  ;  and  foreseeing  the  probability  that  they  had  been 
overtaken  by  the  storm  of  the  previous  night,  he  wTas  fore- 
most in  joining  the  servants  who  went  forth  to  their  suc- 
cor. The  little  flask  of  cordial,  too,  had  been  removed 
from  the  collar  of  Uberto,  leaving  no  doubt  of  its  con- 
tents having  been  used  ;  and,  as  nothing  was  more  prob- 
able than  that  the  travellers  should  seek  a  cover,  their 
steps  were  directed  toward  the  Refuge  as  a  matter  of  course. 

The  worthy  clavier  made  this  explanation  with  eyes  that 
glistened  with  moisture,  occasionally  interrupting  himself 
to  murmur  a  prayer  of  thanksgiving.  He  passed  from  one 
of  the  party  to  the  other,  not  even  neglecting  the  mule- 
teers, examining  their  limbs,  and  more  especially  their  ears, 
to  see  that  they  had  quite  escaped  the  influence  of  the 
frost,  and  was  only  happy  when  assured  by  his  own  obser- 
vation that  the  terrible  danger  they  had  run  was  not  likely 
to  be  attended  by  any  injurious  consequences. 

"  We  are  accustomed  to  see  many  accidents  of  this  nat- 
ure," he  said,  smilingly,  when  the  examination  was  satis- 
factorily ended,  "  and  practice  has  made  us  quick  of  sight 
in  these  matters.  The  blessed  Maria  be  praised,  and  adora- 
tion to  her  holy  Son,  that  you  have  all  got  through  the 
night  so  well  !  There  is  a  warm  breakfast  in  readiness  in 
the  convent  kitchen,  and,  one  solemn  duty  performed,  we 
will  go  up  the  rocks  to  enjoy  it.  The  little  building  near 
us  is  the  last  earthly  abode  of  those  who  perish  on  this 
side  the  mountain,  and  whose  remains  are  unclaimed. 
None  of  our  canons  pass  the  spot  without  offering  a  prayer 
in  behalf  of  their  souls.  Kneel  with  me,  then,  you  that 
have  so  much  reason  to  be  grateful  to  God,  and  join  in  tho 
petition  " 


3oo 


THE  HEADSMAN. 


Father  Xavier  knelt  on  the  rocks,  and  all  the  Catholics 
of  the  party  united  with  him  in  the  prayer  for  the  dead. 
The  Baron  de  Willading,  his  daughter  and  their  attendants 
stood  uncovered  the  while,  for  though  their  Protestant 
opinions  rejected  such  a  mediation  as  useless,  they  deeply 
felt  the  solemnity  and  holy  character  of  the  sacrifice.  The 
clavier  arose  with  a  countenance  that  was  beaming  and 
bright  as  the  morning  sun,  which  just  at  that  moment  ap° 
peared  above  the  summits  of  the  Alps,  casting  its  genial 
and  bland  warmth  on  the  group,  the  brown  huts,  and  the 
mountain-side. 

"  Thou  art  a  heretic,"  he  said  affectionately  to  Adelheid, 
in  whom  he  felt  the  interest,  to  ';vhich  her  youth  and  beau- 
ty, and  the  great  danger  they  had  so  lately  run  in  company, 
very  naturally  gave  birth.  "  Thou  art  an  impenitent  here- 
tic, but  we  will  not  cast  thee  off ;  notwithstanding  thy  ob- 
.  stinacy  and  crimes,  thou  seest  that  the  saints  can  interest 
themselves  in  the  behalf  of  obstinate  sinners,  or  thou  and 
all  with  thee  would  have  surely  been  lost." 

This  was  said  in  a  way  to  draw  a  smile  from  Adelheid, 
who  received  his  accusations  as  so  many  friendly  and  play- 
ful reproaches.  As  a  token  of  peace  between  them,  she 
offered  her  hand  to  the  monk,  with  a  request  that  he  would 
aid  her  in  getting  into  the  saddle. 

"  Dost  thou  remark  the  brutes  !  "  said  the  Signer  Gri- 
maldi,  pointing  to  the  animals,  who  were  gravely  seated 
before  the  window  of  the  bone-house,  with  relaxed  jaws, 
keeping  their  eyes  riveted  on  its  entrance  or  window. 
"Thy  St.  Bernard  dogs,  father,  seem  trained  to  serve  a 
Christian  in  all  ways,  whether  living  or  dead." 

"  Their  quiet  attitude  and  decent  attention  might  indeed 
justify  such  a  remark  !  Didst  thou  ever  note  such  con- 
duct in  Uberto  before?"  returned  the  Augustine,  address- 
ing the  servants  of  the  convent,  for  the  actions  of  the  ani- 
mals were  a  study  and  a  subject  of  great  interest  to  all  of 
St.  Bernard. 

"  They  tell  me  that  another  fresh  body  has  been  put 
into  the  house,  since  I  last  came  down  the  mountain,"  re- 
marked Pierre,  who  was  quietly  disposing  of  a  mule  in  a 
manner  more  favorable  for  Adelheid  to  mount:  "the 
mastiff  scents  the  dead.  It  was  this  that  brought  him  to 
the  Refuge  last  night,  Heaven  be  praised  for  the  mercy ! " 

This  was  said  with  the  indifference  that  habit  is  apt  to 
create,  for  the  usage  of  leaving  bodies  uninterred  had  no 

\ 


THE  HEADSMAN.  3ot 

influence  on  the  feelings  of  the  guide,  but  it  did  not  the 
iess  strike  those  who  had  descended  from  the  convent. 

"  Thou  art  the  last  that  came  down  thyself,"  said  one  of 
the  servants  ;  "  nor  have  any  come  up,  but  those  who  are 
now  safe  in  the  convent,  taking  their  rest  after  last  night's 
tempest." 

<l  How  canst  utter  this  idle  nonsense,  Henri,  when  a 
fresh  body  is  in  the  house  !  This  lady  counted  them  but 
now,  and  there  are  four  ;  three  was  the  number  that  I 
showed  the  Piedmontese  noble  whom  I  led  from  Aoste,  the 
day  thou  meanest." 

"  So  soon  !  so  soon  !  so  suddenly — oh  !  it  is  he  !  " 

"  Of  whom  art  thou  speaking,'  dear  ? "  demanded  the 
wondering,  but  not  the  less  awe-struck,  Adelheid,  believ- 
ing that  the  weakened  nerves  of  the  poor  girl  were  un- 
strung by  the  horror  of  the  spectacle — "it  is  a  traveller 
like  ourselves,  that  has  unhappily  perished  in  the  very 
storm  from  which,  by  the  kindness  of  Providence,  we  have 
been  permitted  to  escape.  Thou  shouldst  not  tremble 
thus  ;  for  fearful  as  it  is,  he  is  in  a  condition  to  which  we 
all  must  come." 

Adelheid,  alarmed  at  the  violence  of  Christine's  feelings, 
was  quite  at  a  loss  to  account  for  them,  when  the  relaxed 
grasp  and  the  dying  voice  showed  that  her  friend  had  faint- 
ed. Sigismund  was  one  of  the  first  to  come  to  the  assistance 
of  his  sister,  who  was  soon  restored  to  consciousness  by  the 
ordinary  applications.  In  order  to  effect  the  cure  she  was 
borne  to  a  rock  at  some  little  distance  from  the  rest  of  the 
party,  where  none  of  the  other  sex  presumed  to  come,  with 
the  exception  of  her  brother.  The  latter  stayed  but  a  mo- 
ment, for  a  stir  in  the  little  party  at  the  bone-house  induced 
him  to  go  thither.  His  return  was  slow,  thoughtful,  and  sad. 

"  The  feelings  of  our  poor  Christine  have  been  unhinged, 
and  she  is  too  easily  excited  to  undergo  the  vicissitudes  of 
a  journey,"  observed  Adelheid,  after  having  announced  the 
restoration  of  the  sufferer  to  her  senses,  "have  you  seen  her 
thus  before  ?" 

"  No  angel  could  be  more  tranquil  and  happy  than  my 
cruelly  treated  sister  was  until  this  last  disgrace.  You  ap- 
pear ignorant  yourself  of  the  melancholy  truth  ?  " 

Adelheid  looked  her  surprise. 

"  The  dead  man  is  he  who  was  so  lately  intended  to  be 
the  master  of  my  sister's  happiness,  and  the  wounds  on  his 
body  leave  little  doubt  that  he  has  been  murdered."  • 


302  THE   HEADSMAN. 

The  emotion  of  Christine  needed  no  further  explanatioa 

"  Murdered  !  "  repeated  Adelheid,  in  a  whisper. 

"  Of  that  frightful  truth  there  can  be  no  question.  Your 
father  and  our  friends  are  now  employed  in  making  the 
examinations  which  may  hereafter  be  useful  in  discovering 
the  authors  of  the  deed." 

"  Sigismund  ?"  ., 

"What  wouldst  thou,  Adelheid?" 

"  Thou  hast  felt  resentment  against  this  unfortunate 
man  ? " 

"  I  deny  it  not.     Could  a  brother  feel  otherwise  ? " 

"  But  now — now  that  God  hath  so  fearfully  visited 
him  ?  " 

"  From  my  soul  I  forgive  him.  Had  we  met  in  Italy, 
whither  I  knew  he  was  going — but  this  is  foolish." 

"Worse  than  that,  Sigismund." 

"  From  my  inmost  soul  I  pardon  him.  I  never  thought 
him  wrorthy  of  her  whose  simple  affections  were  won  by 
the  first  signs  of  his  pretended  interest  ;  but  I  could  not 
wish  him  so  cruel  and  sudden  an  end.  May  God  have 
mercy  on  him,  as  he  is  pardoned  by  me." 

Adelheid  received  the  silent  pressure  of  the  hand  which 
followed  with  pious  satisfaction.  They  then  separated — 
he  to  join  the  group  that  was  collected  around  the  body, 
and  she  to  take  her  station  again  near  Christine.  The 
former,  however,  was  met  by  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  who 
urged  his  immediate  departure  with  the  females  to  the  con- 
vent, promising  that  the  rest  of  the  travellers  should  fol- 
low as  soon  as  the  present  melancholy  duty  was  ended.  As 
Sigismund  had  no  wish  to  be  a  party  in  what  was  going  on, 
and  there  was  reason  to  think  his  sister  would  be  spared 
much  pain  by  quitting  the  spot,  he  gladly  acquiesced  in  the 
proposal.  Immediate  steps  were  taken  for  its  accomplish- 
ment. 

Christine  mounted  her  mule  in  obedience  to  her  brother's 
desire,  quietly,  and  without  remonstrance  ;  but  her  death- 
like countenance  and  fixed  eye  betrayed  the  violence  of 
the  shock  she  had  received.  During  the  whole  of  the 
ride  to  the  convent  she  spoke  not,  and,  as  those  around 
her  felt  for  and  understood  her  distress,  the  little  caval- 
cade could  not  have  been  more  melancholy  and  silent  had 
it  borne  with  it  the  body  of  the  slain.  In  an  hour  they 
reached  the  long-sought-for  and  so  anxiously  desired  place 
of  rest. 


\ 


THE  HEADSMAN.  30* 

While  this  disposition  of  the  feebler  portion  of  the  party 
was  making,  a  different  scene  had  taken  place  near  what 
have  been  already  so  well  called  the  houses  of  the  living 
and  the  dead.  As  there  existed  no  human  habitation 
within  several  leagues  of  the  abode  of  the  Augustines  on 
either  side  of  the  mountain,  and  as  the  paths  were  much 
frequented  in  the  summer,  the  monks  exercised  a  species 
of  civil  jurisdiction  in  such  cases  as  required  a  prompt  ex- 
ercise of  justice,  or  a  necessary  respect  for  those  forms 
that  might  be  important  in  its  administration  hereafter  be- 
fore the  more  regular  authorities.  It  was  no  sooner  known, 
therefore,  that  there  was  reason  to  suspect  an  act  of 
violence  had  been  committed,  than  the  good  clavier  set 
seriously  about  taking  the  necessary  steps  to  authenticate 
all  those  circumstances  that  could  be  accurately  ascer- 
tained. 

The  identity  of  the  body  as  that  of  Jacques  Colis,  a 
small  but  substantial  proprietor  of  the  country  of  Vaud, 
was  quickly  established.  To  this  fact  not  only  several  of 
the  travellers  could  testify,  but  he  was  also  known  to  one 
of  the  muleteers,  of  whom  he  had  engaged  a  beast  to  be 
left  at  Aoste,  and,  it  will  also  be  remembered,  he  had  been 
seen  by  Pierre  at  Martigny  while  making  his  arrangements 
to  pass  the  mountain.  Of  the  mule  there  were  no  other 
traces  than  a  few  natural  signs  around  the  building,  but 
which  might  equally  be  attributed  to  the  beasts  that  still 
awaited  the  leisure  of  the  travellers.  The  manner  in  which 
the  unhappy  man  had  come  by  his  death,  admitted  of  no  dis- 
pute. There  were  several  wounds  in  the  body,  and  a  knife 
of  the  sort  then  much  used  by  travellers  of  an  ordinary 
class,  was  left  sticking  in  his  back  in  a  position  to  render 
it  impossible  to  attribute  the  end  of  the  sufferer  to  suicide. 
The  clothes,  too,  exhibited  proofs  of  a  struggle  ;  for  they 
were  torn  and  soiled,  but  nothing  had  been  taken  awayv 
A  little  gold  was  found  in  the  pockets,  and  though  in  no 
great  plenty,  still  enough  to  weaken  the  first  impression 
that  there  had  also  been  a  robbery. 

"  This  is  wonderful,"  observed  the  good  clavier,  as  he 
noted  the  last  circumstance  ;  '•  the  dross  which  leads  so 
many  souls  to  damnation,  has  been  neglected,  while  Chris- 
tian blood  has  been  shed !  This  seems  an  act  of  ven- 
geance rather  than  of  cupidity.  Let  us  now  examine  if  any 
proofs  are  to  be  found  of  the  scene  of  this  tragedy." 

The   search  was  unsuccessful.     The  whole  of  the  sur 


304  THE  HEADSMAN. 

rounding  region  being  composed  of  ferruginous  rocks  and 
their  debris,  it  would  not,  indeed,  have  been  an  easy  mat- 
ter to  trace  the  march  of  an  army  by  their  footsteps.  The 
stain  of  blood,  however,  was  nowhere  discoverable,  except 
on  the  spot  where  the  body  had  been  found.  The  house 
itself  furnished  no  particular  evidence  of  the  bloody  scene 
of  which  it  had  been  a  witness.  The  bones  of  those  who 
had  died  long  before  were  lying  on  the  stones,  it  is  true, 
broken  and  scattered  ;  but,  as  the  curious  were  wont  to 
stop,  and  sometimes  to  enter  among  and  handle  these  re- 
mains of  mortality,  there  was  nothing  new  or  peculiar  in 
their  present  condition. 

The  interior  of  the  dead-house  was  obscure,  and  suited 
in  this  particular,  at  least,  to  its  solemn  office.  While 
making  the  latter  part  of  their  examination,  the  monk  and 
the  two  nobles,  who  began  to  feel  a  lively  interest  in  the 
late  event,  stood  before  the  window,  gazing  in  at  the 
gloomy  but  instructive  scene.  One  body  was  so  placed  as 
to  receive  a  few  of  the  direct  rays  of  the  morning  light, 
and  it  was  consequently  much  more  conspicuous  than  the 
rest,  though  even  this  was  a  dark  and  withered  mummy 
that  presented  scarcely  a  vestige  of  the  being  it  had  been. 
Like  all  the  others  whose  parts  still  clung  together,  it  had 
been  placed  against  the  wall,  in  the  attitude  of  one  that  is 
seated,  with  the  head  fallen  forward.  The  latter  circum- 
stance had  brought  the  blackened  and  shrivelled  face  into 
the  line  of  light.  It  had  the  ghastly  grin  of  death,  the 
features  being  distorted  by  the  process  of  evaporation,  and 
was  altogether  a  revolting  but  salutary  monitor  of  the 
common  lot. 

"  Tis  the  body  of  the  poor  vine-dresser,"  remarked  the 
monk,  more  accustomed  to  the  spectacle  than  his  com- 
panions, who  had  shrunk  from  the  sight ;  "  he  unwisely 
,slept  on  yonder  naked  rock,  and  it  proved  to  him  the 
sleep  of  death.  There  have  been  many  masses  for  his  soul, 
but  what  is  left  of  his  material  remains  still  lie  unreclaimed. 
But — how  is  this !  Pierre,  thou  hast  lately  passed  this 
place  ;  what  was  the  number  of  the  bodies,  at  thy  last 
visit  ?" 

'*  Three,  reverend  clavier  ;  and  yet  the  ladies  spoke  of 
four.  I  looked  for  the  fourth  when  in  the  building,  but 
there  appeared  none  fresh,  except  this  of  poor  Jacques 
Colis." 

"  Come  hither,  and  say  if  there  do  not  appear  to  be  two 


THE  HEADSMAN. 


3°5 


in  the  far  corner — here,  where  the  body  of  thy  old  comrade 
the  guide  was  placed,  from  respect  for  his  calling  ;  surely, 
there  at  least  is  a  change  in  its  position." 

Pierre  approached,  and  taking  off  his  cap  in  reverence, 
he  leaned  forward  in  the  building,  so  as  to  exclude  the  ex- 
ternal light  from  his  eyes. 

"  Father  !  "  he  said,  drawing  back  in  surprise,  "  there  is 
truly  another;  though  I  overlooked  it  when  we  entered  the 
place." 

"  This  must  be  examined  into  !  The  crime  may  be  greater 
than  we  had  believed  !  " 

The  servants  of  the  convent  and  Pierre,  whose  long  ser- 
vices rendered  him  a  familiar  of  the  brotherhood,  now  re- 
entered  the  building,  while  those  without  impatiently 
awaited  the  result.  A  cry  from  the  interior  prepared  the 
latter  for  some  fresh  subject  of  horror,  when  Pierre  and  his 
companion  quickly  reappeared,  dragging  a  living  man  into 
the  open  air.  When  the  light  permitted,  those  who  knew 
him  recognized  the  mild  demeanor,  the  subdued  look,  and 
the  uneasy,  distrustful  glance  of  Balthazar. 

The  first  sensation  of  the  spectators  was  that  of  open 
amazement ;  but  dark  suspicion  followed.  The  Baron,  the 
two  Genoese,  and  the  monk,  had  all  been  witnesses  of  the 
scene  in  the  great  square  of  Vevey.  The  person  of  the 
headsman  had  become  so  well  known  to  them  by  the  pas- 
sage on  the  lake  and  the  event  just  alluded  to,  that  there 
was  not  a  moment  of  doubt  touching  his  identity,  and 
coupled  with  the  circumstances  of  that  morning,  there  re- 
mained little  more  that  the  clew  was  now  found  to  the 
cause  of  the  murder. 

We  shall  not  stop  to  relate  the  particulars  of  the  exami- 
nation. It  was  short,  reserved,  and  had  the  character  of 
an  investigation  instituted  more  for  the  sake  of  form,  than 
from  any  incertitude  there  could  exist  on  the  subject  of  the 
facts.  When  the  necessary  inquiries  were  ended,  the  two 
nobles  mounted.  Father  Xavier  led  the  way,  and  the  whole 
party  proceeded  toward  the  summit  of  the  pass,  leading 
Balthazar  a  prisoner,  and  leaving  the  body  of  Jacques  Colis 
to  its  final  rest,  in  that  place  where  so  many  human  forms 
had  evaporated  into  the  air  before  him,  unless  those  who 
had  felt  an  interest  in  him  in  life  should  see  fit  to  claim 
his  remains.  The  ascent  between  the  Refuge  and  the  sum* 
mit  of  St.  Bernard  is  much  more  severe  than  on  any  other 
part  of  the  road.  The  end  of  the  convent,  overhanging  the 

20 


3o6  THE  HEADSMAN. 

northern  brow  of  the  gorge,  and  looking  like  a  mass  ot 
that  ferruginous  and  melancholy  rock  which  gave  the  whole 
region  so  wild  and  so  unearthly  an  aspect,  soon  became 
visible,  carved  and  moulded  into  the  shape  of  a  rude  human 
habitation.  The  last  pitch  was  so  steep  as  to  be  formed 
into  a  sort  of  stairway,  up  which  the  groaning  mules -toiled 
with  difficulty.  This  labor  overcome,  the  party  stood  on  the 
highest  point  of  the  pass.  Another  minute  brought  them 
to  the  door  of  the  convent. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

" Hadst  thou  not  been  by, 

A  fellow  by  the  hand  of  nature  marked, 
Noted,  and  signed  to  do  a  deed  of  shame, 
This  murder  had  not  come  into  my  mind." 

— SHAKESPEARE. 

THE  arrival  of  Sigismund's  party  at  the  hospice  preceded 
that  of  the  other  travellers  more  than  an  hour.  They  were 
received  with  the  hospitality  with  which  all  were  then  wel- 
comed at  this  celebrated  convent ;  the  visits  of  the  curious 
and  the  vulgar  not  having  blunted  the  benevolence  of  the 
monks,  who,  mostly  accustomed  to  entertain  the  low-born 
and  ignorant,  were  always  happy  to  relieve  the  monotony 
of  their  solitude  by  intercourse  with-  guests  of  a  superior 
class.  The  good  clavier  had  prepared  the  way  for  their 
reception ;  for  even  on  the  wild  ridge  of  St.  Bernard,  we 
do  not  fare  the  worse  for  carrying  with  us  a  prestige  of 
that  rank  and  consideration  that  are  enjoyed  in  the  world 
below.  Although  a  mild  Christian-like  good-will  were 
manifested  to  all,  the  heiress  of  Willading,  a  name  that 
was  generally  known  and  honored  between  the  Alps  and 
the  Jura,  met  with  those  proofs  of  emprcssewent  and  defer- 
ence which  betray  the  secret  thought,  in  despite  of  con- 
ventional forms,  and  which  told  her,  plainer  than  the 
words  of  welcome,  that  the  retired  Augustines  were  not 
sorry  to  see  so  fair  and  so  noble  a  specimen  of  their  spe- 
cies within  their  dreary  walls. 

All  this,  however,  was  lost  on  Sigismund.  He  was  too 
much  occupied  with  the  events  of  the  morning  to  note 
other  things  ;  and,  first  committing  Adelheid  and  his  sis- 


THE   HEADSMAN.  307 

ter  to  the  care  of  their  woman,  he  went  into  the  open  air 
in  order  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  rest. 

As  it  has  been  mentioned,  the  existence  of  the  venerable 
convent  of  St.  Bernard  dates  from  a  very  remote  period 
of  Christianity.  It  stands  on  the  very  brow  of  the  preci- 
pice which  forms  the  last  steep  ascent  in  mounting  to  the 
Col.  The  building  is  a  high,  narrow,  but  vast,  barrack- 
looking  edifice,  built  with  the  ferruginous  stone  of  the  re- 
gion, having  its  gable  placed  toward  the  Valais,  and  its 
front  stretching  in  the  direction  of  the  gorge  in  which  it 
stands.  Immediately  before  its  principal  door,  the  rock 
rises  in  an  ill-shapen  hillock,  across  which  runs  the  path 
to  Italy.  This  is  literally  the  highest  point  of  the  pass, 
as  the  building  itself  is  the  most  elevated  habitable  abode 
in  Europe.  At  this  spot,  the  distance  from  rock  to  rock, 
spanning  the  gorge,  may  be  a  hundred  yards,  the  wild  and 
reddish  piles  rising  on  each  side  for  more  than  a  thousand 
feet.  These  are  merely  dwarfs,  however,  among  the  sis- 
ter piles,  several  of  which,  in  plain  view  of  the  convent, 
reached  to  the  height  of  eternal  snow.  This  point  in  the 
road  attained,  the  path  began  immediately  to  descend,  and 
the  ^drippings  of  a  snowbank  before  the  convent  door, 
which  had  resisted  the  greatest  heat  of  the  past  summer, 
ran  partly  into  the  valley  of  the  Rhone,  and  partly  into 
Piedmont ;  the  waters,  after  a  long  and  devious  course 
through  the  plains  of  France  and  Italy,  meeting  again  in 
the  common  basin  of  the  Mediterranean.  The  path,  on 
quitting  the  convent,  runs  between  the  base  of  the  rocks 
on  its  right  and  a  little  limpid  lake  on  its  left,  the  latter 
occupying  nearly  the  entire  cavity  of  the  valley  of  the 
gorge.  It  then  disappears  between  natural  palisades  of 
rock,  at  the  other  extremity  of  the  Col.  This  is  the  point 
where  the  superfluous  waters  of  the  lake  find  their  outlet, 
descending  swiftly,  in  a  brawling  little  brook,  on  the  sunny 
side  of  the  Alps.  The  frontier  of  Italy  is  met  on  the  mar- 
gin of  the  lake,  a  long  musket-shot  from  the  abode  of  the 
Augustines,  and  near  the  site  of  a  temple  that  the  Romans 
had  raised  in  honor  of  Jupiter,  in  his  attribute  of  director 
of  storms. 

Such  was  the  outline  of  the  view  which  presented  itself 
to  Sigismund,  when  he  left  the  building  to  while  away  the 
time  that  must  necessarily  elapse  before  the  arrival  of  the 
rest  of  the  party.  The  hour  was  still  early,  though  the 
great  altitude  of  the  site  of  the  convent  had  brought  it 


308  THE   HEADSMAN. 

beneath  the  influence  of  the  sun's  rays  an  hour  before.  He 
had  learned  from  a  servant  of  the  Augustines,  that  a  num- 
ber of  ordinary  travellers,  of  whom  in  the  fine  season  hun- 
dreds at  a  time  frequently  passed  the  night  in  their  dormi- 
tories, were  now  breaking  their  fasts  in  the  refectory  of 
the  peasants,  and  he  was  willing  to  avoid  the  questions 
that  their  curiosity  might  prompt  when  they  came  to  hear 
what  had  occurred  lower  down  on  the  mountain.  One  of 
the  brotherhood  was  caressing  four  or  five  enormous  mas- 
tiffs, that  were  leaping  about  and  barking  with  deep  throats 
in  front  of  the  convent,  while  old  Uberto  moved  among 
them  with  a  gravity  and  respect  that  better  suited  his 
years.  Perceiving  his  guest,  the  Augustine  quitted  his 
dogs,  and,  lifting  his  eastern-looking  cap,  he  gave  him  the 
salutation  of  the  morning.  Sigismund  met  the  frank 
smile  of  the  canon,  who  like  himself  was  young,  with  a  fit 
return.  The  occasion  was  such  as  Sigismund  desired,  and 
a  friendly  discourse  succeeded,  while  they  paced  along  the 
margin  of  the  lake,  holding  the  path  that  leads  across  the 
Col. 

"You  are  young  in  your  charitable  office,  brother,"  re- 
marked the  soldier,  when  familiarity  was  a  little  estab- 
lished. "  This  will  be  among  the  first  of  the  winters'you 
will  have  passed  at  your  benevolent  post  ? " 

"  It  will  make  the  eighth,  as  novice  and  as  canon.  We 
are  early  trained  to  this  kind  of  life,  though  no  practice 
will  enable  any  of  us  to  withstand  the  effect  which  the 
thin  air  and  intense  cold  produces  on  the  lungs  many  win- 
ters in  succession,  We  go  down  to  Martigny  when  there 
is  occasion,  and  breathe  an  atmosphere  better  suited  to 
man.  Thou  hadst  an  angry  storm  below  the  past  night? " 
*s  "  So  a'ngry  that  we  thank  God  it  is  over,  and  that  we 
are  left  to  share  your  "hospitality.  Were  there  many  on 
the  mountain  beside  ourselves,  or  did  any  come  up  from 
Italy  ? " 

"  There  were  none  but  those  who  are  now  in  the  com- 
mon refectory,  and  none  came  from  Aoste.  The  season 
for  the  traveller  is  over.  This  is  a  month  in  which  we 
see  only  those  who  are  much  pressed,  and  who  have  their 
reasons  for  trusting  the  weather.  In  the  summer  we  some- 
times lodge  a  thousand  guests." 

"  They  whom  ye  receive  have  reason  to  be  thankful, 
reverend  Augustine  :  for,  in  sooth,  this  does  not  seem  a 
region  that  abounds  in  its  fruits." 


THE  HEADSMAN'.  309 

Sigismund  and  the  monk  looked  around  at  the  vast  piles 
of  ragged,  naked  rocks,  and  they  smiled  as  their  eyes 
met. 

"  Nature  literally  gives  nothing,"  answered  the  Augus- 
tine ;  "even  the  fuel  that  warms  us  is  transported  leagues 
on  the  backs  of  mules,  and  thou  wilt  readily  conceive  that 
of  all  others  this  is  a  necessary  we  cannot  forego.  Hap- 
pily, we  have  some  of  our  ancient,  and  what  were  once 
rich,  endowments  ;  and " 

The  young  canon  hesitated  to  proceed. 

"  You  were  about  to  say,  father,  that  they  who  have  the 
means  to  show  gratitude  are  not  always  unmindful  of  the 
wants  of  those"  who  share  the  same  hospitality  without 
possessing  the  same  ability  to  manifest  their  respect  for 
the  institution." 

The  Augustine  bowed,  and  he  turned  the  discourse  by 
pointing  out  the  frontiers  of  Italy,  and  the  site  of  the  an- 
cient temple,  both  of  which  they  had  by  this  time  reached. 
An  animal  moved  among  the  rocks,  and  attracted  their  at- 
tention. 

"  Can  it  be  a  chamois  ? "  exclaimed  Sigismund,  whose 
blood  began  to  quicken  with  a  hunter's  eagerness  :  "  I 
would  I  had  arms  !  " 

"  It  is  a  dog,  though  not  of  our  mountain  breed  !  The 
mastiffs  of  the  convent  have  failed  in  hospitality,  and  the 
poor  beast  has  been  driven  to  take  refuge  in  this  retired 
spot,  in  waiting  for  his  master,  who  probably  makes  one  of 
the  party  in  the  refectory.  See,  they  come  ;  their  approach- 
ing footsteps  have  brought  the  cautious  animal  from  his 
cover." 

Sigismund  saw,  in  truth,  that  a  party  of  three  pedes- 
trians was  quitting  the  convent,  taking  the  path  for  Italy. 
A  sudden  and  painful  suspicion  flashed  upon  his  mind. 
The  dog  was  Nettuno,  most  probably  driven  by  the  mas- 
tiffs, as  the  monk  had  suggested,  to  seek  a  shelter  in  this 
retreat  ;  and  one  of  those  who  approached,  by  his  gait  and 
stature,  was  no  other  than  his  master. 

"  Thou  knowest,  father,"  he  said,  with  a  clammy  tongue, 
for  he  was  strangely  agitated  between  reluctance  to  accuse 
Maso  of  such  a  crime,  and  horror  at  the  fate  of  Jacques 
Colis,  "  that  there  has  been  a  murder  on  the  mountain  ?  " 

The  monk  quietly  assented.  One  who  lived  on  the 
road,  and  in  that  age,  was  not  easily  excited  by  an  event 
of  so  frequent  occurrence.  Sigismimd  hastily  recounted 


3  TO  THE  HEADSMAN. 

to  his  companion  all  the  circumstances  that  were  ther 
known  to  himself,  and  related  the  manner  in  which  he 
had  first  met  the  Italian  on  the  lake,  and  his  general  im- 
pressions concerning  his  character. 

"All  come  and  go  unquestioned  here,"  returned  the  Au. 
gustine,  when  the  other  had  ended.  "  Our  convent  has 
been  founded  on  charity,  and  we  pray  for  the  sinner  with- 
out inquiring  into  the  amount  of  his  crime.  Still  we  have 
authority,  and  it  is  especially  our  duty  to  keep  the  road 
clear  that  our  own  purposes  may  not  be  defeated.  I  leave 
thee  to  do  what  thou  judgest  most  prudent  and  proper 
in  a  matter  so  delicate." 

Sigismund  was  silent  ;  but  as  the  pedestrians  were 
drawing  near,  his  resolution  was  soon  and  sternly  formed. 
The  obligations  that  he  owed  to  Maso  made  him  more 
prompt,  for  it  excited  a  jealous  distrust  of  his  own  powers 
to  discharge  what  he  conceived  to  be  a  duty.  Even  those 
late  events  in  which  his  sister  was  so  wronged  had  their 
share,  too,  on  the  decision  of  a  mind  so  resolute  to  be  up- 
right. Placing  himself  in  the  middle  of  the  path,  he 
awaited  the  arrival  of  the  party,  while  the  monk  stood 
quietly  at  his  side.  When  the  travellers  were  within  speak- 
ing distance,  the  young  man  first  discovered  that  the  com- 
panions of  II  Maledetto  were  Pippo  and  Conrad.  Their 
several  rencontres  had  made  him  sufficiently  acquainted 
with  the  persons  of  the  two  latter  to  enable  him  to  recog- 
nize them  at  a  glance  ;  and  Sigismund  began  to  think  the 
undertaking  in  which  he  had  embarked  more  grave  than 
he  had  at  first  imagined.  Should  there  be  a  disposition  to 
resist,  he  was  but  one  against  three. 

"  Buon  giorno,  Signer  Capitano,"  cried  Maso,  saluting 
with  his  cap,  when  sufficiently  near  to  those  who  occupied 
the  path  ;  "  we  meet  often,  and  in  all  weathers  ;  by  day 
and  by  night  ;  on  the  land  and  on  the  water  ;  in  the  valley 
and  on  the  mountain  ;  in  the  city  and  on  this  naked 
rock,  as  Providence  wills.  As  many  chances  try  men's 
characters,  we  shall  come  to  know  each  other  in  time  ! " 

"  Thou  hast  well  observed,  Maso  ;  though  I  fear  thou 
art  a  man  oftener  met  than  easily  understood." 

"  Signore,  I  am  amphibious,  like  Nettuno  here,  being 
part  of  the  earth  and  part  of  the  sea.  As  the  learned  say, 
I  am  not  yet  classed.  We  are  repaid  for  an  evil  night  by 
a  fine  day  ;  and  the  descent  into  Italy  will  be  pleasanter 
than  we  found  the  coming  up.  Shall  I  order  honest 


THE   HEADSMAN.  311 

Giacomo  of  Aoste  to  prepare  the  supper,  and  to  air  the 
beds  for  the  noble  company  that  is  to  follow  ?  You  will 
scarce  do  more  than  reach  his  hostelry  before  the  young 
and  the  beautiful  will  begin  to  think  of  their  pillows." 

"  Maso,  I  had  thought  thee  among  our  party,  when  I 
left  the  Refuge  this  morning  ? " 

"  By  San  Thomaso !  Signore,  but  I  had  the  same 
opinion  touching  yourself  !  " 

"  Thou  wert  early  afoot,  it  would  seem,  or  thou  couldst 
not  so  much  have  preceded  me  ?" 

"  Look  you,  brave  Signer  Sigismondo,  for  brave  I  know 
you  to  be,  and  in  the  water  a  swimmer  little  less  de- 
termined than  gallant  Nettuno  there — I  am  a  traveller,  and 
have  much  need  of  my  time,  which  is  the  larger  portion  of 
my  property.  We  sea-animals  are  sometimes  rich,  and 
sometimes  poor,  as  the  wind  happens  to  blow,  and  of  late 
I  have  been  driven  to  struggle  with  foul  gales  and  troubled 
waves.  To  such  a  man,  an  hour  of  industry  in  the  morn- 
ing often  gives  a  heartier  meal  and  sweeter  rest  at  night. 
I  left  you  all  in  the  Refuge  sleeping  soundly,  even  to  the 
mules," — Maso  laughed  at  his  own  fancies,  as  he  included 
the  brutes  in  the  party, — "  and  I  reached  the  convent  just 
as  the  first  touch  of  the  sun  tipped  yonder  white  peak  with 
its  purple  light." 

"As  thou  left  us  so  early,  thou  mayst  not  have  heard 
then,  that  the  body  of  a  murdered  man  was  found  in  the 
bone-house — the  building  near  that  in  which  he  slept — and 
that  it  is  the  body  of  one  known  ? " 

Sigismund  spoke  firmly  and  deliberately,  as  if  he  would 
come  by  degrees  to  his  purpose,  while,  at  the  same  time 
he  made  the  other  sensible  of  his  being  in  earnest.  Maso 
"started.  He  made  a  movement  so  unequivocally  like  one 
which  would  have  manifested  an  intention  to  proceed  that 
the  young  man  raised  his  hand  to  repulse  him.  But  vio- 
lence was  unnecessary,  for  the  mariner  instantly  became 
composed,  and  seemingly  more  disposed  to  listen. 

"  Where  there  has  been  a  crime,  Maso,  there  must  have 
been  a  criminal !  " 

"The  Bishop  of  Sion  could  not  have  made  truth  clearer 
to  the  sinner  than  yourself,  Signer  Sigismondo  ! 
Your  manner  leads  me  to  ask  what  I  have  to  do  with 
this?" 

"There  has  been  a  murder,  Maso,  and  the  murderer  is 
sought.  The  dead  was  found  near  the  spot  where  thou 


3 12  THE   HEADSMAN. 

passed   the  night ;  I    shall  not  conceal  the  unhappy  sus. 
picions  that  are  so  natural." 

"  Diamine !  where  did  you  pass  the  night  yourself,  brave 
Capitano,  if  I  may  be  so  bold  as  to  question  my  superior  ? 
Where  did  the  noble  Baron  de  Willading  take  his  rest,  and 
his  fair  daughter,  and  one  nobler  and  more  illustrious  than 
he,  and  Pierre  the  guide,  and — aye,  and  our  friends,  the 
mules  again  ? " 

Maso  laughed  recklessly  once  more,  as  he  made  this 
second  allusion  to  the  patient  brutes.  Sigismund  disliked 
his  levity,  which  he  thought  forced  and  unnatural. 

"This  reasoning  may  satisfy  thee,  unfortunate  man,  but 
it  will  not  satisfy  others.  Thou  wert  alone,  but  we  travelled 
in  company  ;  judging  from  thy  exterior,  thou  art  but  little 
favored  by  fortune,  whereas  we  are  more  happy  in  this  par- 
ticular ;  and  thou  hast  been,  and  art  still,  in  haste  to 
depart,  while  the  discovery  of  the  foul  deed  is  owing  to  us 
alone.  Thou  must  return  to  the  convent  that  this  grave 
matter  may,  at  least,  be  examined." 

II  Maledetto  seemed  troubled.  Once  or  twice  he  glanced 
his  eye  at  the  quiet  athletic  frame  of  the  young  man,  and 
then  turned  them  on  the  path  in  reflection.  Although 
Sigismund  narrowly  watched  the  workings  of  his  coun- 
tenance, giving  a  little  of  his  attention  also,  from  time  to 
time,  to  the  movements  of  Pippo  and  the  pilgrim,  he 
preserved  himself  a  perfectly  calm  exterior.  Firm  in  his 
purpose,  accustomed  to  make  extraordinary  exertions  in 
his  manly  exercises,  and  conscious  of  his  great  physical 
force,  he  was  not  a  man  to  be  easily  daunted.  It  is  true 
that  the  companions  of  Maso  conducted  themselves  in  a 
way  to  excite  no  additional  apprehensions  on  their  ac-4 
count  ;  for,  on  the  announcement  of  the  murder,  they* 
moved  away  from  his  person  a  little,  as  by  a  natural  horror 
of  the  hand  that  could  have  done  the  deed.  They  now 
consulted  together,  and  profiting  by  their  situation  behind 
the  back  of  the  Italian,  they  made  signs  to  Sigismund  of 
their  readiness  to  assist  should  it  be  necessary.  He  re- 
ceived the  signal  with  satisfaction  ;  for,  though  he  knew 
them  to  be  knaves,  he  sufficiently  understood  the  difference 
between  audacious  crime  and  mere  roguery  to  believe  they 
might,  in  this  instance  at  least,  prove  true. 

"Thou  wilt  return  to  the  convent,  Maso,"  resumed  the 
young  soldier,  who  would  gladly  avoid  a  struggle  with  a 
man  who  had  done  him  and  those  he  loved  so  much  ser< 


THE  HEADSMAN.  313 

vice,  though  resolved  to  discharge  what  he  conceived  to  be 
an  imperious  duty ;  "  this  pilgrim  and  his  friend  will  be  of 
our  party,  in  order  that,  when  we  quit  the  mountain,  all 
may  leave  it  blameless  and  unsuspected." 

"  Signer  Sigismondo,  the  proposal  is  fair ;  it  has  a  touch 
of  reason,  I  allow  ;  but  unluckily  it  does  not  suit  my  in- 
terests. I  am  engaged  in  a  delicate  mission,  and  too  much 
time  has  been  already  lost  by  the  way  to  waste  more 
without  good  cause.  I  have  great  pity  for  pooi  Jacques 
Colis — 

"  Ha!  thou  knowest  the  sufferer's  name,  then  ;  thy  un- 
lucky tongue  hath  betrayed  thee,  Maso  !" 

II  Maledetto  was  again  troubled.  His  features  betrayed 
it,  for  he  frowned  like  a  man  who  had  committed  a  grave 
fault  in  a  matter  touching  an  important  interest.  His 
olive  complexion  changed,  and  his  interrogator  thought 
that  his  eye  quailed  before  his  own  fixed  look.  But  the 
emotion  was  transient,  and  shuddering,  as  if  to  shake  oil  a 
weakness,  his  appearance  became  once  more  natural  and 
composed. 

"  Thou  makest  no  reply  ?  " 

"  Signore,  you  have  my  answer  ;  affairs  press,  and  my 
visit  to  the  convent  of  San  Bernardo  has  been  made.  I  am 
bound  to  Aoste,  and  should  be  happy  to  do  your  bidding 
with  the  wrorthy  Giacomo.  I  have  but  a  step  to  make  to 
find  myself  in  the  dominions  of  the  house  of  Savoy  ;  and 
with  your  leave,  gallant  Capitano,  I  will  now  take  it." 

Maso  moved  a  little  aside  with  the  intention  to  pass 
Sigismund,  when  Pippo  and  Conrad  threw  themselves  on 
him  from  behind,  pinning  his  arms  to  his  side  by  main 
force.  The  face  of  the  Italian  grew  livid,  and  he  smiled 
with  the  contempt  and  hatred  of  an  inveterately  angered 
man.  Assembling  all  his  force,  he  suddenly  exerted  it  with 
the  energy  and  courage  of  a  lion,  shouting — 

"Nettuno  !" 

The  struggle  was  short  but  fierce.  When  it  terminated, 
Pippo  lay  bleeding  among  the  rocks  with  a  broken  head, 
and  the  pilgrim  was  gasping  near  him  under  the  tremen- 
dous grip  of  the  animal.  Maso  himself  stood  firm,  though 
pale  and  frowning  like  one  who  had  collected  all  his  ener- 
gies, both  physical  and  moral,  to  meet  this  emergency. 

"  Am  I  a  brute  to  be  set  upon  by  the  scum  of  the  earth  ? " 
he  cried.  "  If  thou  wouldst  aught  with  me,  Signor  Sigis- 
mondo, raise  thine  own  arm,  but  strike  not  with  ":he  hands 


3 14  THE  HEADSMAN. 

of   these   base    reptiles.     Thou   wilt   find   me    a   man,   iu 
strength  and  courage,  at  least  not  unworthy  of  thyself." 

"  The  attack  on  thy  person,  Maso,  was  not  made  by  my 
order,  nor  by  my  desire,"  returned  Sigismund,  reddening. 
"  I  believe  myself  sufficient  to  arrest  thee,  and  if  not,  here 
come  assistants  that  thou  wilt  scarce  deem  it  prudent  to 
resist." 

The  Augustine  had  stepped  on  a  rock  the  moment  the 
struggle  commenced,  whence  he  made  a  signal  which 
brought  all  the  mastiffs  from  the  convent.  These  powerful 
animals  now  arrived  in  a  group,  apprised  by  their  instinct 
that  strife  was  afoot.  Nettuno  immediately  released  the 
pilgrim  and  stood  at  bay,  too  faithful  to  desert  his  master 
in  his  need,  and  yet  too  conscious  of  the  force  opposed  to 
him  to  court  a  contest  so  unequal.  Luckily  for  the  noble 
dog,  the  friendship  of  old  Uberto  proved  his  protection. 
When  the  younger  animals  saw  their  patriarch  disposed  to 
amity,  they  forbore  their  attack,  waiting  at  least  for  another 
signal  to  be  given.  In  the  meanwhile,  Maso  had  time  to 
look  about  him,  and  to  form  his  decision  less  under  the  in- 
fluence of  surprise  and  feeling  than  had  been  previously 
the  case. 

"  Signore,"  he  answered,  "  since  it  is  your  pleasure,  I 
will  return  among  the  Augustines.  But  I  ask,  as  simple 
justice,  that,  if  I  am  to  be  hunted  by  "dogs  as  a  beast  of 
prey,  all  who  were  in  the  same  circumstances  as  myself 
may  become  subject  to  the  same  rule.  This  pilgrim  and 
the  Neapolitan  came  up  the  mountain  yesterday,  as  well 
as  myself,  and  I  demand  their  arrest  until  they  too  can 
give  an  account  of  themselves.  It  will  not  be  the  first 
time  that  we  have  been  inhabitants  of  the  same  prison." 

Conrad  crossed  himself  in  submission,  neither  he  nor 
Pippo  raising  any  objection  to  the  step.  On  the  contrary, 
each  frankly  admitted  it  was  no  more  than  equitable  on  its 
face. 

"  We  are  poor  travellers  on  whom  many  accidents  have 
already  alighted,  and  we  may  well  be  pressed  to  reach  the 
end  of  our  journey,"  said  the  pilgrim;  "but  that  justice 
may  be  done,  we  shall  submit  without  a  murmur.  I  am 
loaded  with  the  sins  of  many  besides  my  own,  however, 
and  St.  Peter  he  knows  that  the  last  are  not  light.  This 
holy  canon  will  see  that  'masses  are  said  in  the  convent 
chapel  in  behalf  of  those  for  whom  I  travel  ;  this  duty 
done,  I  am  an  infant  in  your  hands." 


THE  HEADSMAN'.  315 

The  good  Augustine  professed  the  perfect  readiness  of 
the  fraternity  to  pray  for  all  who  were  in  necessity,  with 
the  single  proviso  that  they  should  be  Christians.  With 
this  amicable  understanding  then,  the  peace  was  made  be- 
tween them,  and  the  parties  immediately  took  the  path 
that  led  back  to  the  convent.  On  reaching  the  building, 
Maso,  with  the  two  travellers  who  had  been  found  in  his 
company,  were  placed  in  safe  keeping  in  one  of  the  rooms 
of  the  solid  edifice,  until  the  return  of  the  clavier  should 
enable  them  to  vindicate  their  innocence. 

Satisfied  with  himself  for  the  part  he  had  acted  in  the 
late  affair,  Sigismund  strolled  into  the  chapel,  where  at  that 
early  hour  some  of  the  brotherhood  were  always  occupied 
in  saying  masses  in  behalf  of  the  souls  of  the  living  or  of 
the  dead.  He  was  here  when  he  received  a  note  from  the 
Signor  Grimaldi,  apprising  him  of  the  arrest  of  his  father, 
and  the  dark  suspicions  that  were  so  naturally  connected 
with  the  transaction.  It  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  on  the 
nature  of  the  shock  he  received  from  this  intelligence. 
After  a  few  moments  of  bitter  'anguish,  he  perceived  the 
urgency  of  making  his  sister  acquainted  with  the  truth  as 
speedily  as  possible.  The  arrival  of  the  party  from  the 
refuge  was  expected  every  moment,  and  by  delay  he  in- 
creased the  risk  of  Christine's  hearing  the  appalling  fact 
from  some  other  quarter.  He  sought  an  audience,  there- 
fore, with  Adelheid  the  instant  he  had  summoned  suffi- 
cient self-command  to  undertake  the  duty. 

Mademoiselle  de  Willading  was  struck  with  the  pale 
brow  and  agitated  air  of  the  young  soldier,  at  the  first 
glance  of  her  eye. 

"  Thou  hast  'permitted  this  unexpected  blow  to  affect 
thee  unusually,  Sigismund,"  she  said,  smiling,  and  offering 
her  hand  ;  for  she  felt  that  the  circumstances  were  those 
in  which  cold  and  heartless  forms  should  give  place  to 
feeling  and  sincerity.  "  Thy  sister  is  tranquil,  if  not  hap- 

P7-" 

"  She  does  not  know  the  worst — she  has  yet  to  learn  the 
most  cruel  part  of  the  truth,  Adelheid  ;  they  have  found 
one  concealed  among  the  dead  of  the  bone-house,  and  are 
now  leading  him  here  as  the  murderer  of  poor  Jacques 
Colis  ! " 

"Another!  "  said  Adelheid,  turning  pale  in  alarm.  "We 
appear  to  be  surrounded  by  assassins  ! " 

"  No,  it  cannot  be  true  !     I  know  my  poor  father's  mild- 


3i6  THE  HEADSMAN 

ness  of  disposition  too  well  ;  his  habitual  tenderness  to  all 
around  him  ;  his  horror  at  the  sight  of  blood,  even  for  his 
odious  task  !  " 

"  Sigismund,  thy  father  !  " 

The  young  man  groaned.  Concealing  his  face  with  his 
hands,  he  sank  into  a  seat.  The  fearful  truth,  with  all  its 
causes  and  consequences,  began  to  dawn  upon  Adelheid. 
Sinking  upon  a  chair  herself,  she  sat  long  looking  at  the 
convulsed  and  working  frame  of  Sigismund  in  silent  hor- 
ror. It  appeared  to  her,  that  Providence,  for  some  great 
but  secret  purpose,  was  disposed  to  visit  them  all  with 
more  than  a  double  amount  of  its  anger,  and  that  a  family 
which  had  been  accursed  for  so  many  generations,  was 
about  to  fill  the  measure  of  its  woes.  Still  her  own  true 
heart  did  not  change.  On  the  contrary,  its  long-cherished 
and  secret  purpose  rather  grew  stronger  under  this  sudden 
appeal  to  its  generous  and  noble  properties,  and  never  was 
the  resolution  to  devote  herself,  her  life,  and  all  her  envied 
hopes,  to  the  solace  of  his  unmerited  wrongs,  so  strong 
riveted  as  at  that  trying  moment. 

In  a  little  time  Sigismund  regained  enough  self-com- 
mand to  be  able  to  commence  the  narrative  of  what  had 
passed.  They  then  concerted  together  the  best  means  to 
make  Christine  acquainted  with  that  which  it  was  abso- 
lutely necessary  she  should  now  know. 

"Tell  her  the  simple  truth,"  added  Sigismund  ;  "it  can- 
not long  be  concealed,  and  it  were  better  that  she  knew  it ; 
but  tell  her,  also,  my  firm  dependence  on  our  father's  in- 
nocence. God,  for  one  of  those  inscrutable  purposes 
which  set  human  intelligence  at  defiance,  has  made  him 
a  common  executioner,  but  the  curse  has  not  extended  to 
his  nature.  Trust  me,  dearest  Adelheid,  a  more  gentle, 
dove-like  nature  does  not  exist  in  man  than  that  of  the 
poor  Balthazar— the  despised  and  persecuted  Balthazar. 
I  have  heard  my  mother  dwell  upon  the  nights  of  anguish 
and  sufferings  that  have  preceded  the  day  on  which  the 
duties  of  his  office  were  to  be  discharged  ;  and  often  have 
I  heard  that  admirable  woman,  whose  spirit  is  far  more 
equal  to  support  our  unmerited  fortunes,  declare  she  has 
often  prayed  that  he  and  all  that  are  hers,  might  die,  so 
that  they  died  innocently,  rather  than  one  of  a  temper  so 
gentle  and  harmless  should  again  be  brought  to  endure 
the  agony  she  had  witnessed  ! " 

"  It  is  unhappy  that  he  should  be   here  at  so  luckless  a 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  3i7 

moment !  What  unhappy  motives  can  have  led  thy  father 
to  this  spot,  at  a  time  so  extraordinary  ? " 

"  Christine  will  tell  thee  that  she  expected  to  see  him  at 
the  convent.  We  are  a  race  proscribed,  Mademoiselle  de 
Willading,  but  we  are  human." 

"Dearest  Sigismund — 

"  I  feel  my  injustice,  and  can  only  pray  to  be  forgiven. 
But  there  are  moments  of  feeling  so  intense,  that  I  am 
ready  to  believe  and  treat  all  of  my  species  as  common 
enemies.  Christine  is  an  only  daughter,  and  thou  thyself, 
beloved  Adelheid,  kind,  dutiful,  and  good  as  I  know  thee 
to  be,  art  not  more  dear  to  the  Baron  de  Willading  than 
my  poor  sister  is  among  us.  Her  parents  have  yielded  her 
to  thy  generous  kindness,  for  they  believe  it  for  her  good  ; 
but  their  hearts  have  been  wrung  by  the  separation.  Thou 
didst  not  know  it,  but  Christine  took  her  last  embrace  of 
her  mother  here  on  the  mountain,  at  Liddes,  and  it  was 
then  agreed  that  her  father  should  watch  her  in  safety 
over  the  Col,  and  bestow  the  final  blessing  at  Aoste.  Ma- 
demoiselle de  Willading,  you  move  in  pride,  surrounded 
by  many  protectors,  who  are  honored  in  doing  you  service; 
but  the  abased  and  the  hunted  must  indulge  even  their 
best  affections  stealthily,  and  without  obtrusion  !  The  love 
and  tenderness  of  Balthazar  would  pass  for  mockery  with 
the  vulgar  !  Such  is  man  in  his  habits  and  opinions,  when 
wrong  usurps  the  place  of  right." 

Adelheid  saw  that  the  moment  was  not  favorable  for 
urging  consolation,  and  she  abstained  from  a  reply.  She 
rejoiced,  however,  to  hear  the  presence  of  the  headsman 
so  satisfactorily  accounted  for,  though  she  could  not  quiet 
herself  from  apprehension  that  the  universal  weakness  of 
human  nature,  which  so  suddenly  permits  the  perversion 
of  the  best  of  our  passions  to  the  worst,  and  the  dreadful 
probability  that  Balthazar,  suffering  intensely  by  this  com- 
pelled separation  from  his  daughter,  on  accidentally  en- 
countering the  man  who  was  its  cause,  might  have  listened 
to  some  violent  impulse  of  resentment  and  revenge.  She 
saw  also  that  Sigismund,  in  despite  of  his  general  confi- 
dence in  the  principles  of  his  father,  had  fearful  glimmer- 
ings of  some  such  event,  and  that  he  fearfully  anticipated 
the  worst,  even  while  he  most  professed  confidence  in  the 
innocence  of  the  accused.  The  interview  was  soon  ended, 
and  they  separated  ;  each  endeavoring  to  invent  plausible 
reasons  for  what  had  happened. 


318  THE  HEADSMAN-. 

The  arrival  of  the  party  from  the  Refuge  took  place  soon 
afterward.  It  was  followed  by  the  necessary  explanations, 
and  a  more  detailed  narrative  of  all  that  had  passed.  A 
consultation  was  held  between  the  chiefs  of  the  brother- 
hood and  the  two  old  nobles,  and  the  course  it  was 
most  expedient  to  pursue  was  calmly  and  prudently  dis- 
cussed. 

The  result  was  not  known  for  some  hours  later.  It  was 
then  generally  proclaimed  in  the  convent  that  a  grave  and 
legal  investigation  of  all  the  facts  was  to  take  place  with 
the  least  possible  delay. 

The  Col  of  St.  Bernard,  as  has  been  stated  already,  lies 
within  the  limits  of  the  present  canton,  but  what  was  then 
the  allied  state  of  the  Valais.  The  crime  had  consequently 
been  committed  within  the  jurisdiction  of  that  country  ; 
but  as  the  Valais  was  thus  leagued  with  Switzerland,  there 
existed  such  an  intimate  understanding  between  the  two, 
that  it  was  rare  any  grave  proceedings  were  had  against  a 
citizen  of  either  in  the  dominion  of  the  other,  without  pay 
ing  great  deference  to  the  feelings  and  the  rights  of  the 
country  of  the  accused.  Messengers  were  therefore  dis- 
patched to  Vevey,  to  inform  the  authorities  of  that  place  of 
a  transaction  which  involved  the  safety  of  an  officer  of  the 
great  canton  (for  such  was  Balthazar),  and  which  had 
cost  a  citizen  of  Vaud  his  life.  On  the  other  hand,  a  simi- 
lar communication  was  sent  to  Sion,  the  two  places  being 
about  equidistant  from  the  convent,  with  such  pressing  in- 
vitations to  the  authorities  to  be  prompt  as  were  deemed 
necessary  to  bring  on  an  immediate  investigation.  Melchior 
de  Willading,  in  a  letter  to  his  friend  the  bailiff,  set  forth 
the  inconvenience  of  his  return  with  Adelheid  at  that  late 
season,  and  the  importance  of  the  functionary's  testimony, 
with  such  other  statements  as  were  likely  to  effect  his 
wishes  ;  while  the  superior  of  the  brotherhood  charged 
himself  with  making  representations,  with  a  similar  intent, 
to  the  heads  of  his  own  republic.  Justice  in  that  age  was 
not  administered  as  frankly  and  openly  as  in  this  later 
period,  its  agents  in  the  old  world  exercising  even  now  a 
discretion  that  we  are  not  accustomed  to  see  confided  to 
them.  Her  proceedings  were  enveloped  in  darkness,  the 
blind  deity  being  far  more  known  in  her  decrees  than  in 
her  principles,  and  mystery  was  then  deemed  an  important 
auxiliary  of  power. 

With  this  brief  explanation  we  shall  shift  the  time  to 


THE  HEADSMAN. 


the  third  day  from  that  on  which  the  travellers  reached 
tne  convent,  referring  the  reader  to  the  succeeding  chapter 
for  an  account  of  what  it  brought  forth. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

"Anon  a  figure  enters,  quaintly  neat, 
All  pride  and  business,  bustle  and  conceit  ; 
With  looks  unaltered  by  these  scenes  of  woe, 
With  speed  that,  entering,  speaks  his  haste  to  go. 
He  bids  the  gazing  throng  around  him  fly, 
And  carries  fate  and  physic  in  his  eye." — CRABBE. 

THERE  is  another  receptacle  for  those  who  die  on  the 
Great  St.  Bernard,  hard  by  the  convent  itself.  At  the 
close  of  the  time  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter,  and  near 
the  approach  of  night,  Sigismund  was  pacing  the  rocks 
on  which  this  little  chapel  stands,  buried  in  reflections  to 
which  his  own  history  and  the  recent  events  had  given 
birth.  The  snow  that  fell  during  the  late  storm  had  en- 
tirely disappeared,  and  the  frozen  element  was  now  visible 
only  on  those  airy  pinnacles  that  form  the  higher  peaks  of 
the  Alps.  Twilight  had  already  settled  into  the  lower  val- 
leys, but  the  whole  of  the  superior  region  was  glowing 
with  the  fairy-like  lustre  of  the  last  rays  of  the  sun.  The 
air  was  chill,  for  at  that  hour  and  season,  whatever  might 
be  the  state  of  the  weather,  the  evening  invariably  brought 
with  it  a  positive  sensation  of  cold  in  the  gorge  of  St. 
Bernard,  where  frosts  prevailed  at  night,  even  in  midsum- 
mer. Still  the  wind,  though  strong,  was  balmy  and  soft, 
blowing  athwart  the  heated  plains  of  Lombardy,  and 
reaching  the  mountains  charged  with  the  moisture  of  the 
Adriatic  and  the  Mediterranean.  As  the  young  man  turned 
in  his  walk  and  faced  this  breeze,  it  came  over  his  spirit 
with  a  feeling  of  hope  and  home.  The  greater  part  of  his 
life  had  been  passed  in  the  sunny  country  whence  it  blew, 
and  there  were  moments  when  he  was  lulled  into  forget- 
fulness  by  the  grateful  recollections  imparted  by  its  fra- 
grance. But  when  compelled  to  turn  northward  again, 
and  his  eye  fell  on  the  misty,  hoary  piles  that  distinguished 
his  native  land,  rude  and  ragged  faces  of  rock,  frozen 
glaciers,  and  deep  ravine-like  valleys  and  glens,  seemed  to 
him  to  be  types  of  his  own  stormy,  unprofitable,  and  fruit- 


*  20  THE   HEADSMAN. 

less  life,  and  to  foretell  a  career  which,  though  it  might 
have  touches  of  grandeur,  was  doomed  to  be  barren  of  ah 
that  is  genial  and  consolatory. 

All  in  and  about  the  convent  was  still.  The  mountain 
had  an  imposing  air  of  deep  solitude  amid  the  wildest  nat- 
ural magnificence.  Few  travellers  had  passed  since  the 
storm,  and,  luckily  for  those  who,  under  the  peculiar  cir- 
cumstances in  which  they  were  placed,  had  so  much  de- 
sired privacy,  all  of  these  had  diligently  gone  their  several 
ways.  None  were  left,  therefore,  on  the  Col,  but  those 
who  had  an  interest  in  the  serious  investigations  which 
were  about  to  take  place.  An  officer  of  justice  from 
Sion,  wearing  the  livery  of  Valais,  appeared  at  a  win- 
dow, a  sign  that  the  regular  authorities  of  the  country 
had  taken  cognizance  of  the  murder  ;  but  disappearing, 
the  young  man,  to  all  external  appearance,  was  left  in  the 
solitary  possession  of  the  pass.  Even  the  dogs  had  been 
ennelled,  and  the  pious  monks  were  healthfully  occupied 
in  the  religious  offices  of  the  vespers. 

Sigismund  turned  his  eyes  upward  to  the  apartment  in 
which  Adelheid  and  his  sister  dwelt,  but  as  the  solemn 
moment  in  which  so  much  was  to  be  decided  drew  near- 
er, they  also  had  withdrawn  into  themselves,  ceasing  to 
hold  communion,  even  by  means  of  the  eyes,  with  aught 
that  might  divert  their  holy  and  pure  thoughts  from  cease- 
less and  intense  devotional  reflections.  Until  nowr  he  had 
been  occasionally  favored  with  an  answering  and  kind  look 
from  one  or  the  other  of  these  single-hearted  and  affec- 
tionate girls,  both  of  whom  he  so  warmly  loved,  though 
with  sentiments  so  different.  It  seemed  that  they  too  had 
at  last  left  him  to  his  isolated  and  hopeless  existence.  Sen- 
sible that  this  passing  thought  was  weak  and  unmanly, 
the  young  man  renewed  his  walk,  and  instead  of  turning 
as  before,  he  moved  slowly  on,  stopping  only  when  he  had 
reached  the  opening  of  the  little  chapel  of  the  dead. 

Unlike  the  building  lower  down  the  path,  the  bone- 
house  at  the  convent  is  divided  into  two  apartments  ;  the 
exterior,  and  one  that  may  be  called  interior,  though  both 
are  open  to  the  weather.  The  former  contained  piles  of 
disjointed  human  bones,  bleached  by  the  storms  that  beat 
in  at  the  windows,  while  the  latter  is  consecrated  to  the 
covering  of  those  that  still  preserve,  in  their  outward  ap- 
pearance at  least,  some  of  the  more  familiar  traces  of  hu- 
manity. The  first  had  its  usual  complement  of  dissevered 


THE  HEADSMAN.  321 

and  confounded  fragments,  in  which  the  remains  of 
young  and  old,  of  the  two  sexes,  the  fierce  and  the  meek, 
the  penitent  and  the  sinner,  lay  in  indiscriminate  confusion 
— an  eloquent  reproach  to  the  pride  of  man  ;  while  the 
walls  of  the  last  supported  some  twenty  blackened  and 
shrivelled  effigies  of  the  race,  to  show  to  what  a  pass  of  dis- 
gusting and  frightful  deformity  the  human  form  can  be  re- 
duced, when  deprived  of  that  noble  principle  which  likens 
it  to  its  Divine  Creator.  On  a  table,  in  the  centre  of  a 
group  of  black  and  grinning  companions  in  misfortune,  sat 
all  that  was  left  of  Jacques  Colis,  who  had  been  removed 
from  the  bone-house  below  to  this  at  the  convent  for  pur- 
poses connected  with  the  coming  investigation.  The  body 
was  accidentally  placed  in  such  an  attitude  that  the  face 
was  brought  within  the  line  of  the  parting  light,  while  it 
had  no  other  covering  than  the  clothes  worn  by  the  mur- 
dered man  in  life.  Sigismund  gazed  long  at  the  pallid  linea- 
ments. They  were  still  distorted  with  the  agony  produced 
by  separating  the  soul  from  the  body.  All  feeling  of  re- 
sentment for  his  sister's  wrongs  was  lost  in  pity  for  the  fate 
that  had  so  suddenly  overtaken  one,  in  whom  the  passions, 
the  interests,  and  the  complicated  machinery  of  this  state 
of  being,  were  so  actively  at  work.  Then  came  the  bitter 
apprehension  that  his  own  father,  in  a  moment  of  ungov- 
ernable anger,  excited  by  the  accumulated  wrongs  that  bore 
so  hard  on  him  and  his,  might  really  have  been  the  instru- 
ment of  effecting  the  fearful  and  sudden  change.  Sicken- 
ing with  the  thought,  the  young  man  turned  and  walked 
away  toward  the  brow  of  the  declivity.  Voices,  ascending 
to  his  ear,  recalled  him  to  the  actual  situation  of  things. 

A  train  of  mules  were  climbing  the  last  acclivity  where 
the  path  takes  the  broken  precipitous  appearance  of  a 
flight  of  steps.  The  light  was  still  sufficient  to  distinguish 
the  forms  and  general  appearance  of  the  travellers.  Sigis- 
mund immediately  recognized  them  to  be  the  bailiff  of 
Vevey  and  his  attendants,  for  whose  arrival  the  formal 
proceedings  of  the  examination  had  alone  been  stayed. 

"  A  fair  evening,  Herr  Sigismund,  and  a  happy  meeting," 
cried  Peterchen,  so  soon  as  his  weary  mule,  which  fre- 
quently halted  under  its  unwieldy  burden,  had  brought 
him  within  hearing.  "Little  did  I  think  to  see  thee  again 
so  quickly,  and  less  still  to  lay  eyes  on  this  holy  convent  ; 
for  though  the  traveller  might  have  returned  in  thy  per- 
son, nothing  short  of  a  miracle "  Here  the  bailiff 


323  THE  HEADSMAN. 

winked,  for  he  was  one  of  those  Protestants  whose  faith 
was  most  manifested  in  these  side-hits  at  the  opinions  and 
practices  of  Rome, — "  Nothing  but  a  miracle,  I  say,  and 
that  too  a  miracle  of  some  saint  whose  bones  have  been 
drying  these  ten  thousand  years,  until  every  morsel  of  our 
weak  flesh  has  fairly  disappeared,  could  bring  down  old  St. 
Bernard's  abode  upon  the  shores  of  the  Leman.  I  have 
known  many  who  have  left  Vaud  to  cross  the  Alps  come 
back  and  winter  in  Vevey  ;  but  never  did  I  know  the  stone 
that  was  placed  upon  another,  in  a  workmanlike  manner, 
quit  its  bed  without  help  from  the  hand  of  man.  They  say 
stones  are  particularly  hard-hearted,  and  yet  your  saint  and 
miracle-monger  hath  a  way  to  move  them  ?" 

Peterchen  chuckled  at  his  own  pleasantry,  as  men  in 
authority  are  apt  to  enjoy  that  which  comes  exclusively  of 
their  own  cleverness,  and  he  winked  round  among  his  fol- 
lowers, as  if  he  would  invite  them  to  bear  witness  to  the 
rap  he  had  given  the  Papists,  even  on  their  own  exclusive 
ground.  When  the  platform  of  the  Col  was  attained, 
he  checked  the  mule  and  continued  his  address,  for  want 
of  wind  had  nipped  his  wit,  as  it  might  be,  in  the  bud. 

"  A  bad  business  this,  Herr  Sigismund  ;  a  thoroughly 
bad  affair.  It  has  drawn  me  far  from  home,  at  a  ticklish 
season,  and  it  has  unexpectedly  stopped  the  Herr  von  Wil- 
lading  "  (he  spoke  in  German)  "  in  his  journey  over  the 
mountains,  and  that,  too,  at  a  moment  when  all  had  need 
be  diligent  among  the  Alps.  How  does  the  keen  air  of  the 
Col  agree  with  the  fair  Adelheid  ? " 

"  God  be  thanked,  Herr  Bailiff,  in  bodily  health  that  ex- 
cellent young  lady  was  never  better." 

"  God  be  thanked,  right  truly  !  She  is  a  tender  flower, 
and  one  that  might  be  suddenly  cut  off  by  the  frosts  of  St. 
Bernard.  And  the  noble  Genoese  who  travels  with  so  much 
modest  simplicity,  in  a  way  to  reprove  the  vain  and  idle — • 
I  hope  he  does  not  miss  the  sun  among  our  rocks  ?" 

"  He  is  an  Italian,  and  must  think  of  us  and  our  climate 
according  to  his  habits  ;  though  in  the  way  of  health  he 
seems  at  his  ease." 

"  Well,  this  is  consolatory  !  Herr  Sigismund,  were  the 
truth  known,"  rejoined  Peterchen,  bending  as  far  forward 
on  his  mule  as  a  certain  protuberance  of  his  body  would 
permit,  and  then  suddenly  drawing  himself  up  again  in  re- 
serve— "  but  as  a  State  secret  is  a  State  secret,  and  least  of 
all  should  it  escape  one  who  is  truly  and  legitimately 


THE  HEADSMAN.  323 

a  child  of  the  State.  My  love  and  friendship  for  Mel- 
chior  von  Willading  are  great,  and  of  right  excellent 
quality  ;  but  I  should  not  have  visited  this  pass,  were  it 
not  to  do  honor  to  our  guest  the  Genoese.  I  would  not 
that  the  noble  stranger  went  down  from  our  hills  with  an 
unsavory  opinion  of  our  hospitality.  Hath  the  honorable 
chatelain  from  Sion  reached  the  hill  ? " 

"  He  has  been  among  us  since  the  turn  of  the  day,  mein 
herr,  and  is  now  in  conference  with  those  you  have  just 
named,  on  matters  connected  with  the  object  of  your  com- 
mon visit." 

"  He  is  an  honest  magistrate  !  and  like  ourselves,  Master 
Sigismund,  he  comes  of  the  pure  German  root,  which  is  a 
foundation  to  support  merit,  though  it  might  better  be  said 
by  another.  Had  he  a  comfortable  ride  ?" 

"  I   have  heard  no  complaint  of  his  ascent." 

"'Tis  well.  When  the  magistrate  goes  forth  to  do  jus- 
tice, he  has  a  right  to  look  for  a  fair  time.  All  are  then 
comfortable  ; — the  noble  Genoese,  the  honorable  Melchior, 
and  the  worthy  chatelain.  And  Jacques  Colis  ? " 

"You  know  his  unhappy  fate,  Herr  Bailiff,"  returned 
Sigismund  briefly  ;  for  he  was  a  little  vexed  with  the  oth- 
er's phlegm  in  a  matter  that  so  nearly  touched  his  own 
feelings. 

"  If  I  did  not  know  it,  Herr  Steinbach,  dost  think  I 
should  now  be  here,  instead  of  preparing  for  a  warm  bed 
near  the  great  square  of  Vevey  ?  Poor  Jacques  Colis  ! 
Well,  he  did  the  ceremonies  of  the  abbaye  an  ill  turn  in 
refusing  to  buckle  with  the  headsman's  daughter,  but  I  do 
not  know  that  heat  all  deserved  the  fate  with  which  he  has 
met." 

"God  forbid  that  any  who  were  hurt,  and  that  perhaps 
not  without  reason,  by  his  want  of  faith,  should  think  his 
weakness  merited  a  punishment  so  heavy  !  " 

"  Thou  speakest  like  a  sensible  youth,  a  very  sensible 
youth— aye,  and  like  a  Christian,  Herr  Sigismund,"  an- 
swered Peterchen,  "  and  I  approve  of  thy  words.  To  re- 
fuse to  wive  a  maiden  and  to  be  murdered,  are  very 
different  offences,  and  should  not  be  confounded.  Dost 
think  these  Augustines  keep  kirschwasser  among  their 
stores  ?  It  is  strong  work  to  climb  up  to  their  abode,  and 
strong  toil  needs  strong  drink.  Well,  should  they  not  be 
so  provided,  we  must  make  the  best  of  their  other  liquors, 
Herr  Sigismund,  do  me  the  favor  to  lend  me  thy  arm," 


324 


THE   HEADSMAN. 


The  bailiff  now  alighted  with  stiffened  limbs,  and,  tak 
ing  the  arm  of  the  other,  he  moved  slowly  toward  th& 
building. 

"  It  is  damnable  to  bear  malice,  and  doubly  damnable  to 
bear  malice  against  the  dead  !  Therefore,  I  beg  you  to 
take  notice  that  I  have  quite  forgotten  the  recent  conduct 
of  the  deceased  in  the  matter  of  our  public  games,  as  it 
becomes  an  impartial  and  upright  judge  to  do.  Poor 
Jacques  Colis  !  Ah,  death  is  awful  at  any  time,  but  it  is  ten- 
fold terrible  to  die  in  this  sudden  manner,  post-haste,  as  it 
were,  and  that,  too,  on  a  path  where  we  put  one  foot  be- 
fore the  other  with  so  much  bodily  pain.  This  is  the  ninth 
visit  I  have  made  the  Augustines,  and  I  cannot  flatter  the 
holy  monks  on  the  subject  of  their  roads,  much  as  I  wish 
them  well.  Is  the  reverend  clavier  back  at  his  post 
again  ? " 

"  He  is,  and  has  been  active  in  taking  the  usual  exami- 
nations." 

•  "Activity  is  his  strong  property,  and  he  needs  be  that, 
Herr  Steinbach,  who  passeth  the  life  of  a  mountaineer. 
The  noble  Genoese,  and  my  ancient  friend  Melchior,  and 
his  fair  daughter  the  beautiful  Adelheid,  and  the  equitable 
chatelain,  thou  sayest,  are  all  fairly  reposed  and  com- 
fortable ? " 

"  Herr  Bailiff,  they  have  reason  to  thank  God  that  the 
late  storm  and  their  mental  troubles  have  done  them  no 
harm." 

"  So — I  would  these  Augustines  kept  kirschwasser 
among  their  liquors  !  " 

Peterchen  entered  the  convent,  where  his  presence  alone 
was  wanting  to  proceed  to  business.  The  mules  were 
housed,  the  guides  received  as  usual  in  the  building,  and 
then  the  preparations  for  .the  long-delayed  examinations 
were  seriously  commenced. 

It  has  already  been  mentioned  that  the  fraternity  of  St 
Bernard  was  of  very  ancient  origin.  It  was  founded  in  the 
year  962  by  Bernard  de  Menthon,  an  Augustine  canon  of 
Aoste  in  Piedmont,  for  the  double  purpose  of  bodily  succor 
and  spiritual  consolation.  The  idea  of  establishing  a  relig- 
ious community  in  the  midst  of  savage  rocks,  and  at  the 
highest  point  trod  by  the  foot  of  a  man,  was  worthy  of 
Christian  self-denial  and  a  benevolent  philanthropy.  The 
experiment  appears  to  have  succeeded  in  a  degree'  that  is 
commensurate  with  its  noble  intention  ;  for  centuries  have 


THE   HEADSMAN-.  325 

gone  by,  civilization  has  undergone  a  thousand  changes, 
empires  have  been  formed  and  upturned,  thrones  destroyed, 
and  one  half  the  world  has  been  rescued  from  barbarism, 
while  this  piously  founded  edifice  still  remains  in  its  sim 
pie  and  respectable  usefulness  where  it  was  first  erected, 
the  refuge  of  the  traveller  and  a  shelter  for  the  poor. 

The  convent  buildings  are  necessarily  vast,  but,  as  all  its 
other  materials  had  to  be  transported  to  the  place  it  occu- 
pies on  the  back  of  mules,  they  are  constructed  chiefly  of 
the  ferruginous,  hoary-looking  stones  that  were  quarried 
from  the  native  rock.  The  cells  of  the  monks,  the  long 
corridors,  refectories  for  the  different  classes  of  travellers, 
and  suited  to  the  numbers  of  the  guests,  as  well  as  those 
for  the  canons  arid  their  servants,  and  lodging  rooms  of 
different  degrees  of  magnitude  and  convenience,  with  a 
chapel  of  some  antiquity  and  of  proper  size,  composed 
then,  as  now,  the  internal  arrangements.  There  is  no  lux- 
ury, some  comfort  in  behalf  of  those  in  whom  indulgence 
has  become  a  habit,  and  much  of  the  frugal  hospitality 
that  is  addressed  to  the  personal  wants  and  the  decencies 
of  life.  Beyond  this,  the  building,  the  entertainment,  and 
the  brotherhood  are  marked  by  a  severe  monastic  self- 
denial,  which  appears  to  have  received  a  character  of  barren 
and  stern  simplicity  from  the  unvarying  nakedness  of  all 
that  meets  the  eye  in  that  region  of  frost  and  sterility. 

We  shall  not  stop  to  say  much  of  the  little  courtesies 
and  the  ceremonious  asseverations  of  mutual  good-will  and 
respect  that  passed  between  the  Bailiff  of  Vevey  and  the 
Prior  of  St.  Bernard,  on  the  occasion  of  their  present 
meeting.  Peterchen  was  known  to  the  brotherhood,  and, 
though  a  Protestant,  and  one  too  that  did  not  forbear  to 
deliver  his  jest  or  his  witticism  against  Rome  and  its  flock 
at  will,  he  was  sufficiently  well  esteemed.  In  all  the  quetes 
or  collections  of  the  convent,  the  well-meaning  Bernois  had 
really  shown  himself  a  man  of  bowels,  and  one  that  was 
disposed  to  favor  humanity,  even  while  it  helped  the  cause 
of  his  arch-enemy,  the  Pope.  The  clavier  was  always  well' 
received,  not  only  in  his  bailiwick  but  in  his  chateau,  and 
in  spite  of  numberless  little  skirmishes  on  doctrine  and 
practice,  they  always  met  with  a  welcome  and  generally 
parted  in  peace.  This  feeling  of  amity  and  good-will  ex- 
tended to  the  superior  and  to  all  the  others  of  the  holy  com- 
munity, for  in  addition  to  a  certain  heartiness  of  character 
in  the  bailiff,  there  was  mutual  interest  to  maintain  it.  At 


326  THE  HEADSMAN*. 

the  period  of  which  we  write,  the  vast  possessions  with 
which  the  monks  of  St.  Bernard  had  formerly  been  en- 
dowed were  already  much  reduced  by  sequestrations  in 
different  countries,  that  of  Savoy  in  particular,  and  they 
were  reduced  then,  as  now,  to  seek  supplies  to  meet  the 
constant  demands  of  travellers  in  the  liberality  of  the  well- 
disposed  and  charitable  ;  and  the  liberality  of  Peterchen 
was  thought  to  be  cheaply  purchased  by  his  jokes,  while, 
on  the  other  hand,  he  had  so  many  occasions,  either  in  his 
own  person  .or  those  of  his  friends,  to  visit  the  convent, 
that  he  always  forbore  to  push  contention  to  a  quarrel. 

"Welcome  again,  Herr  Bailiff,  and  for  the  ninth  time 
welcome  ! "  continued  the  prior,  as  he  took  the  hand  of 
Peterchen,  leading  the  way  to  his  own  private  parlor  ;  "  thou 
art  always  a  welcome  guest  on  the  mountain,  for  we 
know  that  we  entertain  at  least  a  friend." 

"And  a  heretic,"  added  Peterchen,  laughing  with  all  his 
might,  though  he  uttered  a  joke  which  he  now  repeated 
for  the  ninth  time.  "  We  have  met  often,  Herr  Prior,  and 
I  hope  we  shall  meet  finally,  after  all  our  clamberings  of 
mountains,  as  well  as  our  clambering  after  worldly  bene- 
fits, is  ended,  and  that  where  hcoiest  men  come  together, 
in  spite  of  Pope  or  Luther,  books,  sermons,  aves,  or  devils! 
This  thought  cheers  me  whenever  I  offer  thee  my  hand," 
shaking  that  of  the  other  with  a  hearty  good-will  ;  "  for  I 
should  not  like  to  think,  Father  Michael,  that,  when  we 
set  out  on  the  last  long  journey,  we  are  to  travel  forever 
in  different  ways.  Thou  may'st  tarry  awhile,  if  thou  seest 
fit,  in  thy  purgatory,  which  is  a  lodging  of  thine  own  in- 
vention, and  should  therefore  suit  thee,  but  I  trust  to  con- 
tinue on,  until  fairly  housed  in  heaven,  miserable  and 
unhappy  sinner  that  I  am  !  " 

Peterchen  spoke  in  the  confident  voice  of  one  accus- 
tomed to  utter  his  sentiments  to  inferiors,  who  either  dared 
not,  or  did  not  deem  it  wise  to  dispute  his  oracles  ;  and  he 
ended  with  another  deep-mouthed  laugh,  that  filled  the 
vaulted  apartment  of  the  smiling  prior  to  the  ceiling. 
Father  Michael  took  all  in  good  part,  answering,  as  was 
his  wont,  in  mildness  and  good-tempered  charity  ;  lor  he 
was  a  priest  of  much  learning,  deep  reflection,  and  re- 
buked opinions.  The  community  over  which  he  presided 
was  so  far  worldly  in  its  objects  as  to  keep  the  canons  in 
constant  communion  with  men,  and  he  would  not  now 
have  met  for  the  first  time  one  of  those  self-satisfied,  au- 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  327 

thoritative,  boisterous,  well-meaning  beings,  of  whose  class 
Peterchen  formed  so  conspicuous  a  member,  had  this  been 
the  first  of  the  bailiff's  visits  to  the  Col.  As  it  was,  how- 
ever, the  prior  not  only  understood  the  species,  but  he 
well  knew  the  individual  specimen,  and  he  was  well 
enough  disposed  to  humor  the  noisy  pleasantry  of  his 
companion.  Disburdened  of  his  superfluous  clothing,  de- 
livered of  his  introductory  jokes,  and  having  achieved  his 
salutations  to  the  several  canons,  with  suitable  words  of 
recognition  to  the  three  or  four  novices  who  were  usually 
found  on  the  mountain,  Peterchen  declared  his  readiness 
to  enter  on  the  duty  of  what  the  French  call  restoration. 
This  want  had  been  foreseen,  and  the  prior  led  the  way  to 
a  private  refectory,  where  preparations  had  been  made  for 
a  sufficient  supper,  the  bailiff  being  very  generally  known 
to  be  a  huge  feeder. 

"  Thou  wilt  not  fare  as  well  as  in  thy  warm  and  cheer- 
ful town  of  Vevey,  which  outdoes  most  of  Italy  in  its 
pleasantness  and  fruits  ;  but  thou  shalt,  at  least,  drink  of 
thine  own  warm  wines,"  observed  the  superior,  as  they 
went  along  the  corridor;  "and  a  right  good  company 
awaits  thee,  to  share  not  only  thy  repast,  but  thy  good 
companionship." 

"  Hast  ever  a  drop  of  kirschwasser,  Brother  Michael,  in 
thy  convent  ?  " 

"  We  have  not  only  that,  but  we  have  the  Baron  de 
Willading,  and  a  noble  Genoese  who  *is  in  his  company ; 
they  are  ready  to  set  to,  the  moment  they  can  see  thy  face." 

"A  noble  Genoese  !" 

"  An  Italian  gentleman,  of  a  certainty  ;  I  think  they  call 
him  a  Genoese." 

Peterchen  stopped,  laid  a  finger  on  his  nose,  and  looked 
mysterious  ;  but  he  forbore  to  speak,  for,  by  the  open, 
simple  countenance  of  the  monk,  he  saw  that  the  other  had 
no  suspicion  of  his  meaning. 

"  I  will  hazard  my  office  of  bailiff  against  that  of  thy 
worthy  clavier,  that  he  is  just  what  he  seemeth — that  is  to 
say,  a  Genoese  !  " 

"  The  risk  will  not  be  great,  for  so  he  has  already  an- 
nounced himself.  We  ask  no  questions  here,  and  be  he 
who  or  what  he  may,  he  is  welcome  to  come,  and  welcome 
to  depart,  in  peace." 

"  Aye,  this  is  well  enough  for  an  Augustine  on  the  top  of 
the  Alps — he  hath  attendants  ?  " 


328  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  A  menial  and  a  friend  ;  the  latter,  however,  left  the 
convent  for  Italy,  when  the  noble  Genoese  determined  to 
remain  until  this  inquiry  was  over.  There  was  something 
said  of  heavy  affairs,  which  required  that  some  explanations 
of  the  delay  should  be  sent  to  others." 

Peterchen  again  looked  steadily  at  the  prior,  smiling,  aa 
in  pity  of  his  ignorance. 

"  Look  thou,  good  prior,  much  as  I  love  thee  and  thy 
convent,  and  Melchior  von  Willading  and  his  daughter,  1 
would  have  spared  myself  this  journey  but  for  that  same 
Genoese.  Let  there  be  no  questions,  however,  between 
us  ;  the  proper  time  to  speak  will  come,  and  God  forbid 
that  I  should  be  precipitate  !  Thou  shalt  then  see  in  what 
manner  a  bailiff  of  the  great  canton  can  acquit  himself  ! 
At  present  we  will  trust  to  thy  prudence.  The  friend  hath 
gone  to  Italy  in  haste,  that  the  delay  may  not  create  sur- 
prise. Well,  each  one  to  his  humor  on  the  highway  ;  it  is 
mine  to  journey  in  honor  and  security,  though  others  may 
have  a  different  taste.  Let  there  be  little  said,  good 
Michael ;  not  so  much  as  an  imprudent  look  of  the 
eye  ; — and  now,  o'  Heaven's  sake,  thy  glass  of  kirsch- 
wasser  !  " 

They  were  at  the  door  of  the  refectory,  and  the  conver- 
sation ceased.  On  entering,  Peterchen  found  his  friend 
the  Baron,  the  Signer  Grimaldi,  and  the  chatelain  of  Sion, 
a  grave  ponderous  dignitary  of  justice  of  German  extrac- 
tion, like  himself  and  the  prior,  but  whose  race,  from  a 
long  residence  on  the  confines  of  Italy,  had  imbibed  some 
peculiarities  of  the  southern  character.  Sigismund  and  all 
the  rest  of  the  travellers  were  precluded  from  joining  the 
repast,  to  which  it  was  the  intention  of  the  prudent  canons 
to  give  a  semi-official  character. 

The  meeting  between  Peterchen  and  those  who  had  so 
lately  quitted  Vevey  was  not  distinguished  by  any  extra- 
ordinary movements  of  courtesy ;  but  that  between  the 
bailiff  and  the  chatelain,  who  represented  the  authorities 
of  friendly  and  adjoining  States,  was  marked  by  a  profu- 
sion of  politic  and  diplomatic  civilities.  Various  personal 
and  public  inquiries  were  exchanged,  each  appearing  to 
strive  to  outdo  the  other  in  manifesting  interest  in  the 
smallest  details  on  those  points  in  which  it  was  proper  for 
a  stranger  to  feel  an  interest.  Though  the  distance  be- 
tween the  two  capitals  was  fully  fifteen  leagues,  every  foot 
of  the  ground  was  travelled  over  by  one  or  the  other  of  the 


THE  HEADSMAN.  329 

parties,  either  in  commendation  of  its  beauties,  or  in  ques- 
tions that  touched  its  interests. 

"  We  come  equally  of  Teutonic  fathers,  Her/  Chatelain," 
concluded  the  bailiff,  as  the  whole  party  placed  themselves 
at  table,  after  the  reverences  and  homages  were  thoroughly 
exhausted,  "though  Providence  has  cast  our  fortunes  in 
different  countries,  f  swear  to  thee,  that  the  sound  of  thy 
German  is  music  to  my  ears  !  Thou  hast  wonderfully  es- 
caped corruptions,  though  compelled  to  consort  so  much 
with  the  bastards  of  Romans,  Celts,  and  Burgundians,  of 
whom  thou  hast  so  many  in  this  portion  of  thy  States.  It 
is  curious  to  observe," — for  Peterchen  had  a  little  of  an  an- 
tiquarian flavor  among  other  crude  elements  of  his  charac- 
ter— "that  whenever  a  much-trodden  path  traverses  a 
country,  its  people  catch  the  blood  as  well  as  the  opinions 
of  those  who  travel  it,  after  the  manner  that  tares  are 
scattered  and  sown  by  the  passing  winds.  Here  has  the 
St.  Bernard  been  a  thoroughfare  since  the  time  of  the 
Romans,  and  thou  wilt  find  as  many  races  among  those 
who  dwell  on  the  wayside,  as  there  are  villages  between 
the  convent  and  Vevey.  It  is  not  so  with  you  of  the  Up- 
per Valais,  Herr  Chatelain  ;  there  the  pure  race  exists  as 
it  came  from  the  other  side  of  the  Rhine,  and  honored 
and  preserved  may  it  continue  for  another  thousand 
years !  " 

There  are  few  people  so  debased  in  their  own  opinion  as 
not  to  be  proud  of  their  peculiar  origin  and  character 
The  habit  of  always  viewing  ourselves,  our  motives,  and 
even  our  conduct,  on  the  favorable  side,  is  the  parent  of 
self-esteem  ;  and  this  weakness  carried  into  communities, 
commonly  gets  to  be  the  cause  of  a  somewhat  fallacious 
gauge  of  merit  among  the  population  of  entire  countries. 
The  chatelain,  Melchior  de  Willading,  and  the  prior,  all  of 
whom  came  from  the  same  Teutonic  root,  received  the 
remark  complacently,  for  each  felt  it  an  honor  to  be 
descended  from  such  ancestors  ;  while  the  more  polished 
and  artificial  Italian  succeeded  in  concealing  the  smile  that 
on  such  an  occasion  would  be  apt  to  play  about  the  mouth 
of  a  man  whose  parentage  ran  through  a  long  line  of 
sophisticated  and  politic  nobles,  into  the  consuls  and  patri- 
cians of  Rome,  and  most  probably  through  these  again 
into  the  wTily  and  ingenious  Greek,  a  root  distinguished  for 
civilization  when  these  patriarchs  of  the  north  lay  buried 
in  the  depths  of  barbarism. 


330  THE  HEADSMAN. 

This  little  display  of  national  vanity  ended,  the  discourse 
took  a  more  general  turn.  Nothing  occurred  during  the 
entertainment,  however,  to  denote  that  any  of  the  com- 
pany bethought  him  of  the  business  on  which  they  had 
met.  But,  just  as  twilight  failed,  and  the  repast  was 
ended,  the  prior  invited  his  guests  to  lend  their  attention 
to  the  matter  in  hand,  recalling  thetn  from  their  friendly 
"-attacks,  their  time-worn  jokes,  and  their  attenuated  logic, 
in  all  of  which  Peterchen,  Melchior,  and  the  chatelain  had 
indulged  with  some  freedom,  to  a  question  involving  the 
life  or  death  of  at  least  one  of  their  fellow-creatures. 

The  subordinates  of  the  convent  were  occupied  during 
the  supper  with  the  arrangements  that  had  been  previously 
commanded,  and  when  Father  Michael  arose  and  intimated 
to  his  companions  that  their  presence  was  now  expected 
elsewhere,  he  led  them  to  a  place  that  had  been  completely 
prepared  for  their  reception. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

"Was  ever  tale 
With  such  a  gallant  modesty  rehearsed  ?" — HOME. 

PURPOSES  of  convenience,  as  well  as  others  that  were 
naturally  connected  with  the  religious  opinions,  not  to  say 
the  superstitions  of  most  of  the  prisoners,  had  induced  the 
monks  to  select  the  chapel  of  the  convent  for  the  judg- 
ment hall.  This  consecrated  part  of  the  edifice  was  of 
sufficient  size  to  contain  all  who  were  accustomed  to 
assemble  within  its  walls.  It  was  decorated  in  the  manner 
that  is  usual  to  churches  of  the  Romish  persuasion,  having 
its  master  altar,  and  two  of  smaller  size  that  were  dedicated 
to  esteemed  saints.  A  large  lamp  illuminated  the  place, 
though  the  great  altar  lay  in  doubtful  light,  leaving  play 
for  the  imagination  to  people  and  adorn  that  part  of  the 
chapel.  Within  the  railing  of  the  choir  there  stood  a 
table  ;  it  held  some  object  that  was  concealed  from  view 
by  a  sweeping  pall.  Immediately  beneath  the  lamp  was 
placed  another,  which -served  the  purposes  of  the  clavier, 
who  acted  as  a  clerk  on  this  occasion.  They  who  were  to 
fill  the  offices  of  judges  took  their  stations  near.  A  knot 
of  females  were  clustered  within  the  shadows  of  one  of  the 


THE   HEADSMAN. 


33 l 


side  altars,  hovering  around  each  other  in  the  way  that 
their  sensitive  sex  is  known  to  interpose  between  the  ex- 
hibition of  its  peculiar  weaknesses  and  the  rude  obser- 
vations of  the  world.  Stifled  sobs  and  convulsive  movements 
occasionally  escaped  this  little  group  of  acutely  feeling 
and  warm-hearted  beings,  betraying  the  strength  of  the 
emotions  they  would  fain  conceal.  The  canons  and  novices 
were  ranged  on  one  side,  the  guides  and  muleteers  formed 
a  background  to  the  whole,  while  the  fine  form  of  Sigis- 
mund  stood  stern  and  motionless  as  a  statue,  on  the  steps 
of  the  altar  which  was  opposite  to  the  females.  He 
watched  the  minutest  proceeding  of  the  investigation  with 
a  steadiness  that  was  the  result  of  a  severe  practice  in 
self-command,  and  a  jealous  determination  to  suffer  no 
new  wrong  to  be  accumulated  on  the  head  of  his 
father. 

When  the  little  confusion  produced  by  the  entrance  of 
the  party  from  the  refectory  had  subsided,  the  prior  made 
a  signal  to  one  of  the  officers  of  justice.  The  man  disap- 
peared, and  shortly  returned  with  one  of  the  prisoners,  the 
investigation  being  intended  to  embrace  the  cases  of  all 
who  had  been  detained  by  the  prudence  of  the  monks. 
Balthazar  (for  it  was  he)  approached  the  table  in  his  usual 
meek  manner.  His  limbs  were  unbound,  and  his  exterior 
calm,  though  the  quick  unquiet  movements  of  his  eye,  and 
the  workings  of  his  pale  features,  whenever  a  suppressed 
sob  from  among  the  females  reached  his  ear,  betrayed  the 
inward  struggle  he  had  to  maintain,  in  order  to  preserve 
appearances.  When  he  was  confronted  with  his  examin- 
ers, Father  Michael  bowed  to  the  chatelain  ;  for,  though 
the  others  were  admitted  by  courtesy  to  participate  in  the 
investigations,  the  legal  right  to  proceed  in  an  affair  of 
this  nature  within  the  limits  of  the  Valais,  belonged  to  this 
functionary  alone. 

"  Thou  art  called  Balthazar  ?  "  abruptly  commenced  the 
Judge,  glancing  at  his  notes. 

The  answer  was  a  simple  inclination  of  the  body. 

"And  thou  art  the  headsman  of  the  canton  of  Berne  ?" 

A  similar  silent  reply  was  given. 

"  The  office  is  hereditary  in  thy  family.  It  has  been  so 
for  ages  ? " 

Balthazar  erected  his  frame,  breathing  heavily,  like  one 
oppressed  at  the  heart,  but  who  would  bear  down  his  feel' 
ings  before  he  answered. 


332  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  Herr  Chatelain,"  he  said,  with  energy,  "by  the  judg- 
ment of  God  it  has  been  so." 

"  Honest  Balthazar,  thou  throwest  too  much  emphasis 
into  thy  words,"  interposed  the  bailiff.  "All  that  belongs 
to  authority  is  honorable,  and  is  not  to  be  treated  as  an 
evil.  Hereditary  claims,  when  venerable  by  time  and  use, 
have  a  double  estimation  with  the  world,  since  it  brings 
the  merit  of  the  ancestor  to  sustain  that  of  the  descendant. 
We  have  our  rights  of  the  biirgerschaft,  and  thou  thy 
rights  of  execution.  The  time  has  been  when  thy  fathers 
were  well  content  with  their  privilege." 

Balthazar  bowed  in  submission  ;  but  he  seemed  to  think 
any  other  reply  unnecessary.  The  fingers  of  Sigismund 
writhed  on  the  hilt  of  his  sword,  and  a  groan,  which  the 
young  man  well  knew  had  been  wrested  from  the  bosom 
of  his  mother,  came  from  the  women. 

"The  remark  of  the  worthy  and  honorable  bailiff  is 
just,"  resumed  the  Valaisan  ;  "  all  that  is  of  the  state,  is  for 
the  good  of  the  state,  and  all  that  is  for  the  comfort  and 
security  of  man  is  honorable.  Be  not  ashamed,  therefore, 
of  thy  office,  Balthazar,  which,  being  necessary,  is  not  to 
be  idly  condemned  ;  but  answer  faithfully  and  with  truth  to 
the  questions  I  am  about  to  put.  Thou  hast  a  daughter  ? " 

"  In  that  much,  at  least,  have  I  been  blessed  !  " 

The  energy  with  which  he  spoke  caused  a  sudden  move- 
ment in  the  judges.  They  looked  at  each  other  in  sur- 
prise, for  it  was  apparent  they  did  not  expect  these  touches 
of  human  feeling  in  a  man  who  lived,  as  it  were,  in  con- 
stant warfare  with  his  fellow  creatures. 

"Thou  hast  reason,"  returned  the  chatelain,  recovering 
his  gravity  ;  "  for  she  is  said  to  be  both  dutiful  and  comely. 
Thou  wert  about  to  marry  this  daughter  ?  " 

Balthazar  acknowledged  the  truth  of  this  by  another  in- 
clination. 

"  Didst  thou  ever  know  a  Vevaisan  of  the  name  of 
Jacques  Colis  ?" 

"  Mein  Herr,  I  did.     He  was  to  have  become  my  son." 

The  chatelain  was  again  surprised  ;  for  the  steadiness 
of  the  reply  denoted  innocence,  and  he  studied  the  coun- 
tenance of  the  prisoner  intently.  He  found  apparent 
frankness  where  he  had  expected  to  meet  with  subterfuge, 
and  like  all  who  have  great  acquaintance  with  crime,  his 
distrust  increased.  The  simplicity  of  one  who  really  had 
nothing  to  conceal,  unlike  that  appearance  of  firmness 


THE   HEADSMAN'.  333 

which  is  assumed  to  affect  innocence,  set  his  shrewdness 
at  fault,  though  familiar  with  most  of  the  expedients  of 
the  guilty. 

"  This  Jacques  Colis  was  to  have  wived  thy  daughter?  " 
continued  the  chatelain,  growing  more  wary  as  he  thought 
he  detected  greater  evidence  of  art  in  the  accused. 

"  It  was  so  understood  between  us." 

"Did  he  love  thy  child?" 

The  muscles  of  Balthazar's  mouth  played  convulsively  ; 
the  twitchings  of  the  lip  seeming-  to  threaten  a  loss  of 
self-command. 

"  Mein  Herr,  I  believed  it." 

"  Yet  he  refused  to  fulfil  the  engagement  ?" 

"  He  did." 

Even  Marguerite  was  alarmed  at  the  deep  emphasis 
with  which  this  answer  was  given,  and  for  the  first  time  in 
her  life,  she  trembled  lest  the  accumulating  load  of  obloquy 
had  indeed  been  too  strong  for  her  husband's  principles. 

"  Thou  felt  anger  at  his  conduct,  and  in  the  public  man- 
ner in  which  he  disgraced  thee  and  thine  ? " 

"  Herr  Chatelain,  I  am  human.  When  Jacques  Colis  re- 
pudiated my  daughter,  he  bruised  a  tender  plant  in  the  girl, 
and  he  caused  bitterness  in  a  father's  heart." 

"Thou  hast  received  instruction  superior  to  thy  condi- 
tion, Balthazar  ? " 

"  We  are  a  race  of  executioners,  but  we  are  not  the  un- 
nurtured herd  that  people  fancy.  'Tis  the  will  of  Berne 
that  made  me  what  I  am,  and  no  desire  nor  wants  of  my 
own." 

"  The  charge  is  honorable,  as  are  all  that  corne  of  the 
state,"  repeated  the  other,  with  the  formal  readiness  in 
whicji  set  phrases  are  uttered  ;  "the  charge  is  honorable 
for  one  of  thy  birth.  God  assigns  to  each  his  station  on 
earth,  and  he  has  fixed  thy  duties.  When  Jacques  Colis 
refused  thy  daughter,  he  left  his  country  to  escape  thy 
revenge?" 

"  Were  Jacques  Colis  living  he  would  not  utter  so  foul  a 
lie  ! " 

"  I  knew  his  honest  and  upright  nature  !  "  exclaimed  Mar- 
guerite, with  energy.  "  God  pardon  me  that  I  ever 
doubted  it ! " 

The  judges  turned  inquisitive  glances  toward  the  indis- 
tinct cluster  of  females,  but  the  examination  did  not  the 
less  proceed. 


334  THE  HEADSMAN'. 

"Thou  knowcst,  then,  that  Jacques  Colis  is  dead  ?" 

"  How  can  I  doubt  it,  mine  herr,  when  I  saw  his  bleed- 
ing body  ? " 

"Balthazar,  thou  seemest  disposed  to  aid  the  examina- 
tion,  though  with  what  views  is  better  known  to  Him  who 
sees  the  inmost  heart,  than  to  me.  I  will  come  at  once, 
therefore,  to  the  most  essential  facts.  Thou  art  a  native 
and  a  resident  of  Berne,  the  headsman  of  the  canton — a 
creditable  office  in  itself,  though  the  ignorance  and  preju- 
dices of  man  are  not  apt  so  to  consider  it.  Thou  would'st 
have  married  thy  daughter  with  a  substantial  peasant  ot 
Vaud.  The  intended  bridegroom  repudiated  thy  child,  in 
face  of  the  thousands  who  came  to  Vevey  to  witness  the 
festivities  of  the  abbaye  ;  he  departed  on  a  journey  to 
avoid  thee,  or  his  own  feelings,  or  rumor,  or  what  thou  wilt. 
He  met  his  death  by  murder  on  this  mountain  ;  his  body 
was  discovered  with  the  knife  in  the  recent  wound,  and 
thou,  who  should'st  have  been  on  thy  path  homeward,  wert 
found  passing  the  night  near  the  murdered  man.  Thine 
own  reason  will  show  thee  the  connection  which  we  are 
led  to  form  between  these  several  events,  and  thou  art  now 
required  to  explain  that  which  to  us  seems  so  suspicious, 
but  which  to  thyself  may  be  clear.  Speak  freely,  but  speak 
truth,  as  thou  reverest  God,  and  in  thine  own  interest." 

Balthazar  hesitated,  and  appeared  to  collect  his  thoughts. 
His  head  was  lowered  in  a  thoughtful  attitude,  and  then 
looking  his  examiner  steadily  in  the  face,  he  replied.  His 
manner  was  calm,  and  the  tone  in  which  he  spoke,  if  not 
that  of  one  innocent  in  fact,  was  that  of  one  who  well  knew 
how  to  assume  the  exterior  of  that  character. 

"Herr  Chatelain,"  he  said,  "I  have  foreseen  the  suspi- 
cions that  would  be  apt  to  fasten  on  me  in  these  unhappy 
circumstances,  but,  used  to  trust  in  Providence,  I  shall 
speak  the  truth  without  fear.  Of  the  intention  of  Jacques 
Colis  to  depart  I  knew  nothing.  He  went  his  way  pri- 
vately, and  if  you  will  do  me  the  justice  to  reflect  a  little, 
it  will  be  seen  that  I  was  the  last  man  to  whom  he  would 
have  been  likely  to  let  his  intention  be  known.  I  came 
up  the  St.  Bernard,  drawn  by  a  chain  that  your  own  heart 
will  own  is  difficult  to  break  if  you  are  a  father.  My 
daughter  was  on  the  road  to  Italy  with  kind  and  true 
friends,  who  were  not  ashamed  to  feel  for  a  headsman's 
child,  and  who  took  her  in  order  to  heal  the  wound  that 
had  been  so  unfeelingly  inflicted." 


THE   HEADSMAN.  335 

"  This  is  true ! "  exclaimed  the  Baron  de  Willading. 
*'  Balthazar  surely  says  naught  but  truth  here  !  " 

"This  is  known  and  allowed  ;  crime  is  not  always  the  re- 
sult of  cool  determination,  but  it  comes  of  terror,  of  sudden 
thought,  the  angry  mood,  the  dire  temptation,  and  a  fair 
occasion.  Though  thou  left'st  Vevey  ignorant  of  Jacques 
Coils'  departure,  didst  thou  hear  nothing  of  his  movements 
by  the  way  ?  " 

Balthazar  changed  color.  There  was  evidently  a  strug- 
gle in  his  bosom,  as  if  he  shrank  from  making  an  acknowl- 
edgment that  might  militate  against  his  interests  ;  but, 
glancing  an  eye  at  the  guides,  he  recovered  his  proper 
tone  of  mind,  and  answered  firmly  : 

"  I  did.  Pierre  Dumont  had  heard  the  tale  of  my  child's 
disgrace,  and  ignorant  that  I  was  the  injured  parent,  he 
told  me  of  the  manner  in  which  the  unhappy  man  had  re- 
treated from  the  mockery  of  his  companions.  I  knew, 
therefore,  that  we  were  on  the  same  path." 

"And  yet  thou  perseveredst ? " 

"  In  what,  Herr  Chatelain  ?  Was  I  to  desert  my  daugh- 
ter, because  one  who  had  already  proved  false  to  her  stood 
in  my  way  ? " 

"  Thou  hast  well  answered,  Balthazar,"  interrupted  Mar- 
guerite. "  Thou  hast  answered  as  became  thee  !  We  are 
few,  and  we  are  all  to  each  other.  Thou  wert  not  to  for- 
get our  child  because  it  pleased  others  to  despise  her." 

The  Sign  or  Grimaldi  bent  toward  the  Valaisan,  and 
whispered  near  his  ear. 

"  This  hath  the  air  of  nature,"  he  observed  ;  "and  does 
it  not  account  for  the  appearance  of  the  father  on  the  road 
taken  by  the  murdered  man  ?" 

"We  do  not  question  the  probability  or  justness  of  such 
a  motive,  signore ;  but  revenge  may  have  suddenly  mount- 
ed to  the  height  of  ferocity  in  some  wrangle  :  one  accus- 
tomed to  blood  yields  easily  to  his  passions  and  his  habits." 

The  truth  of  these  suggestions  was  plausible,  and  the 
noble  Genoese  drew  back  in  cold  disappointment.  The 
chatelain  consulted  with  those  about  him,  and  then  de- 
sired the  wife  to  come  forth  in  order  to  be  confronted  with 
her  husband.  Marguerite  obeyed.  Her  movement  was 
slow,  and  her  whole  manner  that  of  one  who  yielded  to  a 
stern  necessity. 

"Thou  art  the  headsman's  wife  ? 

"And  a  headsman's  daughter." 


336  THE  HEADSMAN'. 

"  Marguerite  is  a  well-disposed  and  a  sensible  woman," 
put  in  Peterchen  ;  "she  understands  that  an  office  under 
the  state  can  never  bring  disgrace  in  the  eyes  of  reason, 
and  wishes  no  part  of  her  history  or  origin  to  be  con- 
cealed." 

The  glance  that  flashed  from  the  eye  of  Balthazar's  wife 
was  withering;  but  the  dogmatic  bailiff  was  by  far  too 
well  satisfied  with  his  own  wisdom  to  be  conscious  of  its 
effects. 

"And  a  headsman's  daughter,"  continued  the  examining 
judge  ;  "why  art  thou  here  ?" 

"  Because  I  am  a  wife  and  a  mother.  As  the  latter  I 
came  upon  the  mountain,  and  as  a  wife  I  have  mounted 
to  the  convent  to  be  present  at  this  examination.  They 
will  have  it  that  there  is  blood  upon  the  hands  of  Bal- 
thazar, and  I  am  here  to  repel  the  lie." 

"And  yet  thou  hast  not  been  slow  to  confess  thy  con- 
nection with  a  race  of  executioners  !  They  who  are  ac- 
customed to  see  their  fellows  die  might  have  less  warmth 
in  meeting  a  plain  inquiry  of  justice  ! " 

"  Herr  Chatelain,  thy  meaning  is  understood.  We  have 
been  weighed  upon  heavily  by  Providence,  but,  until  now, 
they  whom  we  have  been  made  to  serve  have  had  the  pol- 
icy to  treat  us  with  fair  words !  Thou  hast  spoken  of 
blood  ;  that  which  has  been  shed  by  Balthazar,  by  his,  and 
by  mine,  lies  on  the  consciences  of  those  who  commanded 
it  to  be  spilt.  The  unwilling  instruments  of  thy  justice 
are  innocent  before  God." 

"  This  is  strange  language  for  people  of  thy  employ- 
ment !  Dost  thou,  too,  Balthazar,  speak  and  think  with 
thy  consort  in  this  matter  ?  " 

"  Nature  has  given  us  men  sterner  feelings,  mein  herr. 
I  was  born  to  the  office  I  hold,  taught  to  believe  it  right,  if 
not  honorable,  and  I  have  struggled  hard  to  do  its  duties 
without  murmuring.  The  case  is  different  with  poor  Mar- 
guerite. She  is  a  mother,  and  lives  in  her  children  ;  she 
has  seen  one  that  is  near  her  heart  publicly  scorned,  and 
she  feels  like  a  mother." 

"  And  thou,  who  art  a  father,  what  has  been  thy  manner 
of  thinking  under  this  insult?" 

Balthazar  was  meek  by  nature,  and,  as  he  had  just  said, 
he  had  been  trained  to  the  exercise  of  his  functions  ;  but 
he  was  capable  of  profound  affections.  The  question 
touched  him  in  a  sensitive  spot,  and  he  writhed  under'  its 


THE  HEADSMAN.  337 

feelings  ;  but,  accustomed  to  command  himself  before  the 
public  eye,  and  alive  to  the  pride  of  manhood,  his  mighty 
effort  to  suppress  the  agony  that  loaded  his  heart  was 
rewarded  with  success. 

u  Sorrow  for  my  unoffending  child  ;  sorrow  for  him  who 
had  forgotten  his  faith  ;  and  sorrow  for  them  who  have 
been  at  the  root  of  this  bitter  wrong,"  was  the  answer. 

"This  man  has  been  accustomed  to  hear  forgiveness 
preached  to  the  criminal,  and  he  turns  his  schooling  to 
good  account,"  whispered  the  wary  judge  to  those  near 
him.  "  We  must  try  his  guilt  by  other  means.  He  may 
be  readier  in  reply  than  steady  in  his  nerves." 

Signing  to  the  assistants,  the  Valaisan  now  quietly 
awaited  the  effect  of  a  new  experiment.  The  pall  was  re- 
moved, and  the  body  of  Jacques  Colis  exposed.  He  was 
seated  as  in  life,  on  the  table  in  front  of  the  grand  altar. 

"  The  innocent  have  no  dread  of  those  whose  spirits  have 
deserted  the  flesh,"  continued  the  chatelain,  "but  God 
often  sorely  pricks  the  consciences  of  the  guilty,  when  they 
are  made  to  see  the  works  of  their  own  cruel  hatids.  Ap- 
proach, and  look  upon  the  dead,  Balthazar  ;  thou  and  thy 
wife,  that  we  may  judge  of  the  manner  in  which  ye  face 
the  murdered  and  wronged  man." 

A  more  fruitless  experiment  could  not  well  have  been 
attempted  with  one  of  the  headsman's  office  ;  for  long  fa- 
miliarity with  such  sights  had  taken  off  that  edge  of  horror 
which  the  less  accustomed  would  be  apt  to  feel.  Whether 
it  were  owing  to  this  circumstance,  or  to  his  innocence, 
Balthazar  walked  to  the  side  of  the  body  unshaken,  and 
stood  long  regarding  the  bloodless  features  with  unmoved 
tranquillity.  His  habits  were  quiet  and  meek,  and  little 
given  to  display.  The  feelings  which  crowded  his  mind, 
therefore,  did  not  escape  him  in  words,  though  a  gleam  of 
something  like  regret  crossed  his  face.  Not  so  with  his 
companion.  Marguerite  took  the  hand  of  the  dead  man, 
and  hot  tears  began  to  follow  each  other  down  her  cheeks, 
as  she  gazed  at  his  shrunken  and  altered  lineaments. 

"  Poor  Jacques  Colis  !  "  she  said  in  a  manner  to  be  heard 
by  all  present;  "thou  hadst  thy  faults,  like  all  born  of 
woman  ;  but  thou  didst  not  merit  this  !  Little  did  the 
mother  that  bore  thee,  and  who  lived  in  thy  infant  smile — 
she  who  fondled  thee  on  her  knee,  and  cherished  thee  in 
her  bosom,  foresee  thy  fearful  and  sudden  end  !  It  was 
happy  for  her  that  she  never  knew  the  fruit  of  all  her  love, 
22 


338  THE   HEADSMAN. 

and  pains,  and  care,  else  bitterly  would  she  have  mourned 
over  what  was  then  her  joy,  and  in  sorrow  would  she  have 
witnessed  thy  pleasantest  smile.  We  live  in  a  fearful 
world,  Balthazar  ;  a  world  in  which  the  wicked  triumph  ! 
Thy  hand,  that  would  not  willingly  harm  the  meanest 
creature  which  has  been  fashioned  by  the  will  of  God,  is 
made  to  take  life,  and  thy  heart — thy  excellent  heart — is 
slowly  hardening  in  the  execution  of  this  accursed  office! 
The  judgment-seat  hath  fallen  to  the  lot  of  the  corrupt 
and  designing  ;  mercy  hath  become  the  laughing-stock  of 
the  ruthless,  and  death  is  inflicted  by  the  hand  of  him  who 
would  live  in  peace  with  his  kind.  This  cometh  of  thwart- 
ing God's  intentions  with  the  selfishness  and  designs  of 
men  !  We  would  be  wiser  than  he  who  made  the  universe, 
and  we  betray  the  weakness  of  fools  !  Go  to — go  to,  ye 
proud  and  great  of  the  earth — if  we  have  taken  life, 
it  hath  been  at  your  bidding ;  but  we  have  naught  of  this 
on  our  consciences.  The  deed  hath  been  the  work  of  the 
rapacious  and  violent — it  is  no  deed  of  revenge." 

"In  what  manner  are  we  to  know  that  wThat  thou  sayest 
is  true  ? "  asked  the  chatelain,  who  had  advanced  near  the 
altar,  in  order  to  watch  the  effects  of  the  trial  to  which 
he  had  put  Balthazar  and  his  wife. 

"  I  am  not  surprised  at  thy  question,  Herr  Chatelain,  for 
nothing  comes  quicker  to  the  minds  of  the  honored  and  hap- 
py than  the  thought  of  resenting  an  evil  turn.  It  is  not  so 
with  the  despised.  Revenge  would  be  an  idle  remedy  for  us. 
Would  it  raise  us  in  men's  esteem  ?  should  we  forget  our 
own  degraded  position  ?  should  we  be  a  whit  nearer  re- 
spect after  the  deed  was  done  than  we  were  before?" 

"  This  may  be  true,  but  the  angered  do  not  reason. 
Thou  art  not  suspected,  Marguerite,  except  as  having 
heard  the  truth  from  thy  husband  since  the  deed  has  been 
committed,  but  thine  own  discernment  will  show  that  naught 
is  more  probable  than  that  a  hot  contention  about  the  past 
may  have  led  Balthazar,  who  is  accustomed  to  see  blood, 
into  the  commission  of  this  act  ?  " 

"  Here  is  thy  boasted  justice  !  Thine  own  laws  are 
brought  in  support  of  thine  own  oppression.  Didst  thou 
know  how  much  pains  his  father  had  in  teaching  Balthazar 
to  strike,  how  many  long  and  anxious  visits  were  paid  be- 
tween his  parent  and  mine  in  order  to  bring  up  the  youth 
in  the  way  of  his  dreadful  calling,  thou  wouldst  not  think 
him  so  apt !  God  unfitted  him  for  his  office,  as  he  had  un- 


THE  HEADSMAN.  339 

fitted  many  of  higher  and  different  pretensions  for  duties 
that  have  been  cast  upon  them  in  virtue  of  their  birth- 
rights. Had  it  been  I,  chatelain,  thy  suspicions  would 
have  a  better  show  of  reason.  I  am  formed  with  strong 
and  quick  feelings,  and  reason  has  often  proved  too  w^eak 
for  passion,  though  the  rebuke  that  has  been  daily  re- 
ceived throughout  a  life  hath  long  since  tamed  all  of  pride 
that  ever  dwelt  in  me." 

"  Thou  hast  a  daughter  present  ?" 

Marguerite  pointed  to  the  group  which  held  her  child. 

"  The  trial  is  severe,"  said  the  Judge,  who  began  to  feel 
compunctions  that  were  rare  to  one  of  his  habits,  "but  it  is 
as  necessary  to  your  own  future  peace,  as  it  is  to  justice 
itself,  that  the  truth  should  be  known.  I  am  compelled  to 
order  thy  daughter  to  advance  to  the  body." 

Marguerite  received  this  unexpected  command  with  cold 
womanly  reserve.  Too  much  wounded  to  complain,  but 
trembling  for  the  conduct  of  her  child,  she  went  to  the 
cluster  of  females,  pressed  Christine  to  her  heart,  and  led 
her  silently  forward.  She  presented  her  to  the  chatelain, 
with  a  dignity  so  calm  and  quiet,  that  the  latter  found  it 
oppressive  ! 

"  This  is  Balthazar's  child,"  she  said.  Then  folding  her 
arms,  she  retired  herself  a  step,  an  attentive  observer  of 
what  passed. 

The  Judge  regarded  the  sweet  pallid  face  of  the  trem- 
bling girl  with  an  interest  he  had  seldom  felt  for  any  who 
had  come  before  him  in  the  discharge  of  his  unbending 
duties.  He  spoke  to  her  kindly,  even  encouragingly,  plac- 
ing himself  intentionally  between  her  and  the  dead,  mo- 
mentarily hiding  the  appalling  spectacle  from  her  view, 
that  she  might  have  time  to  summon  her  courage.  Mar- 
guerite blessed  him  in  her  heart  for  this  small  grace,  and 
was  better  satisfied. 

*'  Thou  wert  betrothed  to  Jacques  Colis  ? "  demanded 
the  chatelain,  using  a  gentleness  of  voice  that  was  singu- 
larly in  contrast  with  his  former  stern  interrogatories. 

The  utmost  that  Christine  could  reply  was  to  bow  her 
head. 

"Thy  nuptials  were  to  take  place  at  the  late  meeting  of 
the  Abbaye  des  Vignerons — it  is  our  unpleasant  duty  to 
wound  where  we  could  wish  to  heal — but  thy  betrothed 
refused  to  redeem  his  pledge  ? " 

"  The  heart  is  weak,  and  sometimes  shrinks  from  its  own 


340  THE  HEADSMAtf. 

good  purposes,"  murmured  Christine.  "  He  was  but 
human,  and  he  could  not  withstand  the  sneers  of  all  about 
him." 

The  chatelain  was  so  entranced  by  her  gentle  and  sweet 
manner  that  he  leaned  forward  to  listen,  lest  a  syllable  of 
what  she  whispered  might  escape  his  ears. 

"  Thou  acquittest,  then,  Jacques  Colis  of  any  false  inten- 
tion ? " 

"  He  was  less  strong  than  he  believed  himself,  mein 
herr  ;  he  was  not  equal  to  sharing  our  disgrace,  which  was 
put  rudely  and  too  strongly  before  him." 

"  Thou  hadst  consented  freely  to  the  marriage  thyself, 
and  wert  well  disposed  to  become  his  wife  ? " 

The  imploring  look  and  heaving  respiration  of  Christine 
were  lost  on  the  blunted  sensibilities  of  a  criminal  judge. 

"  Was  the  youth  dear  to  thee  ? "  he  repeated,  without 
perceiving  the  wound  he  was  inflicting  on  female  reserve. 

Christine  shuddered.  She  was  not  accustomed  to  have 
affections  which  she  considered  the  most  sacred  of  her 
short  and  innocent  existence  so  rudely  probed ;  but,  be- 
lieving that  the  safety  of  her  father  depended  on  her 
frankness  and  sincerity,  by  an  effort  that  was  nearly  su- 
perhuman, she  was  enabled  to  reply.  The  bright  glow 
that  suffused  her  face,  however,  proclaimed  the  power  of 
that  sentiment  which  becomes  instinctive  to  her  sex,  ar- 
raying her  features  in  the  lustre  of  maiden  shame. 

"  I  was  little  used  to  hear  words  of  praise,  Herr 
Chatelain, — and  they  are  so  soothing  to  the  ears  of  the  de- 
spised !  I  felt  as  a  girl  acknowledges  the  preference  of  a 
youth  who  is  not  disagreeable  to  her.  I  thought  he 
loved  me — and — and  what  would  you  more,  mein 
herr  ? " 

"None  could  hate  thee,  innocent  and  abused  child!" 
murmured  the  Signer  Grimaldi. 

"  You  forget  that  I  am  Balthazar's  daughter,  mein  herr ; 
none  of  our  race  are  viewed  with  favor." 

"  Thou,  at  least,  must  be  an  exception  !  "   • 

"  Leaving  this  aside,"  continued  the  chatelain,  "  I 
would  know  if  thy  parents  showed  resentment  at  the  mis- 
conduct of  thy  betrothed  ;  whether  aught  was  said 
in  thy  presence  that  can  throw  light  on  this  unhappy 
affair  ? " 

The  officer  of  the  Valais  turned  his  head  aside,  for  he 
met  the  surprised  and  displeased  glance  of  the  Genoese. 


THE   HEADSMAN.  34  r 

whose  eyes  expressed  a  gentleman's  opinion  at  hearing  a 
child  thus  questioned  in  a  matter  that  so  nearly  touched 
her  father's  life.  But  the  look  and  the  improper  character 
of  the  examination  escaped  the  notice  of  Christine.  She  re- 
lied with  filial  confidence  on  the  innocence  of  the  author 
of  her  being,  and,  so  far  from  being  shocked,  she  rejoiced 
with  the  simplicity  and  confidence  of  the  undesigning,  at 
being  permitted  to  say  anything  that  might  vindicate  him 
in  the  eyes  of  his  judges. 

"  Herr  Chatelain,"  she  answered  eagerly,  the  blood  that 
had  mounted  to  her  cheeks  from  female  weakness,  deep- 
ening to,  and  warming  her  very  temples  with  a  holier 
sentiment :  "  Herr  Chatelain,  we  wept  together  when 
alone  ;  we  prayed  for  our  enemies  as  for  ourselves,  but 
naught  was  said  to  the  prejudice  of  poor  Jacques — no,  not 
a  whisper." 

"Wept  and  prayed  !  "  repeated  the  Judge,  looking  from 
the  child  to  the  father,  in  the  manner  of  a  man  that  fan- 
cied he  did  not  hear  aright. 

"  I  said  both,  mein  herr  ;  if  the  former  was  a  weakness, 
the  latter  was  a  duty." 

"  This  is  strange  language  in  the  mouth  of  a  headsman's 
child  ! " 

Christine  appeared  at  a  loss,  for  a  moment,  to  com- 
prehend his  meaning  ;  but,  passing  a  hand  across  her  fair 
brow,  she  continued  : 

"  I  think  I  understand  what  you  would  say,  mein  herr," 
she  said  ;  "  the  world  believes  us  to  be  without  feeling  and 
without  hope.  We  are  what  we  seem  in  the  eyes  of 
others,  because  the  law  makes  it  so,  but  we  are  in  our 
hearts  like  all  around  us,  Herr  Chatelain — with  this  dif- 
ference, that,  feeling  our  abasement  among  men,  we  lean 
more  closely  and  more  affectionately  on  God.  You  may 
condemn  us  to  do  your  offices  and  to  bear  your  dislike,  but 
you  cannot  rob  us  of  our  trust  in  the  justice  of  Heaven.  In 
that,  at  least,  we  are  the  equals  of  the  proudest  Baron  in 
the  cantons  ! " 

"The  examination  had  better  rest  here,"  said  the  prior, 
advancing  with  glistening  eyes  to  interpose  between  the 
maiden  and  her  interrogator.  "Thou  knowest,  Herr  Bour- 
rit,  that  we  have  other  prisoners." 

The  chatelain,  who  felt  his  own  practised  obduracy  of 
feeling  strangely  giving  way  before  the  innocent  and 
guileless  faith  of  Christine,  was  not  unwilling  himself  to 


342  THE  HEADSMAN. 

change  the  direction  of  the  inquiries.  The  family  of  Bal- 
thazar was  directed  to  retire,  and  the  attendants  were  com- 
manded to  bring  forward  Pippo  and  Conrad. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

"  And  when  thou  thus 
Shalt  stand  impleaded  at  the  high  tribunal 
Of  hoodwinked  Justice,  who  shall  tell  thy  audit?" — COTTON. 

THE  buffoon  and  the  pilgrim,  though  of  a  general  ap- 
pearance likely  to  excite  distrust,  presented  themselves 
with  the  confidence  and  composure  of  innocence.  Their 
examination  was  short,  for  the  account  they  gave  of  their 
movements  was  clear  and  connected.  Circumstances  that 
were  known  to  the  monks  too,  greatly  aided  in  producing 
a  conviction  that  they  could  have  had  no  agency  in  the 
murder.  They  had  left  the  valley  below  some  hours  be- 
fore the  arrival  of  Jacques  Colis,  and  they  reached  the  con- 
vent, weary  and  foot-sore,  as  was  usual  with  all  who  as- 
cended that  long  and  toilsome  path,  shortly  after  the  com- 
mencement of  the  storm.  Measures  had  been  taken  by 
the  local  authorities  during  the  time  lost  in  waiting  the  ar- 
rival of  the  bailiff  and  the  chatelain,  to  ascertain  all  the 
minute  facts  which  it  was  supposed  would  be  useful  in 
ferreting  out  the  truth  ;  and  the  results  of  these  inquiries 
had  also  been  favorable  to  these  itinerants,  whose  habits 
of  vagabondism  might  otherwise  very  justly  have  brought 
them  within  the  pale  of  suspicion. 

The  flippant  Pippo  was  the  principal  speaker  in  the 
short  investigation,  and  his  answers  were  given  with  a 
ready  frankness,  that,  under  the  circumstances,  did  him 
and  his  companion  infinite  service.  The  buffoon,  though 
accustomed  to  deception  and  frauds,  had  sufficient  mother 
wit  to  comprehend  the  critical  position  in  which  he  now  was 
placed,  and  that  it  was  wiser  to  be  sincere,  than  to  attempt 
effecting  his  ends  by  any  of  the  usual  means  of  prevarica- 
tion. He  answered  the  Judge,  therefore,  with  a  simplicity 
which  his  ordinary  pursuits  would  not  have  given  reason 
to  expect,  xand  apparently  with  some  touches  of  feeling 
that  did  credit  to  his  heart. 

"  This  frankness  is  *iiy  friend,"  added  the  chatelain,  after 


THE  HEADSMAN.  343 

he  had  nearly  exhausted  his  questions,  the  answers  having 
convinced  him  that  there  was  no  ground  of  suspicion,  be- 
yond the  adventitious  circumstance  of  their  having  been 
travellers  on  the  same  road  as  the  deceased  ;  "  it  has  done 
much  toward  convincing  me  of  thy  innocence,  and  it  is  in 
general  the  best  shield  for  those  who  have  committed  no 
crime.  I  only  marvel  that  one  of  thy  habits  should  have 
had  the  sense  to  discover  it !  " 

"  Suffer  me  to  tell  you,  Signor  Castellano,  or  Podesta, 
whichever  may  be  your  Eccellenza's  proper  title,  that  you 
have  not  given  Pippo  credit  for  the  wit  he  really  hath.  It 
is  true  I  live  by  throwing  dust  into  men's  eyes,  and  by 
making  others  think  the  wrong  is  the  right  ;  but  Mother 
Nature  has  given  us  all  an  insight  into  our  own  interests, 
and  mine  is  quite  clear  enough  to  let  me  know  when  the 
true  is  better  than  the  false." 

"  Happy  would  it  be  if  all  had  the  same  faculty  and  the 
same  disposition  to  put  it  in  use." 

"I  shall  not  presume  to  teach  one  as  wise  and  as  experi- 
enced as  yourself,  Eccellenza,  but  if  an  humble  man 
might  speak  freely  in  this  honorable  presence,  he  would 
say  that  it  is  not  common  to  meet  with  a  fact  without  find- 
ing it  a  very  near  neighbor  to  a  lie.  They  pass  for  the 
wisest  and  the  most  virtuous  who  best  know  how  to  mix 
the  two  so  artfully  together,  that,  like  the  sweets  we  put 
upon  healing  bitters,  the  palatable  may  make  the  useful 
go  down.  Such  at  least  is  the  opinion  of  a  poor  street 
buffoon,  who  has  no  better  claim  to  merit  than  having 
learned  his  art  on  the  Mole  and  in  the  Toledo  of  Bellisima 
Napoli,  which,  as  everybody  knows,  is  a  bit  of  heaven  fal- 
len upon  earth  ! " 

The  fervor  with  which  Pippo  uttered  the  customary 
eulogium  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  Parthenope,  was  so 
natural  and  characteristic  as  to  excite  a  smile  in  the  Judge, 
in  spite  of  the  solemn  duty  in  which  he  was  engaged,  and 
it  was  believed  to  be  an  additional  proof  of  the  speaker's 
innocence.  The  chatelain  then  slowly  recapitulated  the 
history  of  the  buffoon  and  the  pilgrim  to  his  companions, 
the  purport  of  which  was  as  follows. 

Pippo  naively  admitted  the  debauch  at  Ve'vey,  implicat- 
ing the  festivities  of  the  day,  and  the  known  frailty  of  the 
flesh,  as  the  two  influencing  causes.  Conrad,  however, 
stood  upon  the  purity  of  his  life,  and  the  sacred  character 
of  his  calling,  justifying  the  company  he  kept  on  the  re- 


344  THE  HEADSMAN. 

spectable  plea  of  necessity,  and  on  that  of  the  mortifications 
to  which  a  pilgrimage  should,  of  right,  subject  him  who 
undertakes  it.  They  had  quitted  Vaud  together  as  early 
as  the  evening  of  the  day  of  the  abbaye's  ceremonies,  and, 
from  that  time  to  the  moment  of  their  arrival  at  the  con- 
vent, had  made  a  diligent  use  of  their  legs,  in  order  to 
cross  the  Col  before  the  snows  should  set  in  and  render 
the  passage  dangerous.  They  had  been  seen  at  Martigny, 
at  Liddes,  and  St.  Pierre,  alone,  and  at  proper  hours,  mak- 
ing the  best  of  their  way  toward  the  hospice  ;  and,  though 
of  necessity  their  progress  and  actions  for  several  hours 
after  quitting  the  latter  place,  were  not  brought  within  the 
observation  of  any  but  of  that  all-seeing  eye  which  com- 
mands a  view  of  the  recesses  of  the  Alps  equally  with 
those  of  more  frequented  spots,  their  arrival  at  the  abode 
of  the  monks  was  sufficiently  seasonable  to  give  reason  to 
believe  that  no  portion  of  the  intervening  time  had  been 
wasted  by  the  way.  Thus  far,  their  account  of  themselves 
and  their  movements  was  distinct,  while,  on  the  other  hand, 
there  was  not  a  single  fact  to  implicate  either,  beyond  the 
suspicion  that  was  more  or  less  common  to  all  who  hap- 
pened to  be  on  the  mountain  at  the  moment  the  crime 
was  committed. 

"  The  innocence  of  these  two  men  would  seem  so  clear, 
and  their  readiness  to  appear  and  answer  to  our  questions 
is  so  much  in  their  favor,"  observed  the  experienced  chate- 
lain,  "  that  I  do  not  deem  it  just  to  detain  them  longer. 
The  pilgrim,  in  particular,  has  a  heavy  trust ;  I  understand 
he  performs  his  penance  as  much  for  others  as  for  himself, 
and  it  is  scarce  decent  in  us,  who  are  believers  and  ser- 
vants of  the  church,  to  place  obstacles  in  his  path.  I  will 
suggest  the  expediency,  therefore,  of  giving  him  at  least 
permission  to  depart." 

"  As  we  are  near  the  end  of  the  inquiries,"  interrupted 
the  Signor  Grimaldi,  gravely,  "  I  would  suggest,  with  due 
deference  to  a  better  opinion  and  more  experience,  the 
propriety  that  all  should  remain,  ourselves  included,  until 
we  have  come  to  a  better  understanding  of  the  truth." 

Both  Pippo  and  the  pilgrim  met  this  suggestion  with 
ready  declarations  of  their  willingness  to  continue  at  the 
convent  until  the  following  morning.  This  little  conces- 
sion, however,  had  no  great  merit,  for  the  lateness  of  the 
hour  rendered  it  imprudent  to  depart  immediately  ;  and 
the  affair  was  finally  settled  by  ordering  them  to  retire,  it 


THE   HEADSMAN.  345 

being  understood  that  unless  previously  called  for,  they 
might  depart  with  the  reappearance  of  the  dawn.  Maso 
was  the  next  and  last  to  be  examined. 

11  Maledetto  presented  himself  with  perfect  steadiness 
of  nerve.  He  was  accompanied  by  Nettuno,  the  mastiifs 
of  the  convent  having  been  kennelled  for  the  night.  It  had 
been  the  habit  of  the  dogs  of  late  to  stray  among  the  rocks 
by  day,  and  to  return  to  the  convent  in  the  evening  in 
quest  of  food,  the  sterile  St.  Bernard  possessing  nothing 
whatever  for  the  support  of  man  or  beast,  except  that 
which  came  from  the  liberality  of  the  monks,  every  animal 
but  the  chamois  and  the  lammergeyer  refusing  to  ascend 
so  near  the  region  of  eternal  snows.  In  his  master,  how- 
ever, Nettuno  found  a  steady  friend,  never  failing  to  re- 
ceive all  that  was  necessary  to  his  wants  from  the  portion 
of  Maso  himself  ;  for  the  faithful  beast  was  admitted  at  his 
periodical  visits  to  the  temporary  prison  in  which  the  lat- 
ter was  confined. 

The  chatelain  waited  a  moment  for  the  little  stir  occa- 
sioned by  the  entrance  of  the  prisoner  to  subside,  when  he 
pursued  the  inquiry. 

"  Thou  art  a  Genoese  of  the  name  of  Thomaso  Santi  ?  " 
he  asked,  consulting  his  notes. 

"  By  this  name,  signore,  am  I  generally  known." 

"  Thou  art  a  mariner,  and  it  is  said  one  of  courage  and 
skill.  Why  hast  thou  given  thyself  the  ungracious  appel- 
lation of  II  Maledetto  ?" 

"  Men  call  me  thus.  It  is  a  misfortune,  not  a  crime,  to 
be  accursed." 

"  He  that  is  so  ready  to  abuse  his  own  fortunes,  should 
not  be  surprised  if  others  are  led  to  think  he  merits  his 
fate.  We  have  some  accounts  of  thee  in  Valais  ;  'tis  said 
thou  art  a  freetrader  ? " 

"  The  fact  can  little  concern  Valais  or  her  Govern- 
ment, since  all  come  and  go  unquestioned  in  this  free 
land." 

"  It  is  true,  we  do  not  imitate  our  neighbors  in  all  their 
policy  ;  neither  do  we  like  to  see  so  often  those  who  set  at 
naught  the  laws  of  friendly  States.  Why  art  thou  journey' 
ing  on  this  road  ?" 

"  Signore,  if  I  am  what  you  say,  the  reason  of  my  being 
here  is  sufficiently  plain.  It  is  probably  because  the  Lom- 
bard and  the  Piedmontese  are  more  exacting  of  the  stranger 
than  you  of  the  mountains." 


346  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  Your  effects  have  been  examined,  and  they  offer  noth- 
ing to  support  the  suspicion.  By  all  appearances,  Maso, 
thou  hast  not  much  of  the  goods  of  life  to  boast  of  ;  but  in 
spite  of  this,  thy  reputation  clings  to  thee." 

"  Aye,  signore,  this  is  much  after  the  world's  humor.  Let 
it  fancy  any  quality  in  a  man,  and  he  is  sure  to  get  more 
than  his  share  of  the  same,  whether  it  be  for  or  against  his 
interest.  The  rich  man's  florin  is  quickly  coined  into  a  se- 
quin by  vulgar  tongues,  while  the  poor  man  is  lucky  if  he 
can  get  the  change  of  a  silver  mark  for  an  ounce  of  the 
better  metal.  Even  poor  Nettuno  finds  it  difficult  to  get 
a  living  here  at  the  convent,  because  some  difference  in  coat 
and  instinct  has  given  him  a  bad  name  among  the  dogs  of 
St.  Bernard !  " 

"  Thy  answer  agrees  with  thy  character  ;  thou  art  said  to 
have  more  wit  than  honesty,  Maso,  and  thou  art  described 
as  one  that  can  form  a  desperate  resolution,  and  act  up  to 
its  decision  at  need?" 

"  I  am  as  Heaven  willed  at  the  birth,  Signor  Castellano, 
and  as  the  chances  of  a  pretty  busy  life  have  served  to  give 
the  work  its  finish.  That  I  am  not  wanting  in  manly  quali- 
ties, on  occasion,  perhaps  these  noble  travellers  will  be  wil- 
ling to  testify,  in  consideration  of  some  activity  that  I  may 
have  shown  on  the  Leman,  during  their  late  passage  of 
that  treacherous  water." 

Though  this  was  said  carelessly,  the  appeal  to  the  recol- 
lection and  gratitude  of  those  he  had  served,  was  too  direct 
to  be  overlooked.  Melchior  de  Willading,  the  pious  clavier, 
and  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  all  testified  in  behalf  of  the 
prisoner,  freely  admitting  that,  without  his  coolness  and 
skill,  the  Winkelried  and  all  she  held  would  irretrievably 
have  been  lost.  Sigismund  was  not  content  with  so  cold  a 
demonstration  of  his  feelings.  He  owed  not  only  the  lives 
of  his  father  and  himself  to  the  courage  of  Maso,  but  that 
of  one  dearer  than  all ;  one  whose  preservation,  to  his 
youthful  imagination,  seemed  a  service  that  might  nearly 
atone  for  any  crime,  and  his  gratitude  was  in  proportion. 

"  I  will  testify  more  strongly  to  thy  merit,  Maso,  in  face 
of  this  or  any  tribunal,"  he  said,  grasping  the  hand  of  the 
Italian.  "  One  who  showed  so  much  bravery  and  so  strong 
love  for  his  fellows,  would  be  little  likely  to  take  life  clan- 
destinely and  like  a  coward.  Thou  mayest  count  on  my 
testimony  in  this  strait — if  thou  art  guilty  of  this  crime^ 
who  can  hope  to  be  innocent  ?" 


THE  HEADSMAN. 


347 


Maso  returned  the  friendly  grasp  till  their  fingers 
seemed  to  grow  into  each  other.  His  eye,  too,  showed 
he  was  not  without  wholesome  native  sympathies,  though 
education  and  his  habits  might  have  warped  them  from 
their  true  direction.  A  tear,  in  spite  of  his  effort  to  sup- 
press the  weakness,  started  from  its  fountain,  rolling 
down  his  sunburnt  cheek  like  a  solitary  rivulet  trickling 
through  a  barren  and  rugged  waste. 

"This  is  frank,  and  as  becomes  a  soldier,  signore,"  he 
said,  ''and  I  receive  it  as  it  is  given,  in  kindness  and  love. 
But  we  will  not  lay  more  stress  upon  the  affair  of  the 
lake  than  it  deserves.  This  keen-sighted  chatelain  need 
not  be  told  that  I  could  not  be  of  use  in  saving  your  lives, 
without  saving  my  own  ;  and,  unless  I  much  mistake  the 
meaning  of  his  eye,  he  is  about  to  say  that  we  are  fash- 
ioned like  this  wild  country  in  which  chance  has  brought 
us  together,  with  our  spots  of  generous  fertility  mingled 
with  much  unfruitful  rock,  and  that  he  who  does  a  good 
act  to-day  may  forget  himself  by  doing  an  evil  turn  to- 
morrow." 

"  Thou  givest  reason  to  all  who  hear  thee,  to  mourn 
that  thy  career  has  not  been  more  profitable  to  thyself  and 
the  public,"  answered  the  Judge.  "  One  who  can  reason 
so  well,  and  who  hath  this  clear  insight  into  his  own 
disposition,  must  err  less  from  ignorance  than  wanton- 
ness ! " 

"  There  you  do  me  injustice,  Signor  Castellano,  and  the 
laws  more  credit  than  they  deserve.  I  shall  not  deny  that 
justice — or  what  is  called  justice — and  I  have  some  ac- 
quaintance. I  have  been  the  tenant  of  many  prisons  be- 
fore this  which  has  been  furnished  by  the  holy  canons, 
and  I  have  seen  every  stage  of  the  rogue's  progress,  from 
him  who  is  startled  by  his  first  crime,  dreaming  heavy 
dreams,  and  fancying  each  stone  in  his  cellar  has  an  eye  to 
reproach  him,  to  him  who  no  sooner  does  a  wrong  than  it 
is  forgotten  in  the  wish  to  find  the  means  of  committing 
another,  and  I  call  Heaven  as  a  witness,  that  more  is  done 
to  help  along  the  scholar  in  his  study  of  vice,  by  those 
who  are  styled  the  ministers  of  justice,  than  by  his  own 
natural  frailties,  the  wants  of  his  habits,  or  the  strength  of 
his  passions.  Let  the  Judge  feel  a  father's  mildness,  the 
laws  possess  that  pure  justice  which  is  of  things  that  are 
not  perverted,  and  society  become  what  it  claims  to  be,  a 
community  of  mutual  support,  and  my  life  on  it,  chatelain, 


348  THE  HEADSMAN. 

thy  functions  will  be  lessened  of  most  of  their  weight  and 
of  all  their  oppression." 

"  This  language  is  bold,  and  without  an  object.  Explain 
the  manner  of  thy  quitting  Vevey,  Maso,  the  road  thou 
hast  travelled,  the  hours  of  thy  passages  by  the  different 
villages  and  the  reason  why  thou  wert  discovered  near  the 
Refuge,  alone,  and  why  thou  quittedst  the  companions 
with  whom  thou  hadst  passed  the  night  so  early,  and  so 
clandestinely  ? " 

The  Italian  listened  attentively  to  these  several  inter- 
rogatories ;  when  they  were  all  put,  he  gravely  and  calmly 
set  about  furnishing  his  answers.  The  history  of  his  de- 
parture from  Vevey,  his  appearance  at  St.  Maurice,  Mar- 
tigny,  Liddes,  and  St.  Pierre,  was  distinctly  given,  and  it 
was  in  perfect  accordance  with  the  private  information  that 
had  been  gleaned  by  the  authorities.  He  had  passed  the 
last  habitation  on  the  mountain,  on  foot  and  alone,  about 
an  hour  before  the  solitary  horseman,  who  was  now  known 
to  be  Jacques  Colis,  was  seen  to  proceed  in  the  same  di- 
rection, and  he  admitted  that  he  was  overtaken  by  the  lat- 
ter, just  as  he  reached  the  upper  extremity  of  the  plain  be- 
neath Velan,  where  they  were  seen  in  company,  though  at 
a  considerable  distance,  and  by  a  doubtful  light,  by  the 
travellers  who  were  conducted  by  Pierre. 

Thus  far  the  account  given  of  himself  by  Maso  was  in 
perfect  conformity  with  what  was  already  known  to  the 
chatelain  ;  but,  after  turning  the  rock  already  mentioned 
in  a  previous  chapter,  all  was  buried  in  mystery,  with  the 
exception  of  the  incidents  that  have  been  regularly  re- 
lated in  the  narrative.  The  Italian,  in  his  further  expla- 
nations, added  that  he  soon  parted  with  his  companion, 
who,  impatient  of  delay,  and  desirous  of  reaching  the  con- 
vent before  night,  had  urged  his  beast  to  greater  speed, 
while  he  himself  had  turned  a  little  aside  from  the  path 
to  rest  himself,  and  to  make  a  few  preparations  that  he 
had  deemed  necessary  before  going  directly  to  the  con- 
vent. 

The  whole  of  this  short  history  was  delivered  with  a 
composure  as  great  as  that  which  had  just  been  displayed 
by  Pippo  and  the  pilgrim,  and  it  was  impossible  for  any 
present  to  detect  the  slightest  improbability  or  contradic- 
tion in  the  tale.  The  meeting  with  the  other  travellers  in 
the  storm  Maso  ascribed  to  the  fact  of  their  having  passed 
him  while  he  was  stationary,  and  to  his  greater  speed  when 


TftE  HEADSMAN.  34$ 

in  motion,  two  circumstances  that  were  quite  as  likely  to 
be  true  as  all  the  rest  of  the  account.  He  had  left  the 
Refuge  at  the  first  glimpse  of  dawn,  because  he  was  be- 
hind his  time,  and  it  had  been  his  intention  to  descend  to 
Aoste  that  night,  an  exertion  that  was  necessary  in  order 
to  repair  the  loss. 

"  This  may  be  true,"  resumed  the  Judge  ;  "but  how  dost 
thou  account  for  thy  poverty  ?  In  searching  thy  effects, 
thou  art  found  to  be  in  a  condition  little  better  than  that 
of  a  mendicant.  Even  thy  purse  is  empty,  though  known 
to  be  a  successful  and  desperate  trifler  with  the  revenue  in 
all  those  States  where  the  entrance  duty  is  enforced." 

"He  that  plays  deepest,  signore,  is  most  likely  to  ,be 
stripped  of  his  means.  What  is  there  new  or  unlookedfor 
in  the  fact  that  a  dealer  in  the  contraband  should  lose  his 
venture  ? " 

"  This  is  more  plausible  than  convincing.  Thou  art  sig- 
nalled as  being  accustomed  to  transport  articles  of  the 
jewellers  from  Geneva  into  the  adjoining  States,  and  thou 
art  known  to  come  from  the  headquarters  of  these  artisans. 
Thy  losses  must  have  been  unusual,  to  have  left  thee  so 
naked.  I  much  fear  that  a  bootless  speculation  in  thy 
usual  trade  has  driven  thee  to  repair  the  loss  by  the  mur- 
der of  this  unhappy  man,  who  left  his  home  well  supplied 
with  gold,  and,  as  it  would  seem,  with  a  valuable  store  of 
jewelry  too.  The  particulars  are  especially  mentioned 
in  this  written  account  of  his  effects,  which  the  honorable 
bailiff  bringeth  from  his  friends." 

Maso  mused  silently  and  in  deep  abstraction.  He  then 
desired  that  the  chapel  might  be  cleared  of  all  but  the 
travellers  of  condition,  the  monks,  and  his  judges.  The 
request  was  granted  ;  for  it  was  expected  that  he  was 
about  to  make  an  important  confession,  as  indeed,  in  a 
certain  degree,  proved  to  be  the  fact. 

"  Should  I  clear  myself  of  the  charge  of  poverty,  Signor 
Castellano,"  he  demanded,  when  all  the  inferiors  had  left 
the  place,  "  shall  I  stand  acquitted  in  your  eyes  of  the 
charge  of  murder  ? " 

"  Surely  not  ;  still  thou  wilt  have  removed  one  of  the 
principal  grounds  of  temptation,  and  in  that  thou  wilt  be 
greatly  the  gainer,  for  we  know  that  Jacques  Colis  hath 
been  robbed  as  well  as  slain." 

Maso  appeared  to  deliberate  again,  as  a  man  is  apt  to 
pause  before  he  takes  a  step  that  may  materially  affect  his 


350  THE  HEADSMAN. 

interests.  But  suddenly  deciding,  like  a  man  of  prompt 
opinions,  he  called  to  Nettuno,  and,  seating  himself  on  the 
steps  of  one  of  the  side-altars,  he  proceeded  to  make  his 
revelation  with  great  method  and  coolness.  Removing 
some  of  the  long  shaggy  hair  of  the  dog,  II  Maledetto 
showed  the  attentive  and  curious  spectators  that  a  belt  of 
leather  had  been  ingeniously  placed  about  the  body  of  the 
animal,  next  its  skin.  It  was  so  concealed  as  to  be  quite 
hid  from  the  view  of  those  who  did  not  make  particular 
search,  a  process  that  Nettuno,  judging  by  the  scowling 
looks  he  threw  at  most  present,  and  the  manner  in  which 
he  showed  his  teeth,  would  not  be  likely  to  permit  to  a  stran- 
ger. The  belt  was  opened,  and  Maso  laid  a  glittering 
necklace  of  precious  stones,  in  which  rubies  and  emeralds 
vied  with  other  gems  of  price,  with  some  of  a  dealer's 
coquetry,  under  the  strong  light  of  the  lamp. 

"  There  you  see  the  fruits  of  a  life  of  hazards  and  hard- 
ships, Signor  Chatelain,"  he  said  ;  "  if  my  purse  is  empty 
it  is  because  the  Jewish  Calvinists  of  Geneva  have  taken 
the  last  Hard  in  payment  of  the  jewels." 

"This  is  an  ornament  of  rare  beauty  and  exceeding 
value,  to  be  seen  in  the  possession  of  one  of  thy  appear- 
ance and  habits,  Maso  ! "  exclaimed  the  frugal  Valaisan. 

"  Signore,  its  cost  was  a  hundred  doppie  of  pure  gold 
and  full  weight,  and  it  is  contracted  for  with  a  young  noble 
of  Milano,  who  hopes  to  win  his  mistress  by  the  present, 
for  a  profit  of  fifty.  Affairs  were  getting  low  with  me  in 
consequence  of  sundry  seizures  and  a  total  wreck,  and  I 
took  the  adventure  with  the  hope  of  sudden  and  great  gain. 
As  there  is  nothing  against  the  laws  of  Valais  in  the  matter, 
I  trust  to  stand  acquitted,  chatelain,  for  my  frankness.  One 
who  was  master  of  this  would  be  little  likely  to  shed  blood 
for  the  trifle  that  would  be  found  on  the  person  of  Jacques 
Colis." 

"  Thou  hast  more,"  observed  the  Judge,  signing  with  his 
hand  as  he  spoke  ;  "  let  us  see  all  thou  hast." 

"  Not  a  brooch,  or  so  much  as  a  worthless  garnet." 

"  Nay,  I  see  the  belt  which  contains  them  among  the 
hairs  of  the  dog." 

Maso  either  felt  or  feigned  a  well-acted  surprise.  Net- 
tuno had  been  placed  in  a  convenient  attitude  for  his  mas- 
ter to  unloosen  the  belt,  and,  as  it  was  the  intention  of  the 
latter  to  replace  it,  the  animal  still  lay  quietly  in  the  same 
position,  a  circumstance  which  displaced  his  shaggy  coat. 


THE  HEADSMAN.  351 

and  allowed  the  chatelain  to  detect  the  object  to  which  he 
had  just  alluded. 

"  Signore,"  said  the  smuggler,  changing  color,  but  en- 
deavoring to  speak  lightly  of  a  discovery  which  all  the 
others  present  evidently  considered  to  be  grave,  "  it  would 
seem  that  the  dog,  accustomed  to  do  these  little  offices  in 
behalf  of  his  master,  has  been  tempted  by  success  to  under- 
take a  speculation  on  his  own  account.  By  my  patron 
saint  and  the.  Virgin  !  I  know  nothing  of  this  second  ad- 
venture." 

"  Trifle  not,  but  undo  the  belt,  lest  I  have  the  beast  muz- 
zled that  it  may  be  performed  by  others,"  sternly  com- 
manded the  chatelain. 

The  Italian  complied,  though  with  an  ill  grace  that  was 
much  too  apparent  for  his  own  interest.  Having  loosened 
the  fastenings,  he  reluctantly  gave  the  envelope  to  the 
Valaisan.  The  latter  cut  the  cloth,  and  laid  some  ten  or 
fifteen  different  pieces  of  jewelry  on  the  table.  The  spec- 
tators crowded  about  the  spot  in  curiosity,  while  the  Judge 
eagerly  referred  to  the  written  description  of  the  effects  of 
the  murdered  man. 

"  A  ring  of  brilliants,  with  an  emerald  of  price,  the  set- 
ting chaste  and  heavy,"  read  the  Valaisan. 

"  Thank  God,  it  is  not  here  !  "  exclaimed  the  Signor 
Grimaldi.  "  One  could  wish  to  find  so  true  a  mariner  inno- 
cent of  this  bloody  deed  ! " 

The  chatelain  believed  he  was  on  the  scent  of  a  secret 
that  had  begun  to  perplex  him,  and  as  few  are  so  inhe- 
rently humane  as  to  prefer  the  advantage  of  another  to  their 
own  success,  he  heard  both  the  announcement  and  the 
declaration  of  the  noble  Genoese  with  a  frown. 

"  A  cross  of  turquoise  of  the  length  of  two  inches,  with 
pearls  of  no  great  value  intermixed,"  continued  the  Judge. 

Sigismund  groaned  and  turned  away  from  the  table. 

"  Unhapily,  here  is  that  which  too  well  answers  the  de- 
scription ! "  slowly  and  with  evident  reluctance,  escaped 
from  the  Signor  Grimaldi. 

"  Let  it  be  measured,"  demanded  the  prisoner. 

The  experiment  was  made,  and  the  agreement  was  found 
to  be  perfect. 

"  Bracelets  of  rubies,  the  stones  set  in  foil,  and  six  in 
number,"  continued  the  methodical  chatelain,  whose  eye 
now  lighted  with  the  triumph  of  victory. 

"  These  are  wanting  !  "  cried  Melchior  de  Willading,  who, 


352 


HEADSMAN. 


in  common  with  all  whom  he  had  served,  took  a  lively  in< 
terest  in  the  fate  of  Maso.  "There  are  no  jewels  of  this 
description  here  ! " 

"  Come  to  the  next,  Herr  Ch&telain,"  put  in  Peterchen, 
leaning  to  the  side  of  the  law's  triumph  ;  "  let  us  have  the 
next,  o'  God's  name  !" 

"  A  brooch  of  amethyst,  the  stone  of  our  own  moun- 
tains, set  in  foil,  and  the  size  of  one-eighth  of  an  inch  ; 
form  oval." 

It  was  lying  on  the  table,  beyond  all  possibility  of  dis- 
pute. All  the  remaining  articles,  which  were  chiefly  rings 
of  the  less  prized  stones,  such  as  jasper,  garnet,  topaz, 
and  turquoise,  were  also  identified,  answering  perfectly  to 
the  description  furnished  by  the  jeweller,  who  had  sold 
them  to  Jacques  Colis  the  night  of  the  fete,  when,  with 
Swiss  thrift,  he  had  laid  in  this  small  stock  in  trade,  with 
a  view  to  diminish  the  cost  of  his  intended  journey. 

"It  is  a  principle  of  law,  unfortunate  man,"  remarked 
the  chatelain,  removing  the  spectacles  he  had  mounted  in 
order  to  read  the  list,  "  that  effects  wrongly  taken  from 
one  robbed  criminates  him  in  whose  possession  they  are 
found,  unless  he  can  render  a  clear  account  of  the  trans- 
fer. What  hast  thou  to  say  on  this  head  ?  " 

"  Not  a  syllable,  signore  ;  I  must  refer  yc  u  and  all  others 
to  the  dog,  who  alone  can  furnish  the  history  of  these 
bawbles.  It  is  clear  that  I  am  little  known  in  the  Valais, 
for  Maso  never  deals  in  trifles  insignificant  as  these." 

"  The  pretext  will  not  serve  thee,  Maso  ;  thou  triflest 
in  an  affair  of  life  and  death.  Wilt  thou  confess  thy  crime, 
ere  we  proceed  to  extremities  ?" 

"  That  I  have  been  long  at  open  variance  with  the  law. 
Signor  Castellano,  is  true,  if  you  wilV  have  it  so  ;  but  I  am 
as  innocent  of  this  man's  death  as  the  noble  Baron  de 
Willading  hera  That  the  Genoese  authorities  were  look- 
ing for  me,  on  account  of  some  secret  understanding  that 
the  republic  has  with  its  old  enemies,  the  Savoyards,  I 
frankly  allow,  too ;  but  it  was  a  matter  of  gain,  and  not  of 
blood.  I  have  taken  life  in  my  time,  signore,  but  it  has 
been  in  fair  combat,  whether  the  cause  was  just  or  not." 

"  Enough  has  been  proved  against  thee  already  to  justify 
the  use  of  the  torture  in  order  to  have  the  rest." 

"  Nay,  I  do  not  see  the  necessity  of  this  appeal,"  re- 
marked the  bailiff.  "  There  lies  the  dead,  here  is  his  prop- 
erty and  yonder  stands  the  criminal.  It  is  an  affair  that 


THE  HEADSMAN.  353 

only  wants  the  forms,  methinks,  to  be  committed  pres- 
ently to  the  axe." 

"  Of  all  the  foul  offences  against  God  and  man,"  re- 
sumed the  Valaisan,  in  the  manner  of  one  that  is  about  to 
sentence,  "  that  which  hastens  a  living  soul,  unshrived, 
unconfessed,  unprepared,  and  with  all  its  sins  upon  it, 
into  another  state  of  being,  and  into  the  dread  presence  of 
his  Almighty  Judge,  is  the  heaviest,  and  the  last  to  be 
overlooked  by  the  law.  There  is  less  excuse  for  thee, 
Thomaso  Santi,  for  thy  education  has  been  far  superior  to 
thy  fortunes,  and  thou  hast  passed  a  life  of  vice  and  vio- 
lence in  opposition  to  thy  reason  and  what  was  taught 
thee  in  youth.  Thou  hast,  therefore,  little  ground  for 
hope,  since  the  State  I  serve  loves  justice  in  its  purity 
above  all  other  qualities." 

" Nobly  spoken,  Herr  Chatelain,"  cried  the  bailiff,  "and 
in  a  manner  to  send  repentance  like  a  dagger  into  the 
criminal's  soul.  What  is  thought  and  said  in  Valais  we 
echo  in  Vaud,  and  I  would  not  that  any  I  love  stood  in 
thy  shoes,  Maso,  for  the  honors  of  the  Emperor ! " 

"Signori,  you  have  both  spoken,  and  it  is  as  men  whom 
fortune  hath  favored  since  childhood.  It  is  easy  for  those 
who  are  in  prosperity  to  be  upright  in  all  that  touches 
money,  though  by  the  light  of  the  blessed  Maria's  counte- 
nance !  I  do  think  there  is  more  coveted  by  those  who 
have  much  than  by  the  hardy  and  industrious  poor.  I  am 
no  stranger  to  that  which  men  call  justice,  and  know  how 
to  honor  and  respect  its  decrees  as  they  deserve.  Justice, 
signori,  is  the  weak  man's  scourge  and  the  strong  man's 
sword ;  it  is  a  breast-plate  and  back-plate  to  the  one  and  a 
weapon  to  be  parried  by  the  other.  In  short,  it  is  a  word 
of  fair  import  on  the  tongue,  but  of  most  unequal  applica- 
tion in  the  deed." 

"  We  overlook  thy  language  in  consideration  of  the  pass 
to  which  thy  crimes  have  reduced  thee,  unhappy  man, 
though  it  is  an  aggravation  of  thy  offences,  since  it  proves 
thou  hast  sinned  equally  against  thyself  and  us.  This 
affair  need  go  no  further  ;  the  headsman  and  the  other 
travellers  may  be  dismissed  ;  we  commit  the  Italian  to  the 
irons." 

Maso  heard  the  order  without  alarm,  though  he  ap- 
peared to  be  maintaining  a  violent  struggle  with  himself. 
He  paced  the  chapel  rapidly,  and  muttered  much  between 
his  teeth.  His  words  were  not  intelligible,  though  the,v 

23 


354  THE  HEADSMAN. 

were  evidently  of  strong,  if  not  violent,  import.  At  length 
he  stopped  short,  in  the  manner  of  one  who  had  decided. 

"  This  matter  grows  serious,"  he  said  ;  "  it  will  admit  of 
no  further  hesitation.  Signor  Grimaldi,  command  all  to 
leave  the  chapel  in  whose  discretion  you  have  not  the  most 
perfect  confidence." 

"  I  see  none  to  be  distrusted,"  answered  the  surprised 
Genoese. 

"Then  will  I  speak." 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

"Thy  voice  to  us  is  wind  among  still  woods." — SHELLEY. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  the  gravity  of  the  facts  which  were 
accumulating  against  him,  Maso  had  maintained  through- 
out the  foregoing  scene  much  of  that  steady  self-posses- 
sion and  discernment  which  were  the  fruits  of  adventure 
in  scenes  of  danger,  long  exposure  and  multiplied  hazards. 
To  these  causes  of  coolness  might  be  added  the  iron-like 
nerves  inherited  from  nature.  The  latter  were  not  easily 
disturbed,  however  critical  the  state  to  which  he  was  re- 
duced. Still  he  had  changed  color,  and  his  manner  had 
that  thoughtful  and  unsettled  air  which  denotes  the  con- 
sciousness of  being  in  circumstances  that  require  uncom- 
mon wariness  and  judgment.  But  his  final  opinion  ap- 
peared to  be  formed  when  he  made  the  appeal  mentioned 
in  the  close  of  the  last  chapter,  and  he  now  only  waited 
for  the  two  or  three  officials  who  were  present  to  retire, 
before  he  pursued  his  purpose.  When  the  door  was  closed, 
leaving  none  but  his  examiners,  Sigismund,  Balthazar,  and 
the  group  of  females  in  the  side  chapel,  he  turned  with 
singular  respect  of  manner,  and  addressed  himself  exclu- 
sively to  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  as  if  the  judgment  which 
was  to  decide  his  fate  depended  solely  on  his  will. 

"  Signore,"  he  said,  "  there  has  been  much  secret  allusion 
between  us,  and  I  suppose  that  it  is  unnecessary  for  me  to 
say  that  you  are  known  to  me." 

"  I  have  already  recognized  thee  for  a  countryman," 
coldly  returned  the  Genoese  ;  "  it  is  in  vain,  however,  to  im- 
agine the  circumstance  can  avail  a  murderer.  If  any  con- 
sideration could  induce  me  to  forget  the  claims  of  justice, 


THE   HEADSMAN.  355 

the  recollection  of  thy  good  service  on  the  Leman  would 
prove  thy  best  friend/  As  it  is,  I  fear  thou  hast  naught  to 
expec"  from  me." 

Maso  was  silent.  He  looked  the  other  steadily  in  the 
iace,  as  if  he  would  study  his  character,  though  he  guard- 
edly prevented  his  manner  from  losing  its  appearance  of 
profound  respect. 

"  Signore,  the  chances  of  life  were  greatly  with  you  at 
the  birth.  You  were  born  the  heir  of  a  powerful  house, 
in  which  gold  is  more  plenty  than  woes  in  a  poor  man's 
cabin,  and  you  have  not  been  made  to  learn  by  experience 
how  iard  it  is  to  keep  down  the  longings  for  those  pleas- 
ures vthich  the  base  metal  will  purchase,  when  we  see 
others  rolling  in  its  luxuries." 

"  This  plea  will  not  avail  thee,  unfortunate  man ;  else 
were  there  an  end  of  human  institutions.  The  difference 
of  ,vhich  thou  speakest  is  a  simple  consequence  of  the 
rights  of  property  ;  and  even  the  barbarian  admits  the  sa- 
cred duty  of  respecting  that  which  is  another's." 

"  A.  word  from  one  like  you,  illustrious  signore,  would 
open  for  me  the  road  to  Piedmont,"  continued  Maso,  un- 
moved;  "  once  across  the  frontiers,  it  shall  be  my  care 
never  to  molest  the  rocks  of  Valais  again.  I  ask  only 
what  I  have  been  the  means  of  saving,  Eccellenza — life." 

The  Signor  Grimaldi  shook  his  head,  though  it  was  very 
evident  that  he  declined  the  required  intercession  with 
much  reluctance.  He  and  old  Melchior  de  Willading  ex- 
changed glances  ;  and  all  who  noted  this  silent  inter- 
course understood  it  to  say,  that  each  considered  duty  to 
God  a  higher  obligation  than  gratitude  for  a  service  ren- 
dered to  themselves. 

"  Ask  gold,  or  what  thou  wilt  else,  but  do  not  ask  me  to 
aid  in  defeating  justice.  Gladly  would  I  have  given  for 
the  asking,  twenty  times  the  value  of  those  miserable  baw- 
bles  for  whose  possession,  Maso,  thou  hast  rashly  taken 
life  ;  but  I  cannot  become  a  sharer  of  thy  crime,  by  refus- 
ing atonement  for  his  friends.  It  is  too  late  ;  I  cannot  be- 
friend thee  now,  if  I  would." 

"  Thou  hearest  the  answer  of  this  noble  gentleman,"  in- 
terposed the  chatelain  ;  "  it  is  wise  and  seemly,  and  thou 
greatly  overratest  his  influence  or  that  of  any  present,  if 
thou  fanciest  the  laws  can  be  set  aside  at  pleasure.  Wert 
thou  a  noble  thyself,  or  the  son  of  a  prince,  judgment 
would  have  its  way  in  the  Valais !  " 


356  THE  HEADSMAN 

Maso  smiled  wildly  ;  and  yet  the  expression  of  his  glit. 
tering  eye  was  so  ironical  as  to  cause  uneasiness  m  his 
judge.  The  Signor  Grimaldi,  too,  observed  the  audacious 
confidence  of  his  air  with  distrust,  for  his  spirit  had  taken 
secret  alarm  on  a  subject  that  was  rarely  long  absent  from 
his  thoughts. 

"  If  thou  meanest  more  than  has  been  said,"  eiclaiined 
the  latter,  "  for  the  sake  of  the  blessed  Maria  be  ex- 
plicit ! " 

"  Signor  Melchior,"  continued  Maso,  turning  to  the 
Baron,  "  I  did  you  and  your  daughter  fair  service  on  the 
lake  !  " 

"  That  thou  didst,  Maso.  we  are  both  willing  to  admit, 
and  were  it  in  Berne, — but  the  laws  are  made  equally  for 
all,  the  great  and  the  humble,  they  who  have  friends,  and 
they  who  have  none." 

"  I  have  heard  of  this  act  on  the  lake,"  put  in  Petercten  ; 
"and  unless  fame  lieth — which,  Heaven  knows,  fame  isapt 
enough  to  do,  except  in  giving  their  just  dues  to  those  ATho 
are  in  high  trust, — thou  didst  conduct  thyself  in  thst  af- 
fair, Maso,  like  a  loyal  and  well-taught  mariner  ;  bul  the 
honorable  chatelain  has  well  remarked,  that  holy  justice 
must  have  way  before  all  other  things.  Justice  is  repre- 
sented as  blind,  in  order  that  it  may  be  seen  she  is  no  re- 
specter of  persons  :  and  wert  thou  an  Avoyer,  the  decree 
must  come.  Reflect  maturely,  therefore,  on-  all  the 
facts,  and  thou  wilt  come,  in  time,  to  see  the  impossibility 
of  thine  own  innocence.  First,  thou  left  the  path,  being 
ahead  of  Jacques  Colis,  to  enter  it  at  a  moment  suited  to 
thy  purposes  :  then  thou  tookest  his  life  for  gold " 

"  But  this  is  believing  that  to  be  true,  Signor  Bailiff, 
which  is  only  yet  supposed,"  interrupted  II  Maledetto  ;  "  I 
left  the  path  to  give  Nettuno  his  charge  apart  from  curious 
eyes  ;  and,  as  for  the  gold  of  which  you  speak,  would  the 
owner  of  a  necklace  of  that  price  be  apt  to  barter  his  soul 
against  a  booty  like  this  which  comes  of  Jacques  Colis  ! " 

Maso  spoke  with  a  contempt  which  did  not  serve  his 
cause  ;  for  it  left  the  impression  among  the  auditors,  that 
he  weighed  the  morality  and  immorality  of  his  acts  simply 
by  their  result. 

"  It  is  time  to  bring  this  to  an  end,"  said  the  Signor 
Grimaldi,  who  had  been  thoughtful  and  melancholy  w^hile 
the  others  spoke  ;  "  thou  hast  something  to  address  particu- 
larly to  me,  Maso  ;  but  if  thy  claim  is  no  better  than  that 


THE  HEADSMAN.  357 

of  our  common  country,  I  grieve  to  say  it  cannot  be  ad- 
mitted." 

"  Signor,  the  voice  of  a  Doge  of  Genoa  is  not  often 
raised  in  vain,  when  he  would  use  it  in  behalf  of  another  !  " 

At  this  sudden  announcement  of  the  traveller's  rank, 
the  monks  of  the  chatelain  started  in  surprise,  and  a  low 
murmur  of  wonder  was  heard  in  the  chapel  The  smile  of 
Peterchen,  and  the  composure  of  the  Baron  de  Willading, 
however,  showed  that  they  at  least  had  learned  nothing 
new.  The  bailiff  whispered  the  prior  significantly,  and 
from  that  moment  his  deportment  toward  the  Genoese 
took  still  more  of  the  character  of  formal  and  official  re- 
spect. On  the  other  hand,  the  Signor  Grimaldi  remained 
composed,  like  one  accustomed  to  receive  deference, 
though  his  manner  lost  the  slight  degree  of  restraint  that 
had  been  imposed  by  the  observance  of  the  temporary 
character  he  had  assumed. 

"  The  voice  of  a  Doge  of  Genoa  should  not  be  used  in 
intercession,  unless  in  behalf  of  the  innocent,"  he  replied, 
keeping  his  severe  eye  fastened  on  the  countenance  of  the 
accused. 

Again  II  Maledetto  seemed  laboring  with  some  secret 
that  struggled  on  his  tongue. 

"  Speak,"  continued  the  Prince  of  Genoa  ;  for  it  was,  in 
truth,  that  high  functionary,  who  had  journeyed  incognito, 
in  the  hope  of  meeting  his  ancient  friend  at  the  sports  of 
Vevey.  "  Speak,  Maso,  if  thou  hast  aught  serious  to  urge 
in  favor  of  thyself  ;  time  presses,  and  the  sight  of  one  to 
whom  I  owe  so  much  in  this  great  jeopardy,  without  the 
power  to  aid  him,  grows  painful." 

"  Signor  Doge,  though  deaf  to  pity,  you  cannot  be  deaf 
to  nature." 

The  countenance  of  the  Doge  became  livid  ;  his  lips 
trembled  even  to  the  appearance  of  convulsions. 

"  Deal  no  longer  in  mystery,  man  of  blood  ! "  he  said 
with  energy.  "  What  is  thy  meaning  ?  " 

"  I  entreat  your  Eccellenza  to  be  calm.  Necessity  forces 
me  to  speak  ;  for,  as  you  see,  I  stand  between  this  reve- 
lation and  the  block — I  am  Bartoldo  Contini  ! " 

The  groan  that  escaped  the  compressed  lips  of  the  Doge, 
the  manner  in  which  he  sank  into  a  seat,  and  the  hue  of 
death  that  settled  over  his  aged  countenance,  until  it  was 
more  ghastly  even  than  that  of  the  unhappy  victim  of  vio- 
lence, drew  all  present,  in  wonder  and  alarm,  around  his 


353  THE  HEADSMAN. 

chair.  Signing  for  those  who  pressed  upon  him  to  give 
way,  the  Prince  sat  gazing  at  Maso,  with  eyes  that  appear, 
ed  ready  to  burst  from  their  sockets. 

"  Thou  Bartolomeo  !  "  he  uttered  huskily,  as  if  horror 
had  frozen  his  voice. 

"I  am  Bartolo,  Signer,  and  no  other.  He  who  goee 
through  many  scenes  hath  occasion  for  many  names.  Even 
your  Highness  travels  at  times  under  a  cloud." 

The  Doge  continued  to  stare  on  the  speaker  with  the 
fixedness  of  regard  that  one  might  be  supposed  to  fasten 
on  a  creature  of  unearthly  existence. 

"  Melchior,"  he  said  slowly,  turning  his  eyes  from  one  to 
the  other  of  the  forms  that  filled  them,  for  Sigismund  had 
advanced  to  the  side  of  Maso,  in  kind  concern  for  the  old 
man's  condition, — "  Melchior,  we  are  but  feeble  and  miser- 
able creatures  in  the  hand  of  one  who  looks  upon  the 
proudest  and  happiest  of  us,  as  we  look  upon  the  worm 
that  crawls  the  earth  !  What  are  hope,  and  honor,  and 
our  fondest  love,  in  the  great  train  of  events  that  time 
heaves  from  its  womb,  bringing  forth  to  our  confusion  ? 
Are  we  proud  ?  fortune  revenges  itself  for  our  want  of  hu- 
mility by  its  scorn.  Are  we  happy  ?  it  is  but  the  calm  that 
precedes  the  storm.  Are  we  great  ?  it  is  but  to  lead  us 
into  abuses  that  will  justify  our  fall.  Are  we  honored  ? 
stains  tarnish  our  good  names,  in  spite  of  all  our  care  !  " 

"  He  who  puts  his  trust  in  the  Son  of  Maria  need  never 
despair  !  "  whispered  the  worthy  clavier,  touched  nearly  to 
tears  by  the  sudden  distress  of  one  whom  he  had  learned 
to  respect.  "  Let  the  fortunes  of  the  world  pass  away,  or 
change  as  they  will,  his  chastening  love  outliveth  time ! " 

The  Signor  Grimaldi,  for,  though  the  elected  of  Genoa, 
such  was  in  truth  the  family  name  of  the  Doge,  turned  his 
vacant  gaze  for  an  instant  on  the  Augustine,  but  it  soon 
reverted  to  the  forms  and  faces  of  Maso  and  Sigismund, 
who  still  stood  before  him,  filling  his  thoughts  even  more 
than  his  sight. 

"  Yes,  there  is  a  power,"  he  resumed,  "  a  great  and  be- 
neficent Being  to  equalize  our  fortunes  here,  and  when  we 
pass  into  another  state  of  being,  loaded  with  the  wrongs 
of  this,  we  shall  have  justice  !  Tell  me,  Melchior,  thou 
who  knew  my  youth,  who  read  my  heart  when  it  was  open 
as  day,  what  was  there  in  it  to  deserve  this  punishment  ? 
Here  is  Balthazar,  come  of  a  race  of  executioners — a  man 
condemned  of  opinion — that  prejudice  besets  with  a  hedge 


THE  HEADSMAN.  359 

of  hatred — that  men  point  at  with  their  fingers,  and  whom 
the  dogs  are  ready  to  bay — this  Balthazar  is  the  father  of 
that  gallant  youth,  whose  form  is  so  perfect,  whose  spirit 
is  so  noble,  and  whose  life  so  pure  ;  while  I,  the  last  of  a 
line  that  is  lost  in  the  obscurity  of  time,  the  wealthiest  of 
my  land,  and  the  chosen  of  my  peers,  am  accursed  with 
an  outcast,  a  common  brigand,  a  murderer,  for  the  sole 
prop  of  my  decaying  house — with  this  II  Maledetto — this 
man  accursed — for  a  son  ! " 

A  movement  of  astonishment  escaped  the  listeners,  even 
the  Baron  de  Willading  not  suspecting  the  real  cause  of 
his  friend's  distress.  Maso  alone  was  unmoved  ;  for  while 
the  aged  father  betrayed  the  keenness  of  his  anguish,  the 
son  discovered  none  of  that  sympathy  of  which  even  a  life 
like  his  might  be  supposed  to  have  left  some  remains  in 
the  heart  of  a  child.  He  was  cold,  collected,  observant, 
and  master  of  his  smallest  action. 

"  I  will  not  believe  this,"  exclaimed  the  Doge,  whose 
very  soul  revolted  at  this  unfeeling  apathy,  even  more  thaq 
at  the  disgrace  of  being  the  father  of  such  a  child  ;  "thou 
art  not  he  thou  pretendest  to  be  :  this  foul  lie  is  uttered 
that  my  natural  feelings  may  interpose  between  thee  and 
the  block  !  Prove  thy  truth,  or  I  abandon  thee  to  thy  fate." 

"  Signore,  I  would  have  saved  this  unhappy  exhibition, 
but  you  would  not.  That  I  am  Bartolo  this  signet,  your 
own  gift  sent  to  be  my  protection  in  a  strait  like  this,  will 
show.  It  is,  moreover,  easy  for  me  to  prove  what  I  say, 
by  a  hundred  witnesses  who  are  living  in  Genoa." 

The  Signer  Grimaldi  stretched  forth  a  hand  that  trem- 
bled like  an  aspen  to  receive  the  ring,  a  jewel  of  little  price, 
but  a  signet  that  he  had,  in  truth,  sent  to  be  an  instrument 
of  recognition  between  him  and  his  child,  in  the  event  of 
any  sudden  calamity  befalling  the  latter.  He  groaned  as 
he  gazed  at  its  well-remembered  emblems,  for  its  identity 
was  only  too  plain. 

"Maso — Bartolo — Gaetano — for  such,  miserable  boy,  is 
thy  real  appellation — thou  canst  not  know  how  bitter  is 
the  pang  that  an  unworthy  child  brings  to  the  parent,  else 
would  thy  life  have  been  different.  Oh  !  Gaetano  !  Gaetano  ! 
what  a  foundation  art  thou  for  a  father's  hopes !  What  a 
subject  for  a  father's  love  !  I  saw  thee  last  a  smiling  inno- 
cent cherub,  in  thy  nurse's  arms,  and  I  find  thee  with  a 
blighted  soul,  the  pure  fountain  of  thy  mind  corrupted,  a 
form  sealed  with  the  stamp  of  .vice,  and  with  hands  dyed 


360  THE  HEADSMAN-. 

in  blood  ;  prematurely  old  in  body,  and  with  a  spirit  that 
hath  already  the  hellish  taint  of  the  damned  !  " 

"  Signore,  you  find  me  as  the  chances  of  a  wild  life  have 
willed.  The  world  and  I  have  been  at  loggerheads  this 
many  a  year,  and  in  trifling  with  its  laws,  I  take  my  re- 
venge of  its  abuse — "  warmly  returned  II  Maledetto,  for 
his  spirit  began  to  be  aroused.  "  Thou  bear'st  hard  upon 
me,  Doge — father — or  what  thou  wilt — and  I  should  be 
little  worthy  of  my  lineage,  did  I  not  meet  thy  charges  as 
they  are  made.  Compare  thine  own  career  with  mine,  and 
let  it  be  proclaimed  by  sound  of  trumpet  if  thou  wilt, 
which  hath  most  reason  to  be  proud,  and  which  to  exult. 
Thou  wert  reared  in  the  hopes  and  honors  of  our  name  ; 
thou  passed  thy  youth  in  the  pursuit  of  arms  according  to 
thy  fancy,  and  when  tired  of  change,  and  willing  to  narrow 
thy  pleasures,  thou  looked  about  thee  for  a  maiden  to  be- 
come the  mother  of  thy  successor  ;  thou  turned  a  wishing 
eye  on  one  young,  fair,  and  noble,  but  whose  affections,  as 
her  faith,  were  solemnly,  irretrievably  plighted  to  another." 

The  doge  shuddered  and  veiled  his  eyes  ;  but  he  eagerly 
interrupted  Maso. 

"  Her  kinsman  was  unworthy  of  her  love,"  he  cried  ;  "  he 
was  an  outcast,  and  little  better  than  thyself,  unhappy  boy, 
except  in  the  chances  of  condition." 

"  It  matters  not,  signore  ;  God  had  not  made  you  the 
arbiter  of  her  fate.  In  tempting  her  family  by  your 
greater  riches,  you  crushed  two  hearts,  and  destroyed  the 
hopes  of  your  fellow  creatures.  In  her  was  sacrificed  an 
angel,  mild  and  pure  as  this  fair  creature  who  is  now  listen- 
ing so  breathlessly  to  my  words  ;  in  him  a  fierce  untamed 
spirit,  that  had  only  the  greater  need  of  management, 
since  it  was  as  likely  to  go  wrong  as  right.  Before  your 
son  was  born,  this  unhappy  rival,  poor  in  hopes  as  in  wealth, 
had  become  desperate  ;  and  the  mother  of  your  child  sank 
a  victim  to  her  ceaseless  regrets,  at  her  own  want  of  faith 
as  much  as  for  his  follies." 

"  Thy  mother  was  deluded,  Gaetano  ;  she  never  knew 
the  real  qualities  of  her  cousin,  or  a  soul  like  hers  would 
have  loathed  the  wretch." 

"Signore,  it  matters  not,"  continued  II  Maledetto,  with 
a  ruthless  perseverance  of  intention,  and  a  coolness  of 
manner  that  would  secern  to  merit  the  description  which 
had  just  been  given  his  spirit,  that  of  possessing  a  hellish 
taint.  "  She  loved  him  witlj  a  woman's  heart  ;  and  with  a 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  361 

woman's  ingenuity  and  confidence,  she  ascribed  his  fall  to 
despair  for  her  loss." 

"  Oh,  Melchior  !  Melchior  !  this  is  fearfully  true  !  " 
groaned  the  Doge. 

"  It  is  so  true,  signore,  that  it  should  be  written  an  my 
mother's  tomb.  We  are  children  of  a  fiery  climate  ;  the 
passions* burn  in  our  Italy  like  the  hot  sun  that  glows 
there.  When  despair  drove  the  disappointed  lover  to  acts 
that  rendered  him  an  outlaw,  the  passage  to  revenge  was 
short.  Your  child  was  stolen,  hid  from  your  view,  and  cast 
upon  the  world  under  circumstances  that  left  little  doubt 
of  his  living  in  bitterness,  and  dying  under  the  con- 
tempt, if  not  the  curses,  of  his  fellows.  All  this,  Sig- 
nor  Grimaldi,  is  the  fruit  of  your  own  errors.  Had 
you  respected  the  affections  of  an  innocent  girl,  the 
sad  consequences  to  yourself  and  me  might  have  been 
avoided." 

"Is  this  man's  history  to  be  believed,  Gaetano?"  de- 
manded the  Baron,  who  had  more  than  once  betrayed  a 
wish  to  check  the  rude  tongue  of  the  speaker. 

"  I  do  not — I  cannot  deny  it ;  I  never  saw  my  own  con- 
duct in  this  criminal  light  before,  and  yet  now  it  all  seems 
frightfully  true." 

II  Maledetto  laughed.  Those  around  him  thought 
his  untimely  merriment  resembled  the  mockery  of  a 
devil. 

"This  is  the  manner  in  which  men  continue  to  sin, 
while  they  lay  claim  to  the  merit  of  innocence  !  "  he  added. 
"  Let  the  great  of  the  earth  give  but  half  the  care  to  pre- 
vent, that  they  show  to  punish,  offences  against  them- 
selves, and  what  is  now  called  justice  will  no  longer  be  a 
stalking-horse  to  enable  a  few  to  live  at  the  cost  of  the 
rest  As  for  me,  I  am  proof  of  what  noble  blood  and  il- 
lustrious ancestry  can  do  for  themselves  !  Stolen  when  a 
child,  Nature  has  had  fair  play  in  my  temperament,  which 
I  own  is  more  disposed  to  wild  adventure  and  manly 
risks  than  to  the  pleasures  of  marble  halls.  Noble 
father  of  mine,  were  this  spirit  dressed  up  in  the  guise 
of  a  senator,  or  a  Doge,  it  might  fare  badly  with  Genoa ! " 

"  Unfortunate  man,"  exclaimed  the  indignant  prior,  "  is 
this  language  for  a  child  to  use  to  his  father  ?  Dost  thou 
forget  that  the  blood  of  Jacques  Col  is  is  on  thy  soul  ?" 

"  Holy  Augustine,  the  candor  with  which  my  general 
frailties  are  allowed,  should  gain  me  credit  when  I  speak 


362  THE  HEADSMAN. 

of  particular  accusations.  By  the  hopes  and  piety  of  the 
reverend  canon  of  Aoste,  thy  patron  saint  and  founder,  I 
am  guiltless  of  this  crime.  Question  Nettuno  as  you  will, 
or  turn  the  affair  in  every  way  that  usage  warrants,  and 
let  appearances  take  what  shape  they  may,  I  swear  to  you 
my  innocence.  If  you  think  that  fear  of  punishment 
tempts  me  to  utter  a  lie  under  these  holy  appeals  (he 
crossed  himself  with  reverence),  ye  do  injustice  both  to 
my  courage  and  to  my  love  of  the  saints.  The  only  son  of 
the  reigning  Doge  of  Genoa  has  little  to  fear  from  the 
headsman's  blow  !  " 

Again  Maso  laughed.  It  was  the  confidence  of  one 
who  knew  the  world,  and  was  too  audacious  even  to  con- 
sult appearances  unless  it  suited  his  humor,  breaking  out 
in  very  wantonness.  A  man  who  had  led  his  life,  was  not 
to  learn  at  this  late  day,  that  the  want  of  eyes  in  Justice 
oftener  means  blindness  to  the  faults  of  the  privileged, 
than  the  impartiality  that  is  assumed  by  the  pretending 
emblem.  The  chatelain,  the  prior,  the  bailiff,  the  clavier, 
and  the  Baron  de  Willading,  looked  at  each  other  like  men 
bewildered.  The  mental  agony  of  the  Doge  formed  a 
contrast  so  frightful  with  the  heartless  and  cruel  insensi- 
bility of  the  son,  that  the  sight  chilled  their  blood.  The 
sentiment  was  only  the  more  common,  from  the  silent  but 
general  conviction  that  the  unfeeling  criminal  must  be  per- 
mitted to  escape.  There  was,  indeed,  no  precedent  for 
leading  the  child  of  a  prince  to  the  block,  unless  it  was  for 
an  offence  which  touched  the  preservation  of  the  father's 
interests.  Much  was  said  in  maxims  and  apothegms  of 
the  purity  and  necessity  of  rigid  impartiality  in  adminis- 
tering the  affairs  of  life,  but  neither  had  attained  his  years 
and  experience  without  obtaining  glimpses  of  practical 
things,  that  taught  them  to  foresee  the  impunity  of  Maso. 
Too  much  violence  would  be  done  to  a  factitious  and  tot- 
tering edifice,  were  it  known  that  a  prince's  son  was  no 
better  than  one  of  the  vilest,  and  the  lingering  feelings  of 
paternity  were  certain  at  last  to  cast  a  shield  before  the 
offender. 

The  embarrassment  and  doubt  attending  such  a  state  of 
things  was  happily,  but  quite  unexpectedly,  relieved  by 
the  interference  of  Balthazar.  The  headsman,  until  this 
moment,  had  been  a  silent  and  attentive  listener  to  all  that 
passed  ;  but  now  he  pressed  himself  into  the  circle,  and 
looking,  in  his  quiet  manner,  from  one  to  the  other,  he 


THE  HEADSMAN.  363 

spoke  with  the  assurance  that  the  certainty  of  having  im- 
portant intelligence  to  impart,  is  apt  to  give  even  to  the 
meekest,  in  the  presence  of  those  whom  they  habitually 
respect. 

"This  broken  tale  of  Maso,"  he  said,  "is  removing  a 
cloud  that  has  lain  for  nearly  thirty  years  before  my  eyes. 
Is  it  true,  illustrious  Doge,  for  such  it  appears  is  your 
princely  state,  that  a  son  of  your  noble  stock  was  stolen 
and  kept  in  secret  from  your  love,  through  the  vindictive 
enmity  of  a  rival  ?" 

"  True  ! — alas,  too  true  !  Would  it  had  pleased  the 
blessed  Maria,  who  so  cherished  his  mother,  to  call  his 
spirit  to  Heaven,  ere  the  curse  befell  him  and  me." 

"Your  pardon,  great  Prince,  if  I  press  you  with  ques- 
tions at  a  moment  so  painful.  But  it  is  in  your  own  in- 
terest. Suffer  that  I  may  ask  in  what  year  this  calamity 
befell  your  family  ?  " 

The  Signer  Grimaldi  signed  for  his  friend  to  assume  the 
office  of  answering  these  extraordinary  interrogatories, 
while  he  buried  his  own  venerable  face  in  his  cloak,  to 
conceal  his  anguish  from  curious  eyes.  Melchior  Willad- 
ing  regarded  the  headsman  in  surprise  ;  for  an  instant  he 
was  disposed  to  repel  questions  that  seemed  importunate  ; 
but  the  earnest  countenance,  and  mild,  decent  demeanor 
of  Balthazar,  overcame  his  repugnance  to  pursue  the  sub- 
ject. 

"  The  child  was  seized  in  the  autumn  of  the  year  1693," 
he  answered,  his  previous  conferences  with  his  friend  hav- 
ing put  him  in  possession  of  all  the  leading  facts  of  the 
history. 

"And  his  age  ?" 

"Was  near  a  twelvemonth." 

"Can  you  inform  me  what  became  of  the  profligate 
noble  who  committed  this  foul  robbery  ?" 

"  The  fate  of  the  Signer  Pantaleone  Serrani  has  never 
been  truly  known  ;  though  there  is  a  dark  rumor  that  he 
died  in  a  brawl  in  our  own  Switzerland.  That  he  is  dead 
there  is  no  cause  to  doubt." 

"  And  his  person,  noble  Freiherr — a  description  of  his 
person  is  now  only  wanting  to  throw  the  light  of  a  noon- 
day sun  on  what  has  so  long  been  night !  " 

"  I  knew  the  unlucky  Signor  Pantaleone  well  in  early 
youth.  At  the  time  mentioned  his  years  might  have  been 
thirty,  his  form  was  seemly  and  of  middle  height,  his 


564  THE  HEADSMAN. 

features  bore  the  Italian  outline,  with  the  dark  eye,  swarthy 
skin,  and  glossy  hair  of  the  climate.  More  than  this,  with 
the  exception  of  a  finger  lost  in  one  of  our  affairs  in  Lom- 
bardy,  I  cannot  say." 

"This  is  enough,"  returned  the  attentive  Balthazar. 
"  Dismiss  your  grief,  princely  Doge,  and  prepare  your 
heart  for  a  new-found  joy.  Instead  of  being  the  parent  of 
this  reckless  freebooter,  God  at  length  pities  and  returns 
your  real  son  in  Sigismund,  a  child  that  might  gladden  the 
heart  of  any  parent,  though  he  were  an  emperor  !  " 

This  extraordinary  declaration  was  made  to  stunned  and 
confounded  listeners.  A  cry  of  alarm  burst  from  the  lips 
of  Marguerite,  who  approached  the  group  in  the  centre  of 
the  chapel,  trembling  and  anxious,  as  if  the  grave  were 
about  to  rob  her  of  a  treasure. 

"  What  is  this  I  hear ! "  exclaimed  the  mother,  whose 
sensitiveness  was  the  first  to  take  alarm.  "  Are  my  half- 
formed  suspicions,  then,  too  true,  Balthazar  ?  Am  I,  in- 
deed, without  a  son  ?  I  know  thou  wouldst  not  trifle  with 
a  mother,  or  mislead  this  stricken  noble  in  a  thing  like 
this  !  Speak  again,  that  I  may  know  the  truth — Sigis- 
mund  " 

"  Is  not  our  child,"  answered  the  headsman,  with  an  im- 
press of  truth  in  his  manner  that  went  far  to  bring  con- 
viction ;  "  our  own  boy  died  in  that  blessed  state  of  infan- 
cy, and,  to  save  thy  feelings,  this  youth  was  substituted  in 
his  place  by  me  without  thy  knowledge." 

Marguerite  moved  nearer  to  the  young  man.  She  gazed 
wistfully  at  his  flushed,  excited  features,  in  which  pain  at 
being  so  unexpectedly  torn  from  the  bosom  of  a  family  he 
had  always  deemed  his  own,  was  fearfully  struggling  with 
a  wild  and  indefinite  delight  at  finding  himself  suddenly 
relieved  from  a  load  he  had  long  found  so  grievous  to  be 
borne.  Interpreting  the  latter  expression  with  jealous 
affection,  she  bent  her  face  to  her  bosom,  and  retreated  in 
silence  among  her  companions  to  weep. 

In  the  meantime  a  sudden  and  tumultuous  surprise  took 
possession  of  the  different  listeners,  which  was  modified 
and  exhibited  according  to  their  respective  characters,  as 
to  the  amount  of  interest  that  each  had  in  the  truth  or 
falsehood  of  what  had  just  been  announced.  The  Doge 
clung  to  the  hope,  improbable  as  it  seemed,  with  a  tenacity 
proportioned  to  his  recent  anguish,  while  Sigismund  stood 
like  one  beside  himself.  His  eye  wandered  from  the  sim< 


THE  HEADSMAN.  365 

pie  and  benevolent,  but  degraded  man,  whom  he  had  be- 
lieved to  be  his  father,  to  the  venerable  and  imposing- 
looking  noble  who  was  now  so  unexpectedly  presented  in 
that  sacred  character*  The  sobs  of  Marguerite  reached 
his  ears,  and  first  recalled  him  to  recollection.  They  came 
blended  with  the  fresh  grief  of  Christine,  who  felt  as  if 
ruthless  death  had  now  robbed  her  of  a  brother.  There 
was  also  the  struggling  emotion  of  one  whose  interest  in 
him  had  a  still  tender  and  engrossing  claim. 

"  This  is  so  wonderful ! "  said  the  trembling  Doge,  who 
dreaded  lest  the  next  syllable  that  was  uttered  might  de- 
stroy the  blessed  illusion,  "so  wildly  improbable,  that, 
though  my  soul  yearns  to  believe  it,  my  reason  refuses 
credence.  It  is  not  enough  to  utter  this  sudden  intelli- 
gence, Balthazar ;  it  must  be  proved.  Furnish  but  a 
moiety  of  the  evidence  that  is  necessary  to  establish  a 
legal  fact,  and  I  will  render  thee  the  richest  of  thy  class 
in  Christendom  !  And  thou,  Sigismund,  come  close  to  my 
heart,  noble  boy,"  he  added,  with  outstretched  arms,  "  that 
I  may  bless  thee,  while  there  is  hope — that  I  may  feel  one 
beat  of  a  father's  pulse — one  instant  of  a  father's  joy  !  " 

Sigismund  knelt  at  the  venerable  Prince's  feet,  and  re-, 
ceiving  his  head  on  his  shoulders,  their  tears  mingled. 
But  even  at  that  precious  moment  both  felt  a  sense  of  in- 
security, as  if  the  exquisite  pleasure  of  so  pure  a  happi- 
ness was  too  intense  to  last.  Maso  looked  upon  this  scene 
with  cold  displeasure  ;  his  averted  face  denoting  a  strong- 
er feeling  than  disappointment,  though  the  power  of  nat- 
ural sympathy  was  so  strong  as  to  draw  evidences  of  its 
force  from  the  eyes  of  all  the  others  present. 

"  Bless  thee,  bless  thee,  my  child,  my  dearly  beloved 
son  !  "  murmured  the  Doge,  lending  himself  to  the  improb- 
able tale  of  Balthazar  for  a  delicious  instant,  and  kissing 
the  cheeks  of  Sigismund  as  one  would  embrace  a  smiling 
infant ;  "  may  the  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  His  only  Son, 
and  the  holy  Virgin  undefiled,  unite  to  bless  thee,  here  and 
hereafter,  be  thou  whom  thou  mayest  !  I  owe  thee  one 
precious  instant  of  happiness,  such  as  I  have  never  tasted 
before.  To  find  a  child  would  not  be  enough  to  give  it 
birth  ;  but  to  believe  thee  to  be  that  son  touches  on  the 
joys  of  paradise  !  " 

Sigismund  fervently  kissed  the  hand  that  had  rested  af- 
fectionately on  his  head  during  this  diction  ;  then,  feeling 
the  necessity  of  having  some  guarantee  for  the  existence 


366  THE  HEADSMAN. 

of  emotions  so  sweet,  he  rose  and  made  a  warm  and  streng 
appeal  to  him  who  had  so  long  passed  for  his  father  to  be 
more  explicit,  and  to  justify  his  new-born  hopes  by  some 
evidence  better  than  his  simple  asseveration  ;  for  solemnly 
as. the  latter  had  been  mader  and  profound  as  he  knew  to 
be  the  reverence  of  truth  which  the  despised  headsman 
not  only  entertained  himself  but  inculcated  on  all  in  whom 
he  had  any  interest,  the  revelation  he  had  just  made  seemed 
too  improbable  to  resist  the  doubts  of  one  who  knew  his 
happiness  to  be  the  fruit  of  the  forfeiture  of  his  veracity. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

"We  rest — a  dream  has  power  to  poison  sleep  ; 
We  rise — one  wandering  thought  pollutes  the  day  ; 
We  feel,  conceive  or  reason,  laugh  or  weep  ; 
Embrace  fond  woe,  or  cast  our  cares  away.''' — SHELLEY. 

THE  tale  of  Balthazar  was  simple  but  eloquent.  His 
union  with  Marguerite,  in  spite  of  the  world's  obloquy  and 
injustice,  had  been  blessed  by  the  wise  and  merciful  Being 
who  knew  how  to  temper  the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb. 

"  We  knew  we  were  all  to  each  other,"  he  continued, 
after  briefly  alluding  to  the  early  history  of  their  births  and 
love  ;  "  and  we  felt  the  necessity  for  living  for  ourselves. 
Ye  that  are  born  to  honors,  who  meet  with  smiles  and  re- 
spectful looks  in  all  ye  meet,  can  know  little  of  the  feeling 
which  binds  together  the  unhappy.  When  God  gave  us 
our  first-born,  as  he  lay  a  smiling  babe  in  her  lap,  looking 
up  into  her  eye  with  the  innocence  that  most  likens  man 
to  angels,  Marguerite  shed  bitter  tears  at  the  thought  of 
such  a  creature's  being  condemned  by  the  laws  to  shed  the 
blood  of  men.  The  reflection  that  he  was  to  live  forever 
an  outcast  from  his  kind  was  bitter  to  a  mother's  heart. 
We  had  made  many  offers  to  the  canton  to  be  released  our- 
selves from  this  charge  ;  we  had  prayed  them— Herr  Mel- 
chior,  you  should  know  how  earnestly  we  have  prayed  the 
council,  to  be  suffered  to  live  like  others,  and  without  this 
accursed  doom — but  they  would  not.  They  said  the  usage 
was  ancient,  that  change  was  dangerous,  and  that  what 
God  willed  must  come  to  pass.  We  could  not  bear  that  the 
burden  we  found  so  hard  to  endure  ourselves  should  go 


THE  HEADSMAN.  367 

down  forever  as  a  curse  upon  our  descendants,  HerrDoge," 
he  continued,  raising  his  meek  face  in  the  pride  of  honesty  ; 
"  it  is  well  for  those  who  are  the  possessors  of  honors  to  be 
proud  of  their  privileges  ;  but  when  the  inheritance  is  one 
of  wrongs  and  scorn,  when  the  evil  eyes  of  our  fellows  are 
upon  us,  the  heart  sickens.  Such  was  ou-r  feeling  when  we 
looked  upon  our  first-born.  The  wish  to  save  him  from  his 
own  disgrace  was  uppermost,  and  we  bethought  us  of  the 
means." 

"  Aye  !  "  sternly  interrupted  Marguerite.  "  I  parted  with 
my  child,  and  silenced  a  mother's  longings,  proud  nobles, 
that  he  might  not  become  the  tool  of  your  ruthless 
policy  ;  I  gave  up  a  mother's  joy  in  nourishing  and  cher- 
ishing her  young,  that  the  little  innocent  might  live  among 
his  fellows,  as  God  had  created  him,  their  equal,  and  not 
their  victim ! " 

Balthazar  paused,  as  was  usual  with  him  whenever  his 
energetic  wife  manifested  any  of  her  strong  and  masculine 
qualities,  and  then,  when  deep  silence  had  followed  her  re- 
mark, he  proceeded. 

"  We  wanted  not  for  wealth  ;  all  we  asked  was  to  be  like 
others  in  the  wrorld's  respect.  With  our  money  it  was  very 
easy  to  find  those  in  another  canton,  who  were  willing  to 
take  the  little  Sigismund  into  their  keeping.  After  which 
a  feigned  death  and  a  private  burial  did  the  rest.  The  de- 
ceit was  easily  practised,  for  as  few  cared  for  the  griefs  as 
for  the  happiness  of  the  headsman's  family.  The  child 
had  drawn  near  the  end  of  its  first  year,  when  I  was  called 
upon  to  execute  my  office  on  a  stranger.  The  criminal 
had  taken  life  in  a  druken  brawl  in  one  of  the  towns  of  the 
canton,  and  he  wafe  said  to  be  a  man  who  had  trifled  with 
the  precious  gifts  of  birth,  it  being  suspected  that  he  was 
noble.  I  went  with  a  heavy  heart,  for  never  did  I  strike  a 
blow  without  praying  God  it  might  be  the  last ;  but  it  was 
heavier  when  I  reached  the  place  where  the  culprit 
awaited  his  fate.  The  tidings  of  my  poor  son's  death 
reached  me  as  I  put  foot  on  the  threshold  of  the  desolate 
prison,  and  I  turned  aside  to  weep  for  my  own  woes,  before 
I  entered  to  see  my  victim.  The  condemned  man  had 
great  unwillingness  to  die  ;  he  had  sent  for  me  many  hours 
before  the  fatal  moment,  to  make  acquaintance,  as  he 
said,  with  the  hand  that  was  to  dispatch  him  to  the  presence 
of  his  last  and  eternal  Judge." 

Balthazar  paused  ;  he  appeared  to  meditate  on  a  scene 


368  THE  HEADSMAN. 

that  had  probably  left  indelible  impressions  on  his  mind 
Shuddering  involuntarily,  he  raised  his  eyes  from  the 
pavement  of  the  chapel,  and  continued  the  recital,  always 
in  the  same  subdued  and  tranquil  manner. 

"  I  have  been  the  unwilling  instrument  of  many  a  vio- 
lent death — I  have  seen  the  most  reckless  sinners  in  the 
agonies  of  sudden  and  compelled  repentance,  but  never  have 
I  witnessed  so  wild  and  fearful  a  struggle  between  earth  and 
heaven — the  world  and  the  grave — passion  and  the  rebuke 
of  Providence — as  attended  the  last  hours  of  that  unhappy 
man  !  There  were  moments  in  which  the  mild  spirit  of 
Christ  won  upon  his  evil  mood,  'tis  true  ;  but  the  picture 
was,  in  general,  that  of  revenge  so  fierce,  that  the  powers  of 
hell  alone  could  give  it  birth  in  a  human  heart.  He  had 
with  him  an  infant  of  an  age  just  fitted  to  be  taken  from 
the  breast.  This  child  appeared  to  awaken  the  fiercest 
conflicting  feelings  ;  he  both  yearned  over  it  and  detested 
its  sight,  though  hatred  seemed  most  to  prevail." 

•'This  was  horrible  ! "  murmured  the  Doge. 

"  It  was  the  more  horrible,  Herr  Doge,  that  it  should 
come  from  one  who  was  justly  condemned  to  the  axe.  He 
rejected  the  priests  ;  he  would  have  naught  of  any  but  me. 
My  soul  loathed  the  wretch — yet  so  few  ever  showed  an  in- 
terest in  us —  and  it  would  have  been  cruel  to  desert  a  dy- 
ing man !  At  the  end,  he  placed  the  child  in  my  care, 
furnishing  more  gold  than  was  sufficient  to  rear  it  frugally 
to  the  age  of  manhood,  and  leaving  other  valuables  which 
I  have  kept  as  proofs  that  might  some  day  be  useful.  All 
I  could  learn  of  the  infant's  origin  was  simply  this.  It 
came  from  Italy,  and  of  Italian  parents  ;  its  mother  died 
soon  after  its  birth," — a  groan  escaped  the  Doge — "  its 
father  still  lived,  and  was  the  object  of  the  criminal's  im- 
placable hatred,  as  its  mother  had  been  of  his  ardent  love  ; 
its  birth  was  noble,  and  it  had  been  baptized  in  the  bosom 
of  the  Church  by  the  name  of  Gaetano." 

"  It  must  be  he  ! — it  is — it  must  be  my  beloved  son  '  " 
exclaimed  the  Doge,  unable  to  control  himself  any  longer. 
He  spread  wide  his  arms,  and  Sigismund  threw  himself 
upon  his  bosom,  though  there  still  remained  fearful  ap- 
prehensions that  all  he  heard  was  a  dream.  "  Go  on — gc 
on — excellent  Balthazar,"  added  the  Signor  Grimaldi,  dry- 
ing his  eyes  and  struggling  to  command  himself.  "  I  shall 
have  no  peace  until  all  is  revealed  to  the  last  syllable  of 
thy  wonderful,  thy  glorious  tale  ' " 


THE  HEADSMAN.  369 

"  There  remains  but  little  more  to  say,  Herr  Doge.  The 
fatal  hour  arrived,  and  the  criminal  was  transported  to  the 
place  where  he  was  to  give  up  his  life.  While  seated  in 
the  chair  in  which  he  received  the  fatal  blow,  his  spirit 
underwent  infernal  torments.  I  have  reason  to  think  that 
there  were  moments  when  he  would  gladly  have  made  his 
peace  with  God.  But  the  demons  prevailed  ;  he  died  in 
his  sins  !  From  the  hour  when  he  committed  the  little 
Gaetano  to  my  keeping,  I  did  not  cease  to  entreat  to  be 
put  in  possession  of  the  secret  of  the  child's  birth,  but  the 
sole  answer  I  received  was  an  order  to  appropriate  the 
i^old  to  my  own  uses,  and  to  adopt  the  boy  as  my  own. 
The  sword  was  in  my  hand,  and  the  signal  to  strike  was 
given,  when,  for  the  last  time,  I  asked  the  name  of  the  in- 
fant's family  and  country,  as  a  duty  I  could  not  neglect. 
'He  is  thine — he  is  thine,' was  the  answer.  *  Tell  me, 
Balthazar,  is  thy  office  hereditary,  as  is  wont  in  these  re- 
gions ? '  I  was  compelled,  as  ye  know,  to  say  it  was. 
*  Then  adopt  the  urchin  ;  rear  him  to  fatten  on  the  blood  of 
his  fellows  ! '  It  was  mockery  to  trifle  with  such  a  spirit. 
When  his  head  fell,  it  still  had  on  its  fierce  features  traces 
of  the  infernal  triumph  with  which  his  spirit  departed  !  " 

"  The  monster  was  a  just  sacrifice  to  the  laws  of  the 
canton  !  "  exclaimed  the  single-minded  bailiff.  "  Thou 
seest,  Herr  Melchior,  that  we  do  well  in  arming  the  hand 
of  the  executioner,  in  spite  of  all  the  sentiment  of  the 
weak-minded.  Such  a  wretch  was  surely  unworthy  to 
live." 

This  burst  of  official  felicitation  from  Peterchen,  who 
rarely  neglected  to  draw  a  conclusion  favorable  to  the  ex- 
isting order  of  things,  like  most  of  those  who  reap  their 
exclusive  advantage,  and  to  the  prejudice  of  innovation, 
produced  little  attention  ;  all  present  were  too  much  ab~ 
sorbed  in  the  facts  related  by  Balthazar,  to  turn  aside  to 
speak,  or  think,  of  other  matters. 

"What  became  of  the  boy?"  demanded  the  worthy 
clavier,  who  had  taken  as  deep  an  interest  as  the  rest,  in 
the  progress  of  the  narrative. 

"  I  could  not  desert  him,  father ;  nor  did  I  wish  to. 
He  came  into  my  guardianship  at  a  moment  when  God,  to 
reprove  our  repinings  at  a  lot  that  he  had  chosen  to  im- 
pose, had  taken  our  own  little  Sigismund  to  heaven.  I 
filled  the  place  of  the  dead  infant  with  my  living  charge ; 
I  gave  to  him  the  name  of  my  own  son,  and  I  can  say  con- 
24 


370  THE  HEADSMAN. 

fidently,  that  I  transferred  to  him  the  love  I  had  borne  my 
own  issue  ;  though  time,  and  use,  and  a  knowledge  of  the 
child's  character,  were  perhaps  necessary  to  cornplete  the 
last.  Marguerite  never  knew  the  deception,  though  a 
mother's  instinct  and  tenderness  took  the  alarm  and  raised 
suspicions.  We  have  never  spoken  freely  on  this  together, 
and  like  you,  she  now  heareth  the  truth  for  the  first  time." 

"'Twas  a  fearful  mystery  between  God  and  my  own 
heart!"  murmured  the  woman;  "I  forbore  to  trouble  it 
— Sigismund  or  Gaetano,  or  whatever  you  will  have  his 
name,  filled  my  affections,  and  I  strove  to  be  satisfied. 
The  boy  is  dear  to  me,  and  ever  will  be,  though  you  seat 
him  on  a  throne  ;  but  Christine — the  poor  stricken  Chris- 
tine— is  truly  the  child  of  my  bosom  !  " 

Sigismund  went  and  knelt  at  the  feet  of  her  whom  he 
had  ever  believed  his  mother,  and  earnestly  begged  her 
blessing  and  continued  affection.  The  tears  streamed  from 
Marguerite's  eyes,  as  she  willingly  bestowed  the  first,  and 
promised  never  to  withhold  the  last. 

"  Hast  thou  any  of  the  trinkets  or  garments  that  were 
given  thee  with  the  child,  or  canst  render  an  account  of 
the  place  where  they  are  still  to  be  found  ? "  demanded 
the  Doge,  whose  whole  mind  was  too  deeply  set  on  ap- 
peasing his  doubts  to  listen  to  aught  else. 

"  They  are  all  here  in  the  convent.  The  gold  has  been 
fairly  committed  to  Sigismund,  to  form  his  equipment  as 
a  soldier.  The  child  was  kept  apart,  receiving  such  edu- 
cation as  a  learned  priest  could  give,  till  of  an  age  to  serve, 
and  then  I  sent  him  to  bear  arms  in  Italy,  which  I  knew 
to  be  the  country  of  his  birth,  though  I  never  knew  to 
what  prince  his  allegiance  was  due.  The  time  had  now 
come  when  I  thought  it  due  to  the  youth  to  let  him  know 
the  real  nature  of  the  tie  between  us  ;  but  I  shrank  from 
paining  Marguerite  and  myself,  and  I  even  did  his  heart 
the  credit  to  believe  that  he  would  rather  belong  to  us, 
humbled  and  despised  though  we  be,  than  find  himself  a 
nameless  outcast,  without  home,  country,  or  parentage. 
It  was  necessary,  however,  to  speak,  and  it  was  my  pur- 
pose to  reveal  the  truth,  here  at  the  convent,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Christine.  For  this  reason,  and  to  enable  Sigis- 
mund to  make  inquiries  for  his  family,  the  effects  received 
from  the  unhappy  criminal  with  the  child  were  placed 
among  his  baggage  secretly.  They  are,  at  this  moment,  ou 
the  mountain." 


THE  HEADSMAN.  37** 

The  venerable  old  Prince  trembled  violently  ;  for,  with 
the  intense  feeling  of  one  who  dreaded  that  his  dearest 
hopes  might  yet  be  disappointed,  he  feared,  while  he  most 
wished,  to  consult  these  mute  but  veracious  witnesses. 

**  Let  them  be  produced  ! — let  them  be  instantly  pro- 
duced and  examined  ! "  he  whispered  eagerly  to  those 
around  him.  Then,  turning  slowly  to  the  immovable  Maso, 
he  demanded — "  And  thou,  man  of  falsehood  and  of  blood ! 
what  dost  thou  reply  to  this  clear  and  probable  tale  ? " 

II  Maledetto  smiled,  as  if  superior  to  a  weakness  that 
had  blinded  the  others.  The  expression  of  his  counte- 
nance was  filled  with  that  look  of  calm  superiority  which 
certainty  gives  to  the  well  informed  over  the  doubting  and 
deceived. 

"  I  have  to  reply,  signore,  and  honored  father,"  he  coolly 
answered,  "that  Balthazar  hath  right  cleverly  related  a 
tale  that  hath  been  ingenuously  devised.  That  I  am  Bar- 
tolo,  I  repeat  to  thee,  can  be  proved  by  a  hundred  living 
tongues  in  Italy.  Thou  knowest  best  who  Bartolo  Contini 
is,  Doge  of  Genoa." 

"He  speaks  the  truth,"  returned  the  Prince,  dropping 
his  head  in  disappointment.  "  Oh  !  Melchior,  I  have  had 
but  two  sure  proofs  of  what  he  intimates  !  I  have  long 
been  certain  that  this  wretch  Bartolo  is  my  son,  though 
never  before  have  I  beea  cursed  with  his  presence.  Bad 
as  I  was  taught  to  think  him,  my  worst  fears  had  not 
painted  him  as  I  now  find  the  truth  would  warrant." 

"  Has  there  not  been  some  fraud — art  thou  not  the 
dupe  of  some  conspiracy  of  which  money  has  been  the 
object  ?" 

The  Doge  shook  his  head  in  a  way  to  prove  that  he 
could  not  possibly  flatter  himself  with  such  a  hope. 

"  Never  :  my  offers  of  money  have  always  been  re- 
jected." 

"  Why  should  I  take  the  gold  of  my  father  ?"  added  II 
Maledetto  ;  "  my  own  skill  and  courage  more  than  suffice 
for  my  wants." 

The  nature  of  the  answer,  and  the  composed  demeanor 
of  Maso,  produced  an  embarrassing  pause. 

"  Let  the  two  stand  forth  and  be  confronted,"  said  the 
puzzled  clavier,  at  length  ;  "  nature  often  reveals  the  truth 
when  the  uttermost  powers  of  man  are  at  fault — if  either 
is  the  true  child  of  the  Prince,  we  should  find  some  re- 
semblance to  the  father  to  support  his  claim." 


j72  THE  HEADSMAN. 

The  test,  though  of  doubtful  virtue,  was  eagerly  adopted, 
for  the  truth  had  now  become  so  involved  as  to  excite  a 
keen  interest  in  all  present.  The  desire  to  explain  the 
mystery  was  general,  and  the  slightest  means  of  attaining 
such  an  end  became  of  a  value  proportionate  to  the  diffi- 
culty of  effecting  the  object  Sigismund  and  Maso  were 
placed  beneath  the  lamp  where  its  light  was  strongest,  and 
every  eye  turned  eagerly  to  their  countenances,  in  order  to 
discover,  or  to  fancy  it  discovered,  some  of  those  secret 
signs  by  which  the  mysterious  affinities  of  nature  are  to  be 
traced.  A  more  puzzling  examination  could  not  well  have 
been  essayed.  There  was  proof  to  give  the  victory  to  each 
of  the  pretenders,  if  such  a  term  may  be  used  with  propri- 
ety as  it  concerns  the  passive  Sigismund,  and  much  to  de- 
feat the  claims  of  the  latter.  In  the  olive-colored  tint,  the 
dark,  rich,  rolling  eye,  and  in  stature,  the  advantage  was  alto- 
gether with  Maso,  whose  outline  of  countenance  and  pen- 
etrating expression  had  also  a  resemblance  to  those  of  the 
Doge,  so  marked  as  to  render  it  quite  apparent  to  any  who 
wished  to  find  it.  The  habits  of  the  mariner  had  probably 
diminished  the  likeness,  but  it  was  too  obviously  there  to 
escape  detection.  That  hardened  and  rude  appearance,  the 
consequence  of  exposure,  which  rendered  it  difficult  to 
pronounce  within  ten  years  of  his  real  age,  contributed  a 
little  to  conceal  what  may  be  termed  the  latent  character 
of  his  countenance,  but  the  features  themselves  were  un- 
deniably a  rude  copy  of  the  more  polished  lineaments  of 
the  Prince. 

The  case  was  less  clear  as  respects  Sigismund.  The 
advantage  of  ruddy  and  vigorous  youth  rendered  him  such 
a  resemblance  of  the  Doge — in  the  points  where  it  existed 
— as  we  find  between  the  aged  and  those  portraits  which 
have  been  painted  in  their  younger  and  happier  days. 
The  bold  outline  was  not  unlike  that  of  the  noble  features 
of  the  venerable  Prince,  but  neither  the  eye,  the  hair,  nor 
the  complexion,  had  the  hues  of  Italy. 

"  Thou  seest,"  said  Maso,  tauntingly,  when  the  dis- 
appointed clavier  admitted  the  differences  in  the  latter 
particulars,  "  this  is  an  imposition  that  will  not  pass.  I 
swear  to  you,  as  there  is  faith  in  man,  and  hope  for  the 
dying  Christian,  that  so  far  as  any  know  their  parentage,  I 
am  the  child  of  Gaetano  Grimaldi,  the  present  Doge  of 
Genoa,  and  of  no  other  man  !  May  the  saints  desert  me! 
— the  blessed  Mother  of  God  be  deaf  to  my  prayers ! — and 


THE  HEADSMAN.  373 

all  men  hunt  me  with  their  curses,  if  I  say  aught  in  this 
but  holy  truth  ! " 

The  fearful  energy  with  which  Maso  uttered  this  solemn 
appeal,  and  a  certain  sincerity  that  marked  his  manner, 
and  perhaps  we  might  even  say  his  character,  in  spite  of 
the  dissolute  recklessness  of  his  principles,  served  greatly 
to  weaken  the  growing  opinion  in  favor  of  his  com- 
petitor. 

"  And  this  noble  youth  ? "  asked  the  sorrowing  Doge — 
"  this  generous  and  elevated  boy,  whom  I  have  already  held 
next  to  my  heart,  with  so  much  of  a  father's  joy — who  and 
what  is  he  ?  " 

"  Eccellenza,  I  wish  to  say  nothing  against  the  Signor 
Sigismondo.  He  is  a  gallant  swimmer,  and  a  stanch  sup- 
port in  time  of  need.  Be  he  Swiss  or  Genoese,  either 
country  may  be  proud  of  him  ;  but  self-love  teaches  us  all 
to  take  care  of  our  own  interests  before  those  of  another. 
It  would  be  far  pleasanter  to  dwell  in  the  Palazzo  Grim- 
aldi,  on  our  warm  and  sunny  gulf,  honored  and  esteemed 
as  the  heir  of  a  noble  name,  than  to  be  cutting  heads  in 
Berne  ;  and  honest  Balthazar  does  but  follow  his  instinct, 
in  seeking  preferment  for  his  son  ! " 

Each  eye  now  turned  on  the  headsman,  who  quailed  not 
under  the  scrutiny,  but  maintained  the  firm  front  of  one 
conscious  that  he  had  done  no  wrong. 

"  I  have  not  said  that  Sigismund  is  the  child  of  any,"  he 
answered  in  his  meek  manner,  but  with  a  steadiness  that 
won  him  credit  with  the  listeners.  "I  have  only  said  that 
he  belongs  not  to  me.  No  father  need  wish  a  worthier 
son,  and  Heaven  knows  that  I  yield  my  own  claims  with  a 
sorrow  that  it  would  be  grievous  to  bear,  did  I  not  hope  a 
better  fortune  for  him  than  any  which  can  come  from  a 
connection  with  a  race  accursed.  The  likeness  which  is 
seen  in  Maso,  and  which  Sigismund  is  thought  to  want, 
proves  little,  noble  gentlemen  and  reverend  monks  ;  for 
all  who  have  looked  closely  into  these  matters  know  that 
resemblances  are  as  often  found  between  the  distant 
branches  of  the  same  family,  as  between  those  who  are 
more  nearly  united.  Sigismund  is  not  of  us,  and  none  can 
see  any  trace  of  either  my  own  or  of  Marguerite's  family 
in  his  person  or  features." 

Balthazar  paused  that  there  might  be  an  examination  of 
this  fact,  and,  in  truth,  the  most  ingenious  fancy  could  not 
have  detected  the  least  affinity  in  looks,  between  either  of 


374  THE   HEADSMAN. 

those  whom  he  had  so  long  thought  his  parents  and  the 
young  soldier.  • 

"  Let  the  Doge  of  Genoa  question  his  memory,  and  look 
further  than  himself.  Can  he  find  no  sleeping  smile,  no 
color  of  the  hair,  nor  any  other  common  point  of  appear- 
ance, between  the  youth  and  some  of  those  whom  he  once 
knew  and  loved?" 

The  anxious  Prince  turned  eagerly  toward  Sigismund, 
and  a  gleam  of  joy  lighted  his  face  again,  as  he  studied  the 
young  man's  features. 

"  By  San  Francesco  !  Melchior,  the  honest  Balthazar  if 
right.  My  grandmother  was  a  Venetian,  and  she  had  thf, 
fair  hair  of  the  boy — the  eye,  too,  is  hers — and — Oh!'p 
bending  his  head  aside  and  veiling  his  eyes  with  his  hand, 
"  I  see  the  anxious  gaze  that  was  so  constant  in  the  sainted 
and  injured  Angiolina,  after  my  greater  wealth  and  power 
had  tempted  her  kinsmen  to  force  her  to  yield  to  an  un- 
willing hand  !  Wretch  !  thou  art  not  Bartolo  ;  thy  tale  is 
a  wicked  deception,  invented  to  shield  thee  from  the  pun- 
ishment due  to  thy  crime  !  " 

"  Admitting  that  I  am  not  Bartolo,  Eccellenza,  does  the 
Signer  Sigismondo  claim  to  be  he  ?  Have  you  not  assured 
yourself  that  a  certain  Bartolo  Contini,  a  man  whose  life  is 
passed  in  open  hostility  to  the  laws,  is  your  child  ?  Did 
you  not  employ  your  confidant  and  secretary  to  learn  the 
facts  ?  Did  he  not  hear  from  the  dying  lips  of  a  holy  priest, 
who  knew  all  the  circumstances,  that  '  Bartolo  Contini  is 
the  son  of  Gaetano  Grimaldi  ? '  Did  not  the  confederate 
of  your  implacable  enemy,  Cristofero  Serrani,  swear  the 
same  to  you  ?  Have  you  not  seen  papers  that  were  taken 
with  your  child  to  confirm  it  all,  and  did  you  not  send  this 
signet  as  a  gage  that  Bartolo  should  not  want  your  aid,  in 
any  strait  that  might  occur  in  his  wild  manner  of  living, 
when  you  learned  that  he  resolutely  preferred  remaining 
what  he  was,  to  becoming  an  image  of  sickly  repentance 
and  newly  assumed  nobility,  in  your  gorgeous  palace  on 
the  Strada  Balbi?" 

The  Doge  again  bowed  his  head  in  dismay,  for  all  this 
he  knew  to  be  true  beyond  a  shadow  of  hope. 

"  Here  is  some  sad  mistake,"  he  said  with  bitter  regret. 
"  Thou  hast  received  the  child  of  some  other  bereaved 
parent,  Balthazar  ;  but,  though  I  cannot  hope  to  prove 
myself  the  natural  father  of  Sigismund,  he  shall  at  least 
find  me  one  in  affection  and  good  offices.  If  his  life  be  not 


THE  HEADSMAN.  375 

due  to  me,  I  owe  him  mine  ;  the  debt  shall  form  a  tie  be- 
tween us  little  short  of  that  to  which  nature  herself  could 
give  birth." 

"  Herr  Doge,"  returned  the  earnest  headsman,  "  let  us 
not  be  too  hasty.  If  there  are  strong  facts  in  favor  of  the 
claims  of  Maso,  there  are  many  circumstances,  also,  in  fa- 
vor of  those  of  Sigismund.  To  me,  the  history  of  the  last 
is  probably  more  clear  than  it  can  be  to  any  other.  The 
time,  the  country,  the  age  of  the  child,  the  name,  and  the 
fearful  revelations  of  the  criminal,  are  all  strong  proofs  in 
Sigismund's  behalf.  Here  are  the  effects  that  were  given 
me  with  the  child  ;  it  is  possible  that  they,  too,  may  throw 
weight  into  his  scale." 

Balthazar  had  taken  means  to  procure  the  package  in 
question  from  among  the  luggage  of  Sigismund,  and  he 
now  proceeded  to  expose  its  contents,  while  a  breathless 
silence  betrayed  the  interest  with  which  the  result  was  ex- 
pected. He  first  laid  upon  the  pavement  of  the  chapel  a 
collection  of  child's  clothing.  The  articles  were  rich,  and 
according  to  the  fashions  of  the  times  ;  but  they  contained 
no  positive  proofs  that  could  go  to  substantiate  the  origin 
of  the  wearer,  except  as  they  raised  the  probability  of  his 
having  come  of  an  elevated  rank  in  life.  As  the  different 
objects  were  placed  upon  the  stones,  Adelheid  and  Chris- 
tine kneeled  beside  them,  each  too  intently  absorbed  with 
the  progress  of  the  inquiry  to  bethink  herself  of  those 
forms  which,  in  common,  throw  a  restraint  upon  the  man- 
ners of  their  sex.  The  latter  appeared  to  forget  her  own 
sorrows,  for  a  moment,  in  a  new-born  interest  in  her 
brother's  fortunes,  while  the  ears  of  the  former  drank  in 
each  syllable  that  fell  from  the  lips  of  the  different  speak- 
ers, with  an  avidity  that  her  strong  sympathy  with  the  youth 
could  alone  give. 

"  Here  is  a  case  containing  trinkets  of  value,"  added 
Balthazar.  "  The  condemned  man  said  they  were  taken 
through  ignorance,  and  he  was  accustomed  to  suffer  the 
child  to  amuse  himself  with  them  in  the  prison." 

"  These  were  my  first  offerings  to  my  wife,  in  return  for 
the  gift  she  had  made  me  of  the  precious  babe,"  said  the 
Doge,  in  such  a  smothered  voice  as  we  are  apt  to  use  when 
examining  objects  that  recall  the  presence  of  the  dead — 
"  Blessed  Angiolina !  these  jewels  are  so  many  tokens  of 
thy  pale  but  happy  countenance  ;  thou  felt  a  mother's  joy 
at  that  sacred  moment,  and  could  even  smile  on  me ! " 


r 
tir 

th 


376  THE  HEADSMAN. 

"  And  here  is  a  talisman  in  sapphire,  with  many  Eastern 
characters  ;  I  was  told  it  had  been  an  heirloom  in  the  fam- 
ily of  the  child,  and  was  put  about  its  neck  at  the  birth,  by 
the  hands  of  its  own  father." 

"  I  ask  no  more — I  ask  no  more  !  God  be  praised  for 
this,  the  last  and  best  of  all  his  mercies  !  "  cried  the  Prince, 
clasping  his  hands  with  devotion.  "  This  jewel  was  worn 
by  myself  in  infancy,  and  I  placed  it  around  the  neck  of 
the  babe  with  my  own  hands,  as  thou  sayest — I  ask  no 
more." 

"  And  Bartolo  Contini ! "  muttered  II  Maledetto. 

"Maso  !  "  exclaimed  a  voice,  which  until  then  had  been 
mute  in  the  chapel.  It  was  Adelheid  who  had  spoken. 
Her  hair  had  fallen  in  wild  profusion  over  her  shoulders, 
as  she  still  knelt  over  the  articles  on  the  pavement,  and 
her  hands  were  clasped  entreatingly,  as  if  she  deprecated 
the  rude  interruptions  which  had  so  often  dashed  the  cup 
from  their  lips,  as  they  were  about  to  yield  to  the  delight 
of  believing  Sigismund  to  be  the  child  of  the  Prince  of 
Genoa. 

"  Thou  art  another  of  a  fond  and  weak  sex,  to  swell  the 
list  of  confiding  spirits  that  have  been  betrayed  by  the  sel- 
fishness and  falsehood  of  men,"  answered  the  mocking 
mariner.  "Go  to,  girl ! — make  thyself  a  nun  ;  thy  Sigis- 
mund is  an  impostor." 

Adelheid,  by  a  quick  and  decided  interposition  of  her 
hand,  prevented  an  impetuous  movement  of  the  young 
soldier,  who  would  have  struck  his  audacious  rival  to  his 
feet.  Without  changing  her  kneeling  attitude,  she  then 
spoke,  modestly,  but  with  a  firmness  which  generous  sen- 
timents enable  women  to  assume  even  more  readily  than 
the  stronger  sex,  when  extraordinary  occasions  call  for  the 
sacrifice  of  that  reserve  in  which  her  feebleness  is  ordi- 
narily intrenched. 

"  I  know  not,  Maso,  in  what  manner  thou  hast  learned 

e  tie  which   connects   me   with    Sigismund,"  she   said  ; 

but  I  have  no  longer  any  wish  to  conceal  it.  Be  he  the 
son  of  Balthazar,  or  be  he  the  son  of  a  prince,  he  has  re- 
ceived my  troth  with  the  consent  of  my  honored  father, 
and  our  fortunes  will  shortly  be  one.  There  might  be  for- 
wardness  in  a  maiden  thus  openly  avowing  her  preference 
for  a  youth  ;  but  here,  with  none  to  own  him,  oppressed 
with  his  long-endured  wrongs,  and  assailed  in  his  most 
sacred  affections,  Sigismund  has  a  right  to  my  voice.  Let 


THE  HEADSMAN.  377 

him  belong  to  whom  else  he  may,  I  speak  by  my  venerable 
father's  authority,  when  I  say  he  belongs  to  us." 

"  Melchior,  is  this  true  ?"  cried  the  Doge. 

"  The  girl's  words  are  but  an  echo  of  what  my  heart 
feels,"  answered  the  Baron,  looking  about  him  proudly,  as 
if  he  would  browbeat  any  who  should  presume  to  think 
that  he  had  consented  to  corrupt  the  blood  of  Willading 
by  the  measure. 

"  I  have  watched  thine  eye,  Maso,  as  one  nearly  inter- 
ested in  the  truth,"  continued  Adelheid.  "and  I  now  ap- 
peal to  thee,  as  thou  lowest  thine  own  soul,  to  disburden 
thyself !  While  thou  rnay'st  have  told  some  truth,  the 
jealous  affection  of  a  woman  has  revealed  to  me  that  thou 
hast  kept  back  part !  Speak,  then,  and  relieve  the  soul  of 
this  venerable  Prince  from  torture." 

"And  deliver  my  own  body  to  the  wheel !  This  may  be 
well  to  the  warm  imagination  of  a  love-sick  girl,  but  we  of 
the  contraband,  have  too  much  practice  in  men  uselessly 
to  throw  away  an  advantage." 

"  Thou  mayest  have  confidence  in  our  faith.  I  have  seen 
much  of  thee  within  the  last  few  days,  Maso,  and  I  wish  not 
to  think  thee  capable  of  the  bloody  deed  that  hath  been 
committed  on  the  mountain,  though  I  fear  thy  life  is  only 
too  ungoverned  ;  still  I  will  not  believe  that  the  hero  of 
the  Leman  can  be  the  assassin  of  St.  Bernard." 

"  When  thy  young  dreams  are  over,  fair  one,  and  thou 
seest  the  world  under  its  true  colors,  thou  wilt  know 
that  the  hearts  of  men  come  partly  of  Heaven  and  partly 
of  Hell." 

Maso  laughed  in  his  most  reckless  manner  as  he  deliv- 
ered this  opinion. 

"  'Tis  useless  to  deny  that  thou  hast  sympathies,"  contin- 
ued the  maiden  steadily  ;  "thou  hast  in  secret  more  pleas- 
ure in  serving  than  in  injuring  thy  race.  Thou  canst  not 
have  been  in  such  straits  in  company  with  the  Signor  Sig- 
ismondo,  without  imbibing  some  touch  of  his  noble  gen- 
erosity. You  have  struggled  together  for  our  common 
good,  you  come  of  the  same  God,  have  the  same  manly 
courage,  are  equally  stout  of  heart,  strong  of  hand,  and 
willing  to  do  for  others.  Such  a  heart  must  have  enough 
of  noble  and  human  impulses  to  cause  you  to  love  justice. 
Speak,  then,  and  I  pledge  our  sacred  word  that  thou  shalt 
fare  better  for  thy  candor  than  by  taking  refuge  in  thy 
present  fraud.  Bethink  thee,  Maso,  that  the  happiness  of 


378  THE  HEADSMAN. 

this  aged  man,  of  Sigismund  himself,  if  thou  wilt,  for  I 
blush  not  to  say  it — of  a  weak  and  affectionate  girl,  is  in 
thy  keeping.  Give  us  truth  holy  ;  sacred  truth,  and  we 
pardon  the  past." 

II  Maledetto  was  moved  by  the  beautiful  earnestness  of 
the  speaker.  Her  ingenuous  interest  in  the  result,  with 
the  solemnity  of  her  appeal,  shook  his  purpose. 

"  Thou  know'st  not  what  thou  say'st,  lady  ;  thou  ask'st 
my  life,"  he  answered,  after  pondering  in  a  way  to  give  a 
new  impulse  to  the  dying  hopes  of  the  Doge. 

"  Though  there  is  no  quality  more  sacred  than  justice," 
interposed  the  chatelain,  who  alone  could  speak  with 
authority  in  the  Valais  ;  "  it  is  fairly  within  the  province  of 
her  servants  to  permit  her  to  go  unexpiated,  in  order  that 
greater  good  may  come  of  the  sacrifice.  If  thou  wilt  prove 
aught  that  is  of  grave  importance  to  the  interests  of  the 
Prince  of  Genoa,  Valais  owes  it  to  the  love  it  bears  his  re- 
public to  requite  the  service." 

Maso  listened,  at  first  with  a  cold  ear.  He  felt  the  dis- 
trust of  one  who  had  sufficient  knowledge  of  the  world'to 
be  acquainted  with  the  thousand  expedients  that  were  re- 
sorted to  by  men,  in  order  to  justify  their  daily  want  of 
faith.  He  questioned  the  chatelain  closely  as  to  his  mean- 
ing, nor  was  it  till  a  late  hour,  and  after  long  and  weary 
explanations  on  both  sides,  that  the  parties  came  to  an 
understanding. 

On  the  part  of  those  who,  on  this  occasion,  were  the 
representatives  of  that  high  attribute  of  the  Deity  which 
among  men  is  termed  justice,  it  was  sufficiently  apparent 
that  they  understood  its  exercise  with  certain  reservations 
that  might  be  made  at  pleasure  in  favor  of  their  own  views ; 
and,  on  the  part  of  Maso,  there  was  no  attempt  to  conceal 
the  suspicions  he  entertained  to  the  last,  that  he  might  be 
a  sufferer  by  lessening  in  any  degree  the  strength  of  the 
defences  by  which  he  was  at  present  shielded,  as  the  son, 
real  or  fancied,  of  a  person  so  powerful  as  the  Prince  of 
Genoa. 

As  usually  happens  when  there  is  a  mutual  wish  to  avoid 
extremities,  and  when  conflicting  interests  are  managed 
with  equal  address,  the  negotiation  terminated  in  a  com- 
promise. As  the  result  will  be  shown  in  the  regular  course 
of  the  narrative,  the  reader  is  referred  to  the  closing  chapi- 
ter for  the  explanation. 


THE  HEADSMAN.  379 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

"Speak,  oh,  speak! 
And  take  me  from  the  rack." — YOUNG. 

IT  will  be  remembered  that  three  days  were  passed  in 
the  convent  in  that  interval  which  occurred  between  the 
arrival  of  the  travellers  and  those  of  the  chatelain  and  the 
bailiff.  The  determination  of  admitting  the  claims  of  Sig- 
ismund,  so  frankly  announced  by  Adelheid  in  the  preceding 
chapter,  was  taken  during  this  time.  Separated  from  the 
world,  and  amid  that  magnificent  solitude  where  the  pas- 
sions and  the  vulgar  interests  of  life  sank  into  correspond- 
ing insignificance  as  the  majesty  of  God  became  hourly 
more  visible,  the  Baron  had  been  gradually  won  upon  to 
consent.  Love  for  his  child,  aided  by  the  fine  moral  and 
personal  qualities  of  the  young  man  himself,  which  here 
stood  out  in  strong  relief,  like  one  of  the  stern  piles  of 
those  Alps  that  now  appear  to  his  eyes  so  much  superior, 
in  their  eternal  beds,  to  all  the  vine-clad  hills  and  teeming 
valleys  of  the  lower  world,  had  been  the  immediate  and 
efficient  agents  in  producing  this  decision.  It  is  not  pre- 
tended that  the  Bernese  made  an  easy  conquest  over  his 
prejudices,  which  was  in  truth  no  other  than  a  conquest 
over  himself,  he  being,  morally  considered,  little  other 
than  a  collection  of  the  narrow  opinions  and  exclusive 
doctrines  which  it  was  then  the  fashion  to  believe  neces- 
sary to  high  civilization.  On  the  contrary,  the  struggle 
had  been  severe ;  nor  is  it  probable  that  the  gentle  bland- 
ishments of  Adelheid,  the  eloquent  but  silent  appeals  to 
his  reason  that  were  constantly  made  by  Sigismund  in  his 
deportment,  or  the  arguments  of  his  old  comrade,  the  Sig- 
nor  Grimaldi,  who,  with  a  philosophy  that  is  more  often 
made  apparent  in  our  friendships  than  in  our  practice,  di- 
lated copiously  on  the  wisdom  of  sacrificing  a  few  worth- 
less and  antiquated  opinions  to  the  happiness  of  an  only 
child,  would  have  prevailed,  had  the  Baron  been  in  a 
situation  less  abstracted  from  the  ordinary  circumstances 
of  his  rank  and  habits,  than  that  in  which  he  had  been  so 
accidentally  thrown.  The  pious  clavier,  too,  who  had  ob- 
tained some  claims  to  the  confidence  of  the  guests  of  the 
convent  by  his  services,  and  by  the  risks  he  had  run  in  their 


380  THE  HEADSMAN 

company,  came  to  swell  the  number  of  Sigismund's 
friends.  Of  humble  origin  himself,  and  attached  to  the 
young  man  not  only  by  his  general  merits,  but  by  his  conduct 
on  the  lake,  he  neglected  no  good  occasion  to  work  upon 
Melchior's  mind,  after  he  himself  had  become  acquainted 
with  the  nature  of  the  young  man's  hopes.  As  they  paced 
the  brown  and  naked  rocks  together,  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
convent,  the  Augustine  discoursed  on  the  perishable  nature 
of  human  hopes,  and  on  the  frailty  of  human  opinions.  He 
dwelt  with  pious  fervor  on  the  usefulness  of  recalling  the 
thoughts  from  the  turmoil  of  daily  and  contracted  inter- 
ests, to  a  wider  view  of  the  truths  of  existence.  Pointing 
to  the  wild  scene  around  him,  he  likened  the  confused 
masses  of  the  mountains,  their  sterility,  and  their  ruthless 
tempests,  to  the  world  with  its  want  of  happy  fruits,  its 
disorders,  and  its  violence.  Then  directing  the  attention 
of  his  companion  to  the  azure  vault  above  him,  which, 
seen  at  that  elevation,  and  in  that  pure  atmosphere,  re- 
sembled a  benign  canopy  of  the  softest  tints  and  colors, 
he  made  glowing  appeals  to  the  eternal  and  holy  tranquil- 
lity of  the  state  of  being  to  which  they  were  both  fast 
hastening,  and  which  had  its  type  in  the  mysterious  and 
imposing  calm  of  that  tranquil  and  illimitable  void.  He 
drew  his  moral  in  favor  of  a  measured  enjoyment  of  our 
advantages  here,  as  well  as  of  rendering  love  and  justice 
to  all  who  merited  our  esteem,  and  to  the  disadvantage  of 
those  iron  prejudices  which  confine  the  best  sentiments 
in  the  fetters  of  opinions  founded  in  the  ordinances  and 
provisions  of  the  violent  and  selfish. 

It  was  after  one  of  these  interesting  dialogues  that  Mel- 
chior  de  Willading,  his  heart  softened  and  his  soul  touched 
with  the  hopes  of  heaven,  listened  with  a  more  indulgent 
ear  to  the  firm  declaration  of  Adelheid,  that  unless  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  Sigismund,  her  self-respect,  no  less  than 
her  affections,  must  compel  her  to  pass  her  life  unmarried. 
We  shall  not  say  that  the  maiden  herself  philosophized  on 
premises  as  sublime  as  those  of  the  good  monk,  for  with 
her  the  warm  impulses  of  the  heart  lay  at  the  bottom  of 
her  resolution  ;  but  even  she  had  the  respectable  support 
of  reason  to  sustain  her  cause.  The  Baron  had  that  in- 
nate desire  to  perpetuate  his  own  existence  in  that  of  his 
descendants,  which  appears  to  be  a  property  of  nature. 
Alarmed  at  a  declaration  which  threatened  annihilation  to 
his  line,  while  at  the  same  time  he  was  more  than  usually 


THE  HEADSMAN.  38* 

under  the  influence  of  his  better  feelings,  he  promised 
that  if  the  charge  of  murder  could  be  removed  from  Bal- 
thazar, he  would  no  longer  oppose  the  union.  We  should 
be  giving  the  reader  an  opinion  a  little  too  favorable  of 
Herr  von  Willading,  were  we  to  say  that  he  did  not  re- 
pent having  made  this  promise  soon  after  it  was  uttered. 
He  was  in  a  state  of  mind  that  resembled  the  vanes  of  his 
own  towers,  which  changed  their  direction  with  every 
fresh  current  of  air,  but  he  was  by  far  too  honorable  to 
think  seriously  of  violating  a  faith  that  he  had  once  fairly 
plighted.  He  had  moments  of  unpleasant  misgivings  as 
to  the  wisdom  and  propriety  of  his  promise,  but  they  were 
of  that  species  of  regret  which  is  known  to  attend  an  un- 
avoidable evil.  If  he  had  any  expectations  of  being  re- 
leased from  his  pledge,  they  were  bottomed  on  certain 
vague  impressions  that  Balthazar  would  be  found  guilty, 
though  the  constant  and  earnest  asseverations  of  Sigis- 
mund  in  favor  of  his  father  had  greatly  succeeded  in 
shaking  his  faith  on  this  point.  Adelheid  had  stronger 
hopes  than  either  ;  the  fears  of  the  young  man  himself 
preventing  him  from  fully  participating  in  her  confidence, 
while  her  father  shared  her  expectations  on  that  torment- 
ing principle  which  causes  us  to  dread  the  worst.  When, 
therefore,  the  jewelry  of  Jacques  Colis  was  found  in  the 
possession  of  Maso,  and  Balthazar  was  unanimously  ac- 
quitted, not  only  from  this  circumstance,  which  went  so 
conclusively  to  criminate  another,  but  from  the  want  of 
any  other  evidence  against  him  than  the  fact  of  his  being 
found  in  the  bone-house  instead  of  the  Refuge,  an  acci- 
dent that  might  well  have  happened  to  any  other  traveller 
in  the  storm,  the  Baron  resolutely  prepared  himself  to  re- 
deem his  pledge.  It  is  scarcely  necessary  to  add  how 
much  this  honorable  sentiment  was  strengthened  by  the 
unexpected  declaration  of  the  headsman  concerning  the 
birth  of  Sigismund.  Notwithstanding  the  asseveration  of 
Maso  "that  the  whole  was  an  invention  conceived  to  favor 
the  son  of  Balthazar,  it  was  supported  by  proofs  so  sub- 
stantial and  palpable,  to  say  nothing  of  the  natural  and 
veracious  manner  in  which  the  tale  was  related,  as  ».o  cre- 
ate a  strong  probability  in  the  minds  of  the  witnesses,  that 
it  might  be  true.  Although  it  remained  to  be  discovered 
who  were  the  real  parents  of  Sigismund,  few  now  believed 
that  he  owed  his  existence  to  the  headsman. 

A  short  summary  of  the  facts  may  aid  the  reader  in  bet- 


382  THE   HEADSMAN-. 

ter  understanding  the  circumstances  on  which  so  much 
denouement  depends. 

It  has  been  revealed  in  the  course  of  the  narrative  that 
the  Signer  Grimaldi  had  wedded  a  lady  younger  than  him- 
self, whose  affections  were  already  in  the  possession  of  one 
that,  in  moral  qualities,  was  unworthy  of  her  love,  but  who 
in  other  respects  was  perhaps  better  suited  to  become  her 
husband  than  the  powerful  noble  to  whom  her  family  had 
given  her  hand.  The  birth  of  their  son  was  soon  followed 
by  the  death  of  the  mother,  and  the  abduction  of  the  child. 
Years  had  passed,  when  the  Signor  Grimaldi  was  first  ap- 
prised of  the  existence  of  the  latter.  He  had  received  this 
important  information  at  a  moment  when  the  authorities 
of  Genoa  were  most  active  in  pursuing  those  who  had  long 
and  desperately  trifled  with  the  laws,  and  the  avowed  mo- 
tive for  the  revelation  was  an  appeal  to  his  natural  affec- 
tion in  behalf  of  a  son,  who  was  likely  to  become  a  victim 
of  his  practices.  The  recovery  of  a  child  under  such  cir- 
cumstances was  a  blow  severer  than  his  loss,  and  it  will 
readily  be  supposed  that  the  truth  of  the  pretension  of 
Maso,  who  then  went  by  the  name  of  Bartolomeo  Contini, 
was  admitted  with  the  greatest  caution.  Reference  had 
been  made  by  the  friends  of  the  smuggler  to  a  dying  monk, 
whose  character  was  above  suspicion,  and  who  corrobo- 
rated, with  his  latest  breath,  the  statement  of  Maso,  by  af- 
firming before  God  and  the  saints  that  he  knew  him,  so 
far  as  men  could  know  a  fact  like  this,  to  be  the  son  of 
Signor  Grimaldi.  This  grave  testimony,  given  under  cir- 
cumstances of  such  solemnity,  and  supported  by  the  pro- 
duction of  important  papers  that  had  been  stolen  with  the 
child,  removed  the  suspicions  of  the  Doge.  He  secretly 
interposed  his  interest  to  save  the  criminal,  though,  after 
a  fruitless  attempt  to  effect  a  reformation  of  his  habits  by 
means  of  confidential  agents,  he  had  never  consented  to 
see  him. 

Such  then  was  the  nature  of  the  conflicting  statements. 
While  hope  and  the  pure  delight  of  finding  himself  the 
father  of  a  son  like  Sigismund,  caused  the  aged  Prince  to 
cling  to  the  claims  of  the  young  soldier  with  fond  pertinac- 
ity, his  cooler  and  more  deliberate  judgment  had  already 
been  formed  in  favor  of  another.  In  the  long  private  ex- 
amination which  succeeded  the  scene  in  the  chapel,  Maso 
had  gradually  drawn  more  into  himself,  becoming  vague 
and  mysterious,  until  he  succeeded  in  exciting  a  most  pain- 


THE  HEADSMAN-.  383 

ful  state  of  doubt  and  expectation  in  all  who  witnessed  his 
deportment.  Profiting  by  this  advantage,  he  suddenly 
changed  his  tactics.  He  promised  revelations  of  impor- 
tance, on  the  condition  that  he  should  first  be  placed  in 
security  within  the  frontiers  of  Piedmont.  The  prudent 
chatelain  soon  saw  that  the  case  was  getting  to  be  one  in 
which  Justice  was  expected  to  be  blind  in  the  more  politic 
signification  of  the  term.  He,  therefore,  drew  off  his  lo- 
quacious coadjutor,  the  bailiff,  in  a  way  to  leave  the  settle- 
ment of  the  affair  to  the  feelings  and  wishes  of  the  Doge. 
The  latter,  by  the  aid  of  Melchior  and  Sigismund,  soon  ef- 
fected an  understanding,  in  which  the  conditions  of  the 
mariner  were  admitted  ;  when  the  party  separated  for  the 
night,  II  Maledetto,  on  whom  weighed  the  entire  load  of 
Jacques  Colis's  murder,  was  again  committed  to  his  tempo- 
rary prison,  while  Balthazar,  Pippo,  and  Conrad,  were 
permitted  to  go  at  large,  as  having  successfully  passed  the 
ordeal  of  examination. 

Day  dawned  upon  the  Col  long  ere  the  shades  of  night 
had  deserted  the  valley  of  the  Rhone.  All  in  the  convent 
were  in  motion  before  the  appearance  of  the  sun,  it  being 
generally  understood  that  the  events  which  had  so  much 
disturbed  the  order  of  its  peaceful  inmates'  lives,  were  to 
be  brought  finally  to  a  close,  and  that  their  duties  were 
about  to  return  into  the  customary  channels.  Orisons  are 
constantly  ascending  to  heaven  from  the  pass  of  St. 
Bernard,  but  on  the  present  occasion  the  stir  in  and  about 
the  chapel,  the  manner  in  which  the  good  canons  hurried 
to  and  fro  through  the  long  corridors,  and  the  general  air 
of  excitement,  proclaimed  that  the  offices  of  the  matins 
possessed  more  than  the  usual  interest  of  the  regular  daily 
devotion. 

The  hour  was  still  early  when  all  on  the  pass  assembled 
in  the  place  of  worship.  The  body  of  Jacques  Colis  had 
been  removed  to  a  side  chapel,  where,  covered  with  a  pall, 
it  awaited  the  mass  for  the  dead.  Two  large  church 
candles  stood  lighted  on  the  steps  of  the  great  altar,  and 
the  spectators,  including  Pierre  and  the  muleteers,  the 
servants  of  the  convent,  and  others  of  every  rank  and  age, 
were  drawn  up  in  double  files  in  its  front.  Among  the 
silent  spectators  appeared  Balthazar  and  his  wife,  Maso,  in 
truth  a  prisoner,  but  with  the  air  of  a  liberated  man,  the 
pilgrim  and  Pippo.  The  good  prior  was  present  in  his 
robes,  with  all  of  his  community.  During  the  moments  of 


384  THE  HEADSMAN. 

suspense  which  preceded  the  rites,  he  discoursed  civilly 
with  the  chatelain  and  bailiff,  both  of  whom  returned  his 
courtesies  with  interest,  and  in  the  manner  in  which  it  be- 
comes the  dignified  and  honored  to  respect  appearances  in 
the  presence  of  their  inferiors.  Still,  the  demeanor  of 
most  was  feverish  and  excited,  as  if  the  occasion  were  one 
of  compelled  gayety,  into  which  unwelcome  and  extra- 
ordinary circumstances  of  alloy  had  thrust  themselves  un- 
bidden. 

On  the  opening  of  the  door  a  little  procession  entered, 
headed  by  the  clavier.  Melchior  de  Willading  led  his 
daughter,  Sigismund  came  next,  followed  by  Marguerite 
and  Christine,  and  the  venerable  Doge  brought  up  the 
rear.  Simple  as  was  this  wedding  train,  it  was  imposing 
from  the  dignity  of  the  principal  actors,  and  from  the  evi- 
dences of  deep  feeling  with  which  all  in  it  advanced  to  the 
altar.  Sigismund  was  firm  and  self-possessed.  Still  his 
carriage  was  lofty  and  proud,  as  he  felt  that  a  cloud  still 
hung  over  that  portion  of  his  history  to  which  the  world 
attached  so  much  importance,  and  hje  had  fallen  back  on 
his  character  and  principles  for  support.  Adelheid  had 
lately  been  so  much  the  subject  of  strong  emotions,  that 
she  presented  herself  before  the  priest  with  less  trepida- 
tion than  was  usual  for  a  maiden  ;  but  the  fixed  regard, 
the  colorless  cheek,  and  an  air  of  profound  reverence, 
announced  the  depth  and  solemn  character  of  the  feelings 
with  which  she  was  prepared  to  take  the  vow. 

The  marriage  rites  were  celebrated  by  the  good  clavier, 
who,  not  content  with  persuading  the  Baron  to  make  this  sac- 
rifice of  his  prejudices,  had  asked  permission  to  finish  the 
work  he  had  so  happily  commenced,  by  pronouncing  the 
nuptial  benediction.  Melchior  de  Willading  listened  to 
the  short  ceremony  with  silent  self-approval.  He  felt  dis- 
posed at  that  instant  to  believe  he  had  wisely  sacrificed  the 
interests  of  the  world  to  the  right,  a  sentiment  that  was  a 
little  quickened  by  the  uncertainty  which  still  hung  over 
the  origin  of  his  new  son,  who  might  yet  prove  to  be  all 
that  he  could  hope,  as  well  as  by  the  momentary  satisfac- 
tion he  found  in  manifesting  his  independence  by  bestow- 
ing the  hand  of  his  daughter  upon  one  whose  merit  was 
so  much  better  ascertained  than  his  birth.  In  this  man- 
ner do  the  best  deceive  themselves,  yielding  frequently  to 
motives  that  would  not  support  investigation  when  they 
believe  themselves  the  strongest  in  the  right.  The  good' 


THE  HEADSMAN.  385 

matured  clavier  had  observed  the  wavering  and  uncertain 
character  of  the  Baron's  decision,  and  he  had  been  in- 
duced to  urge  his  particular  request  to  be  officiating  priest 
by  a  secret  apprehension  that,  descended  again  into  the 
scenes  of  the  world,  the  relenting  father  might  become, 
like  most  other  parents  of  these  nether  regions,  more  dis- 
posed to  consult  the  temporal  advancement  than  the  true 
happiness  of  his  child. 

As  one  of  the  parties  was  a  Protestant,  no  mass  was 
said,  an  omission,  however,  that  in  no  degree  impaired  the 
legal  character  of  the  engagement.  Adelheid  plighted 
her  unvarying  love  and  fidelity  with  maiden  modesty,  but 
with  the  steadiness  of  a  woman  whose  affections  and  prin- 
ciples were  superior  to  the  little  weaknesses  which,  on 
such  occasions,  are  most  apt  to  unsettle  those  who  have 
the  least  of  either  of  these  great  distinctive  essentials  of 
the  sex.  The  vows  to  cherish  and  protect  were  uttered  by 
Sigismund  in  deep  manly  sincerity,  for,  at  that  moment,  he 
felt  as  if  a  life  of  devotion  to  her  happiness  would  scarcely 
requite  her  single-minded,  feminine,  and  unvarying  truth. 

"  May  God  bless  thee,  dearest,"  murmured  old  Melchior, 
as,  bending  over  his  kneeling  child,  he  struggled  to  keep 
down  a  heart  which  appeared  disposed  to  mount  in  his 
throat,  in  spite  of  its  master's  inclinations  ;  "  bless  thee — 
bless  thee,  love,  now  and  forever.  Providence  has  dealt 
sternly  with  thy  brothers  and  sisters,  but  in  leaving  thee  it 
has  still  left  me  rich  in  offspring.  Here  is  our  good  friend 
Gaetano,  too — his  fortune  has  been  still  harder — but  we 
will  hope — we  will  hope.  And  thou,  Sigismund,  now  that 
Balthazar  hath  disowned  thee,  thou  must  accept  such  a 
father  as  Heaven  sends.  All  accidents  of  early  life  are 
forgotten,  and  Willading,  like  my  old  heart,  hath  gotten  a 
new  owner  and  a  new  lord  !  " 

The  young  man  exchanged  embraces  with  the  Baron, 
whose  character  he  knew  to  be  kind  in  the  main,  and  for 
whom  he  felt  the  regard  which  was  natural  to  his  present 
situation.  He  then  turned,  with  a  hesitating  eye,  to  the 
Signor  Grimaldi.  The  Doge  succeeded  his  friend  in  pay- 
ing the  compliments  of  affection  to  the  bride,  and  had 
just  released  Adelheid  with  a  warm  paternal  kiss. 

"  I  pray  Maria  and  her  holy  Son  in  thy  behalf  !  "  said  the 
venerable  Prince  with  dignity.  "Thou  enterest  on  new 
and  serious  duties,  child,  but  the  spirit  and  purity  of  an 
angel,  a  meekness  that  does  not  depress,  and  a  character 

25 


3*6  THE  HEADSMAN. 

whose  force  rather  relieves  than  injures  the  softness  of  thy 
sex,  can  temper  the  ills  of  this  fickle  worid,  and  thou 
may'st  justly  hope  to  see  a  fair  portion  of  that  felicity 
which  thy  young  imagination  pictures  in  such  golden  col- 
ors. And  thou,"  he  added,  turning  to  meet  the  embrace 
of  Sigismund,  "  whoever  thou  art  by  the  first  disposition 
of  Providence,  thou  art  now  rightfully  dear  to  me.  The 
husband  of  Melchoir  de  Willading's  daughter  would  ever 
have  a  claim  upon  his  most  ancient  and  dearest  friend,  but 
we  are  united  by  a  tie  that  has  the  interest  of  a  singular 
and  solemn  mystery.  My  reason  tells  me  that  I  am  pun- 
ished for  much  early  and  wanton  pride  and  wilfulness,  in 
being  the  parent  of  a  child  that  few  men  in  any  condition 
of  life  could  wish  to  claim,  while  my  heart  would  fain  flat- 
ter me  with  being  the  father  of  a  son  of  whom  an  emperor 
might  be  proud  !  Thou  art,  and  thou  art  not,  of  my  blood. 
Without  these  proofs  of  Maso's,  and  the  testimony  of  the 
dying  monk,  I  should  proclaim  thee  to  be  the  latter  with- 
out hesitation  ;  but  be  thou  what  thou  may'st  by  birth, 
thou  art  entirely  and  without  alloy  of  my  love.  Be  tender 
of  this  fragile  flower  that  Providence  hath  put  under  thy 
protection,  Sigismund  ;  cherish  it  as  thou  valuest  thine 
own  soul ;  this  generous  and  confiding  love  of  a  virtuous 
woman  is  always  a  support,  frequently  a  triumphant  stay, 
to  the  tottering  principles  of  man.  Oh  !  had  it  pleased  God 
earlier  to  have  given  my  Angiolina,  how  different  might 
have  been  our  lives  !  This  dark  uncertainty  would  not 
now  hang  over  the  most  precious  of  human  affections,  and 
my  closing  hour  would  be  blessed.  Heaven  and  its  saints 
preserve  ye  both,  tijy  children,  and  preserve  ye  long  in 
your  present  innocence  and  affection  !  " 

The  venerable  Doge  ceased.  The  effort  which  had  en- 
abled him  to  speak  gave  way,  and  he  turned  aside  that  he 
might  weep  in  the  decent  reserve  that  became  his  station 
and  years. 

Until  now  Marguerite  had  been  silent,  watching  the 
countenances,  and  drinking  in  with  avidity  the  words  of 
the  different  speakers.  It  was  now  her  turn.  Sigismund 
knelt  at  her  feet,  pressing  her  hands  to  his  lips  in  a  man- 
ner to  show  that  her  high,  though  stern  character,  had 
left  deep  traces  in  his  recollection.  Releasing  herself  from 
his  convulsed  grasp,  for  just  then  the  young  man  felt  in- 
tensely the  violence  of  severing  those  holy  ties  which,  in 
his  case,  had  perhaps  something  of  a  wild  romance  from 


THE  HEADSMAN.  387 

their  secret  nature,  she  parted  the  curls  on  his  ample  brow, 
and  stood  gazing  long  at  his  face,  studying  each  lineament 
to  its  minutest  shade. 

"No,"  she  said,  mournfully  shaking  her  head,  "truly 
thou  art  not  of  us,  and  God  hath  dealt  mercifully  in  taking 
away  the  innocent  little  creature  whose  place  thou  hast 
so  long  innocently  usurped  !  Thotf  wert  dear  to  me,  Sigis- 
mund — very  dear — for  I  thought  thee  under  the  curse  of 
my  race  ;  do  not  hate  me,  if  I  say  my  heart  is  now  in  the 
grave  of " 

"Mother!"  exclaimed  the  young  man,  reproachfully. 

"Well,  I  am  still  thy  mother,"  answered  Marguerite, 
smiling,  though  painfully,  "  thou  art  a  noble  boy,  and 
no  change  of  fortune  can  ever  alter  thy  soul.  'Tis  a  cruel 
parting,  Balthazar,  and  I  know  not,  after  all,  that  thou 
didst  well  to  deceive  me,  for  I  have  had  as  much  grief  as 
joy  in  the  youth — grief,  bitter  grief,  that  one  like  him 
should  be  condemned  to  live  under  the  curse  of  our  race 
— but  it  is  ended  now — he  is  not  of  us — no,  he  is  no  longer 
of  us  !  " 

This  was  uttered  so  plaintively  that  Sigismund  bent  his 
face  to  his  hands  and  sobbed  aloud. 

"  Now  that  the  happy  and  proud  weep,  'tis  time  that  the 
wretched  dried  their  tears,"  added  the  wife  of  Balthazar, 
looking  about  her  with  a  sad  mixture  of  agony  and  pride 
struggling  in  her  countenance  ;  for,  in  spite  of  her  profes- 
sions, it  was  plain  that  she  yielded  her  claim  on  the  noble 
youth  with  deep  yearnings  and  an  intense  agony  of  spirit. 
"We  have  one  consolation,  at  least,  Christine — all  that  are 
not  of  our  blood  will  not  despise  us  now !  Am  I  right, 
Sigismund — thou,  too,  wilt  not  turn  upon  us  with  the 
world,  and  hate  those  whom  thou  once  loved  ? " 

"  Mother,  mother,  for  the  sake  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  do 
not  harrow  my  soul  !  " 

"  I  will  not  distrust  thee,  dear  ;  thou  didst  not  drink  at 
my  breast,  but  thou  hast  taken  in  too  many  lessons  of  the 
truth  from  my  lips  to  despise  us — and  yet  thou  art  not  of 
us,  thou  mayest  possibly  prove  a  prince's  son,  and  the 
world  so  hardens  the  heart — and  they  who  have  been  sore- 
ly pressed  upon  become  suspicious " 

"  For  the  love  of  God,  cease,  mother,  or  thou  wilt  break 
my  heart ! " 

"  Come  hither,  Christine.  Sigismund,  this  maiden  goe« 
with  thy  wife  ;  we  have  the  greatest  confidence  in  th« 


388  THE  HEADSMAN. 

truth  and  principles  of  her  thou  hast  wedded,  for  she  has 
been  tried  and  not  found  wanting.  Be  tender  to  the  child  ; 
she  was  once  thy  sister,  and  then  thou  used  to  love  her." 

"  Mother — thou  wilt  make  me  curse  the  hour  I  was 
born ! " 

Marguerite,  while  she  could  not  overcome  the  cold  dis- 
trust which  habit  had  interwoven  with  all  her  opinions,  felt 
that  she  was  cruel,  and  she  said  no  more.  Stooping,  she 
kissed  the  cold  forehead  of  the  young  man,  gave  a  warm 
embrace  to  her  daughter,  over  whom  she  prayed  fervently 
for  a  minute,  and  then  placed  the  insensible  girl  into  the 
open  arms  of  Adelheid.  The  awful  workings  of  nature 
were  subdued  by  a  superhuman  will,  and  she  turned  slow- 
ly toward  the  silent,  respectful  crowd,  who  had  scarcely 
breathed  during  this  exhibition  of  her  noble  character. 

"  Doth  any  here,"  she  sternly  asked,  "  suspect  the  inno- 
cence of  Balthazar?" 

"  None,  good  woman,  none !  "  returned  the  bailiff,  wip- 
ing his  eyes ;  "  go  in  peace  to  thy  home,  o'  Heaven's  sake,, 
and  God  be  with  thee  ! " 

"  He  stands  acquitted  before  God  and  man  !  "  added  the 
more  dignified  chatelain. 

Marguerite  motioned  for  Balthazar  to  precede  her,  and 
she  prepared  to  quit  the  chapel.  On  the  threshold  she 
turned  and  cast  a  lingering  look  at  Sigismund  and  Chris- 
tine. The  two  latter  were  weeping  in  each  other's  arms, 
and  the  soul  of  Marguerite  yearned  to  mingle  her  tears 
with  those  she  loved  so  well.  But,  stern  in  her  resolutions, 
she  stayed  the  torrent  of  feeling  which  would  have  been  so 
terrible  in  its  violence  had  it  broken  loose,  and  followed 
her  husband,  with  a  dry  and  glowing  eye.  They  descended 
the  mountain  with  a  vacuum  in  their  hearts  which  taught 
even  this  persecuted  pair  that  there  are  griefs  in  nature 
that  surpass  all  the  artificial  woes  of  life. 

The  scene  just  related  did  not  fail  to  disturb  the  specta- 
cors.  Maso  dashed  his  hand  across  his  eyes,  and  seemed 
touched  with  a  stronger  working  of  sympathy  than  it  ac- 
corded with  his  present  policy  to  show,  while  both  Conrad 
and  Pippo  did  credit  to  their  humanity,  by  fairly  shedding 
tears.  The  latter,  indeed,  showed  manifestations  of  a  sen- 
sibility that  is  not  altogether  incompatible  with  ordinary 
recklessness  and  looseness  of  principle.  He  even  begged 
leave  to  kiss  the  hand  of  the  bride,  wishing  her  joy  with 
fervor,  as  one  who  had  gone  through  great  danger  in  her 


THE  HEADSMAN.  389 

company.  The  whole  party  then  separated  with  an  ex- 
change of  cordial  good  feeling  which  proves  that,  however 
much  men  may  be  disposed  to  jostle  and  discompose  their 
fellows  in  the  great  highway  of  life,  nature  has  infused  into 
their  composition  some  great  redeeming  qualities  to  make 
us  regret  the  abuses  by  which  they  have  been  so  much  per- 
verted. 

On  quitting  the  chapel,  the  whole  of  the  travellers  made 
their  dispositions  to  depart.  The  bailiff  and  the  chatelain 
went  down  toward  the  Rhone,  as  well  satisfied  with  them- 
selves as  if  they  had  discharged  their  trust  with  fidelity  by 
committing  Maso  to  prison,  and  discoursing  as  they  rode 
along  on  the  singular  chances  which  had  brought  a  son  of 
the  Doge  of  Genoa  before  them  in  a  condition  so  question- 
able. The  good  Augustines  helped  the  travellers  who  were 
destined  for  the  other  descent  into  their  saddles,  and  ac- 
quitted themselves  of  the  last  act  of  hospitality  by  follow- 
ing the  footsteps  of  the  mules,  with  wishes  for  their  safe 
arrival  at  Aoste. 

The  path  across  the  Col  has  been  already  described.  It 
winds  along  the  margin  of  the  little  lake,  passing  the  site 
of  the  ancient  temple  of  Jupiter  at  the  distance  of  a  few 
hundred  yards  from  the  convent.  Sweeping  past  the 
northern  extremity  of  the  little  basin,  where  it  crosses  the 
frontiers  of  Piedmont,  it  cuts  the  ragged  wall  of  rock,  and, 
after  winding  en  corniche  for  a  short  distance  by  the  edge 
of  a  fearful  ravine,  it  plunges  at  once  toward  the  plains  of 
Italy. 

As  there  was  a  desire  to  have  no  unnecessary  witnesses 
of  Maso's  promised  revelations,  Conrad  and  Pippo  had 
been  advised  to  quit  the  mountain  before  the  rest  of  the 
party,  and  the  muleteers  were  requested  to  keep  a  little  in 
the  rear.  At  the  point  where  the  path  leaves  the  lake,  the 
whole  dismounted,  Pierre  going  ahead  with  the  beasts, 
with  a  view  to  make  the  first  precipitous  pitch  from 
the  Col  on  foot.  Maso  now  took  the  lead.  When  he 
reached  the  spot  where  the  convent  is  last  in  view,  he 
stopped  and  turned  to  gaze  at  the  venerable  and  storm- 
beaten  pile. 

"Thou  hesitatest,"  observed  the  Baron  de  Willading, 
who  suspected  an  intention  to  escape. 

"  Signore,  the  look  at  even  a  stone  is  a  melancholy  of- 
fice, when  it  is  known  to  be  the  last.  I  have  often 
climbed  to  the  Col,  but  I  shall  never  dare  do  it  again  ;  for, 


390  THE  HEADSMAN. 

though  the  honorable  and  worthy  chatelain,  and  the  most 
worthy  bailiff,  are  willing  to  pay  their  homage  to  a  doge  of 
Genoa  in  his  own  person,  they  may  be  less  tender  of  his 
honor  when  he  is  absent.  Addio,  caro,  San  Bernardo ! 
Like  me,  thou  art  solitary  and  weather-beaten,  and,  like 
me,  though  rude  of  aspect,  thou  hast  thy  uses.  We  are 
both  beacons — thou  to  tell  the  traveller  where  to  seek 
safety,  and  I  to  warn  him  where  danger  is  to  be  avoided." 
There  is  a  dignity  in  manly  suffering,  that  commands 
our  sympathies.  All  who  heard  this  apostrophe  to  the 
abode  of  the  Augustines  were  struck  with  its  simplicity 
and  its  moral.  They  followed  the  speaker  in  silence,  how- 
ever, te  the  point  where  the  path  makes  its  first  sudden 
descent.  The  spot  was  favorable  to  the  purpose  of  II 
Maledetto.  Though  still  on  the  level  of  the  lake,  the  con- 
vent, the  Gol,  and  all  it  contained,  with  the  exception  of  a 
short  line  of  its  stony  path,  were  shut  from  their  view,  by 
the  barrier  of  intervening  rock.  The  ravine  lay  beneath, 
ragged,  ferruginous,  and  riven  into  a  hundred  faces  by  the 
eternal  action  of  the  seasons.  All  above,  beneath,  and 
around,  was  naked,  and  chaotic  as  the  elements  of  the 

globe  before  they  received  the  order-giving  touch  of  the 
reator. 

"  Signore,"  said  Maso,  respectfully  raising  his  cap,  and 
speaking  with  calmness,  "  this  confusion  of  nature  resem- 
bles my  own  character.  Here  everything  is  torn  ;  sterile, 
and  wild  ;  but  patience,  charity,  and  generous  love,  hath 
been  able  to  change  even  this  rocky  height  into  an  abode 
for  those  who  live  for  the  good  of  others.  There  is  none 
so  worthless  that  use  may  not  be  made  of  him.  We  are 
types  of  the  earth,  our  mother  ;  useless  and  savage,  or  re- 
paying the  labor  that  we  receive,  as  we  are  treated  like 
men,  or  hunted  like  beasts.  If  the  great,  and  the  power- 
ful, and  the  honored,  would  become  the  friends  and  moni- 
tors of  the  weak  and  ignorant,  instead  of  remaining  so 
many  watch-dogs  to  snarl  at  and  bite  all  that  they  fear  may 
encroach  on  their  privileges,  raising  the  cry  of  the  wolf 
each  time  that  they  hear  the  wail  of  the  timid  and  bleating 
lamb,  the  fairest  works  of  God  would  not  be  so  often  de- 
faced. I  have  lived,  and  it  is  probable  that  I  shall  die  an 
outlaw  ;  but  the  severest  pangs  I  have  ever  known  come 
from  the  mockery  which  accuses  my  nature  of  abuses  that 
are  the  fruits  of  your  own  injustice.  That  stone,"  kicking 
a  bit  of  rock  from  the  path  into  the  ravine  beneath,  "  is  as 


THE   HEADSMAN'.  391 

much  master  of  its  direction  after  my  foot  has  set  its  mass 
in  motion,  as  the  poor  untaught  being  who  is  thrown  upon 
the  world,  despised,  unaided,  suspected,  and  condemned 
even  before  he  has  sinned,  has  the  command  of  his  own 
course.  My  mother  was  fair  and  good.  She  wanted  only 
the  power  to  withstand  the  arts  of  one,  who,  honored  in 
the  opinions  of  all  around  her,  undermined  her  virtue.  He 
was  great,  noble,  and  powerful  ;  while  she  had  little  beside 
her  beauty  and  her  weakness.  Signori, — the  odds  against 
her  were  too  much.  I  was  the  punishment  of  her  fault.  I 
came  into  a  world  then,  in  which  every  man  despised  me 
before  I  had  done  any  act  to  deserve  its  scorn." 

"  Nay,  this  is  pushing  opinions  to  extremes ! "  interrupted 
the  Signor  Grimaldi,  who  listened  breathlessly  to  the 
syllables  as  they  came  from  the  other's  tongue. 

"  We  began,  signori,  as  we  have  ended  ;  distrustful,  and 
struggling  to  see  which  could  do  the  other  the  most  harm. 
A  reverend  and  holy  monk,  who  knew  my  history,  would 
have  filled  a  soul  with  heaven  that  the  wrongs  of  the  world 
had  already  driven  to  the  verge  of  hell.  The  experiment 
failed.  Homily  and  precept,"  Maso  smiled  bitterly  as  he 
continued,  "are  but  indifferent  weapons  to  fight  with 
against  hourly  wrongs  ;  instead  of  becoming  a  cardinal 
and  the  counsellor  of  the  head  of  the  Church,  I  am  the  man 
ye  see.  Signor  Grimaldi,  the  monk  who  gave  me  his  care 
was  Father  Girolamo.  He  told  the  truth  to  thy  secretary, 
for  I  am  the  son  of  poor  Annunziata  Altieri,  who  was  once 
thought  worthy  to  attract  thy  passing  notice.  The  de- 
ception of  calling  myself  another  of  thy  children  was 
practised  for  my  own  security.  The  means  were  offered 
by  an  accidental  confederacy  with  one  of  the  instruments 
of  thy  formidable  enemy  and  cousin,  who  furnished  the 
papers  that  had  been  taken  with  the  little  Gaetano.  The 
truth  of  what  I  say  shall  be  delivered  to  you  at  Genoa. 
As  for  the  Signor  Sigismondo,  it  is  time  we  ceased  to  be 
rivals.  We  are  brothers,  with  this  difference  in  our  fort- 
unes, that  he  comes  of  wedlock,  and  I  am  of  an  unex- 
piated,  and  almost  an  unrepented,  crime  !  " 

A  common  cry,  in  which  regret,  joy,  and  surprise  were 
wildly  mingled,  interrupted  the  speaker.  Adelheid  threw 
herself  into  her  husband's  arms,  and  the  pale  and  con- 
science-stricken Doge  stood  with  extended  arms,  an  image 
of  contrition,  delight,  and  shame. 

"  Let  me  have  air  !  "  exclaimed  the  Prince  ;  "  give  me 


^392  THE  HEADSMAN. 

air  or  I  suffocate  !  Where  is  the  child  of  Annunziata  ?— I 
will  at  least  atone  to  him  for  the  wrong  done  his  mother!" 

It  was  too  late.  The  victim  of  another's  fault  had  cast 
himself  over  the  edge  of  the  precipice  with  reckless  hardi- 
hood, and  he  was  already  beyond  the  reach  of  the  voice,  in 
his  swift  descent,  by  a  shorter  but  dangerous  path,  toward 
Aoste.  Nettuno  was  at  his  heels.  It  was  evident  that  he 
endeavored  to  outstrip  Pippo  and  Conrad,  who  were  trudg- 
ing ahead  by  the  more  beaten  road.  In  a  few  minutes  he 
turned  the  brow  of  beetling  rock,  and  was  lost  to  view. 

This  was  the  last  that  was  known  of  II  Maledetto.  At 
Genoa,  the  Doge  secretly  received  the  confirmation  of  all 
that  he  had  heard,  and  Sigismund  was  legally  placed  in 
possession  of  his  birthright.  The  latter  made  many  gener- 
ous but  useless  efforts  to  discover  and  to  reclaim  his 
brother.  With  a  delicacy  that  could  hardly  be  expected, 
the  outlaw  had  withdrawn  from  a  scene  which  he  now  felt 
to  be  unsuited  to  his  habits,  and  he  never  permitted  the 
veil  to  be  withdrawn  from  the  place  of  his  retreat. 

The  only  consolation  that  his  relatives  ever  obtained 
arose  from  an  event  which  brought  Pippo  under  the  con- 
demnation of  the  law.  Before  his  execution,  the  buffoon 
confessed  that  Jacques  Colis  fell  by  the  hands  of  Conrad 
and  himself,  and  that,  ignorant  of  Maso's  expedient  on  his 
own  account,  they  had  made  use  of  Nettuno  to  convey  the 
plundered  jewelry  undetected  across  the  frontiers  of  Pied- 
mont. 


THE   END. 


NRLF 


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